Saturday, July 25, 2026
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Library & Archives, Downtown Campus
27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
CAM Members $5, Non-Members (Adult) $25. Additional prices available when registering.
Tickets include general museum admission. 
Registration Required.

Join us in the CAM Library & Archives for a lively presentation with author‑illustrator Janice Hechter, who researched, wrote, illustrated, and recently published the new picture book The Power of Her Paintbrush. The book celebrates the life and legacy of trailblazing artist Theresa Bernstein, and Hechter will share insights into Bernstein’s world, stories from the many interviews conducted during her research, and her own experience bringing this remarkable artist’s story to life through illustration. 

Janice Hechter is the author-illustrator of a new picture book, The Power of Her Paintbrush: The Story of Theresa Bernstein, published by Kar-Ben Publishing on March 3, 2026. An award-winning illustrator and fine artist, Janice has exhibited her paintings in various galleries and museums throughout the country. She has also illustrated five other picture books, including SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist The Great Elephant Escape for Pelican Publishing.

From KIRKUS Reviews: “Hechter’s text is well researched, detailed, easy to follow, and accessible to children. Her appropriately painterly illustrations burst with color and contain effective reproductions of Bernstein’s art. Bright freeform endpapers introduce the subject perfectly. An inspiring account of an artist who fought misogyny at each turn—and triumphed.”

From BOOKLIST Reviews: “Overall, a clear, informative book that will have readers cheering for a little-known artist who blazed her own beautiful trail.”

To view more of Janice’s illustrations and learn more about her, visit her website at www.janicehechter.com. 

Image Credit: The Power of Her Paintbrush: The Story of Theresa Bernstein by Janice Hechter, published by Kar-Ben Publishing, 2026.