The William King Museum of Art in Abingdon, Virginia is pleased to present an exhibition of selections from the Korshak Collection, on view September 28, 2026 through January 25, 2027. Featuring 57 works by artists including Frank Frazetta, Michael Whelan, the Brothers Hildebrandt, Arthur Rackham, Charles Vess, Hannes Bok, J. Allen St. John, and Brian Froud, among many others, the exhibition explores the rich visual worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Spanning the late nineteenth century through the early twentieth century, the works trace the evolution of imaginative realism and illustration, highlighting the enduring power of narrative art to bring myth, literature, and speculative worlds to life.
Drawing on themes of heroism, folklore, and literary adaptation, the exhibition invites visitors to consider how artists translate written narratives into compelling visual form. The visionary compositions of Hannes Bok, the adventurous imagery of J. Allen St. John, and the folkloric sensibility of Brian Froud reflect the breadth and adaptability of the genre. Together, these works reveal an evolving visual language shaped by changing audiences, publishing contexts, and artistic approaches, while underscoring illustration’s role as both storytelling medium and fine art practice.
“Today a reassessment has been taking place among art historians and scholars. Many now consider some illustrators, like Norman Rockwell, Howard Pyle, Maxfield Parrish and N. C. Wyeth, as fine artists as well as illustrators. If you look at many of the works in this collection, I think you will see that such distinctions are arbitrary.” –Steve Korshak
Steve Korshak has been building his collection for over 40 years. Exposed since childhood to the artwork generated by his father’s science fiction publishing house Shasta Publishers (now Shasta-Phoenix) and inspired by the otherworldly works of J. Allen St. John and Frank R. Paul that adorned his childhood home, Steve’s collection has grown out of his life-long appreciation for the illustration genre. His passion is shared and facilitated by his wife and family.