A school and an artist get their due.

Even after four-plus decades surrounded by every medium imaginable, a single snapshot still has the power to move Bill Reid ’73, Prairie’s Artist-In-Residence.

And this one with particularly good reason.

The picture in question is of Reid himself – in one of his magnificently zany pedal cars – and it appears in “A Creative Place: The History of Wisconsin Art,” a stunningly comprehensive book released by the Cedarburg Art Museum.

Co-authored by Thomas D. Lidtke and Annemarie Sawkins, A Creative Place is not only visually arresting, but also impressively thorough in its celebration of the state’s many accomplished makers.

“I know quite a bit about Wisconsin art and there are individuals where it would be a shame if they weren’t in there, and they’re all in there. And then you have somebody like me,” Reid says, laughing.

But pressed into the pages of a book celebrating everything exceptional about Wisconsin and creativity is exactly where Bill Reid belongs.

Later in the book the reader also finds references to Prairie, “a progressive private preparatory school” in Racine, plus mentions of Imogene P. Johnson, Willie Hilpert, Kent Ipsen, Dave Drewek, Prairie’s glassblowing studio, art library, and visiting artist series.

“It’s a beautiful book,” says Reid. “It’s got a lot of information, it’s really detailed, and it’s a real treat to be included.”

Featuring seven chapters and more than 400 images, “A Creative Place: The History of Wisconsin Art” is the kind of book coffee tables were made to carry.

The book is available for purchase online at the Cedarburg Art Museum’s website.