The exhibition includes original artwork by Maurice Sendak, including artifacts from his 1963 book “Where the Wild Things Are.” (photo courtesy of The Maurice Sendak Foundation)

The Skirball Cultural Center invites audiences to see “Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak” before the exhibition closes on Sept. 1.

The exhibition celebrates the work of Jewish American artist Sendak, creator of the children’s books “Where the Wild Things Are,” “In the Night Kitchen” and “Outside Over There.” Organized by the Columbus Museum of Art, the exhibition is the first major Sendak retrospective since his death in 2012 and the largest and most complete exhibition of his work to date.

“Wild Things Are Happening” is comprised of more than 150 sketches, storyboards and paintings by Sendak drawn from the collection of the Maurice Sendak Foundation. Presented alongside landmark pictures for Sendak’s own books are examples of artwork he created for “The Bat-Poet” by Randall Jarrell, “A Hole is to Dig” by Ruth Krauss, the “Little Bear” series by Else Holmelund Minarik and “Zlateh the Goat” by Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Designs for many of Sendak’s opera, theater, film and television productions are also featured. His impact on the broader world of the performing arts is illuminated through his collaboration and friendship with directors, composers, playwrights and visual artists, such as Carroll Ballard, Frank Corsaro, Spike Jonze, Tony Kushner and Twyla Tharp. The exhibition will also highlight Sendak’s love of Mozart and the way the composer’s life and work influenced his designs for the books “Outside Over There” and “Dear Mili.”

The groundbreaking exhibition adds new depth to audiences’ understanding of Sendak’s life – as a child of Jewish immigrants, a lover of music and someone with deep personal relationships – and how it connected with his creative work, which drew inspiration from writers ranging from William Shakespeare to Herman Melville.

Listen to some of Sendak’s most memorable stories in a reading room in the exhibition every Thursday through Sunday at 3 p.m. The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. For information, call (310)440- 4500, or visit skirball.org.