2013 BFA Exhibition, Congratulations Seniors!

Friday night saw the opening of this year's BFA Exhibition featuring the work of 13 Seniors in Illustration here at UConn. Out of a total 61 graduating students, our 13 Seniors took two prizes: Christopher Cater won one of the prestigious Dean's Purchase Awards, and Jennifer Young took home a Faculty Award. Congratulations!

The show runs from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm each day until (and including) Tuesday, April 30th, at ArtSpace Windham, in Willimantic, CT.

ALL of our Seniors worked very, very hard all semester long to create meaningful projects and Artists' Statements for this Exhibition, and they worked tirelessly to prepare, hang, and present the show. Many of our Illustration students took on leadership roles on the Exhibition's sub-committees, which is no easy task. Well done, folks! Your future awaits!

Draw On! At the William Benton Museum of Art

Tuesday, April 23 through Friday, April 26

1–4  each afternoon

Draw On! at The Benton is a free, fun-filled, four-day drawing event for all ages and abilities. Come one day or all four days to explore, replicate, imagine, doodle, and discover why drawing is a tool for learning, developing ideas, and relieving stress. We provide the materials, ideas, and support for free-form and observation drawing.

The Draw On! program was designed by The Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, CT. For details, contact Tracy Lawlor, 860.486.1711. More details here: Draw On at the Benton Museum

Get Some MAD CASH, NOW! UConn "IDEA" Grants

Hey! There's $4,000 out there with your NAME on it! Apply for this grant with your idea for a creative/artistic product and you could be sittin' pretty really soon!

UConn IDEA Grant Information

Applications due by April 1st, 2013!

ART 2210, Illustration Brainstorms!

A "Good Wall," as we say in the biz. Visual residue of brainstorming by students in ART 2210, Illustration, students this morning. This despite freezing temperatures both outside and inside the studio! Rock on!

Censorship? The Society of Illustrators and the Power of An Image

The Society of Illustrators Does Not Censor! Read the article here, about the trials and tribulations of printing an annual of illustration work that sets off alarm bells in China. A good example of the power of visual communication.

While you're at it, learn more about the Society of Illustrators here: Society of Illustrators

Image courtesy of the Society of Illustrators Annual #54

Happy Inauguration Day! Here's a Great Link To Some Related Visual Thinking...

Our friends at The New Yorker are always commissioning visual commentary on current events and popular culture. Here is a slide show that is particularly relevant to today's Inauguration. Enjoy!

The New Yorker's Presidential Covers Since 2008.

New York Times, Notable Opinion Art of 2012

This is a great collection of some of the best opinion art of the past year. Students, take note of both the great concepts and wonderful executions of these pieces. You'll enjoy them! Notable Opinion Art of 2012.

HEY! Apply For This Scholarship!

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators offers a STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP to attend their conferences. Consider applying! SCBWI Student Illustration Scholarship

Raab Prize, 2012!

Congratulations to Mikey Karpiel and Tony Russello, winner and runner-up, respectively, of the 2012 Raab Associates Prize! The prize is offered annually to the illustrator who best meets the challenge of working with a children's text.

Their work was singled out for the awards by a jury including: UConn alum (and totally famous marketing agent) Susan Salzman Raab, sponsor of the prize; Terri Goldich, Curator of the Northeast Children's Literature Collection at the Dodd Center at UConn; Barbara McClintock, world-renown children's book illustrator; Jane Yolen, internationally known writer and author of our text. Barbara McClintock even critiqued our work- thanks, Barbara! All of the festivities took place at the Connecticut Children's Book Fair held on the campus of The University of Connecticut on November 10th.

Artwork by Mikey Karpiel

Artwork by Tony Russello

Brinley Franklin, David Raab, Susan Raab and Alison Paul

Terri Goldich with Barbara McClintock

Barbara McClintock signing for fans

Photos courtesy the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center and the Connecticut Children's Book Fair!

MoCCA and SoI Merge

For anyone who follows comics news, you may have heard that recently the Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art bit the dust... well, not exactly. They've merged with the Society of Illustrators and now have permanent gallery space alongside works from the Society's collection. Here's a great article here: "When Museums Cohabitate" by Kevin McCloskey.

So, the next time you visit the Society, you're also visiting MoCCA. And it's all still free. Yippee!!

Visiting Guest Artist, Jon Foster!

We were treated to a visit by Jon Foster today. Check out his work here:  Jon Foster Studio. Definitely go to his site for a review of the work he showed us. PLUS, how about his emphasis on "process," eh? Good times! Do those thumbnails, kids!

Arts Market Discovery/Crafting a Public Identity

What a great day! We enjoyed a day-long workshop/panel discussion on the joys, pitfalls, and responsibilities of crafting your brand and marketing your work via social media. It was a wealth of information and we're all the richer for it. Thank you, Susan Salzman Raab, CEO of Raab Associates, for spearheading this effort!

Susan Raab presents to us a mind-boggling array of social media outlets.

Panelists Charles Coe, Jeff Raab, Roxie Munro, Laura Rossi Totten and Sharon Butler share their expertise.

Our other panelists had an enormous amount of information to share in the afternoon. Please visit some of their websites to see more of what they do! Charles Coe, Jeff Raab, Laura Rossi Totten, Roxie Munro, and Sharon Butler. If you missed this, look for more of these events in the future. It was a killer day!