The 2017 Covers + Pages Anthology is on its way!

Covers and Pages is a junior-level sequential storytelling course in which illustration students are encouraged to tell short, sequential, visual narratives. Oftentimes these narratives are without text, so the narratives rely exclusively on visuals as a means to tell the story. 

Every spring, Assistant Professor Maura Cluthe and Assistant Professor Hector Casanova compile and curate the content for the anthology. The covers, however, are judged by various comic book artists from the Kansas City Community. This year, we were lucky enough to have Buster Moody and Matt Fox stop by and jury the covers this year. What an honor!

Matt Fox and Buster Moody in the house!

Buster and Matt graciously joined us one evening in March to jury the covers. With 28 students in the junior class, there were plenty of great covers to choose from. After some back-and-forth deliberation, Buster and Matt narrowed it down to 6 covers and then narrowed it down again to these final 4. For the final anthology, we'll be printing 2 separate books with 4 different covers but the content within the two books will be the same. 

Please join me in congratulating Emily Alvarez, Astrid Blurr, Max Peake and Brinnon Schaub whose work will be on the covers of the 2017 Covers & Pages Anthology! Congratulations, too, to runners-up Gabbi Brandini and Cameron Kunkel! Congratulations all!

Emily Alvarez

Astrid Blurr

Max Peake

Brinnon Schaub

Gabbi Brandini

Cameron Kunkel

KCAI Scarritt Mural Project in the news

We're a little late in getting this posted, but there was a great article in the Kansas City Star last month about the Scarritt Mural Project. Headed up by instructor Hector Casanova and created by KCAI Illustration juniors, these panels are catching some attention. Great work everyone!!

ILLUSTRATION NOW 2014

Once again, we're nearing the end of the fall semester which means that we're close to our end of the semester show. ILLUSTRATION NOW 2014 opens this Friday night, December 5, and we couldn't be more excited! Between the ILLUSTRATION NOW show and The Harvest Internship Event and all the work the students are finishing up before the winter break, the studios are buzzing!

Since the exhibition space within our department is somewhat small, we decided to keep this show simple and manageable. This year 34 students (out of 96) were selected by full-time faculty and invited to submit up to 2 pieces for consideration in the show. Once all the pieces were submitted, one piece per student was chosen. 

Here's a little preview of some of the work that will be in the show. Check it out!

Taylor Fourt

RT Smith

Nathan Hall

Nicholette Haigler

Emily Stout

JC Franco

Kristopher Martin

Wesley Derstine

Johannah Miller

Alison Polston

Coleman Stampley

Kendall Quack

Tobias Rose

Twodee Weaver

Thanks for checking out the work! Join us this Friday night at 324 East 43rd Street from 5-8 pm. Be sure to stop by the other departments on campus for the 2014 End of Semester shows! 

Hearts Social Club Charity Event for Children's Mercy Hospital

A charity auction to support Children's Mercy Hospitals new Guest Services department will be held December 5th, First Fridays, from 6-8pm at the WISE gallery in VML, 202 Baltimore. Several KCAI Illustration students and faculty are participating in the event, come out and show your support! 

Kelsey Borcherding - featured top center, Kelsey Wroten - featured 2nd row center

As the resident artist for Children's Mercy Hospital, local Kansas City muralist Donald Ross Scribe has been pioneering the Hearts Social Club charity event over the past several months. The project humbly began as a drive to bring local artists of all levels together in a fun and casual creative event, dubbed "Drink and Draws," and quickly grew into a fully fledged and ambitions charity art auction. The project features over 200 wooden hearts cut by local shop Sign Connection, many of which were donated to the cause, which were then distributed to participating artists at monthly Drink and Draws at Town Tavern. Why the heart shape? As Scribe puts it, "its a tie in between where this art is going to come from... the heART." 

Several KCAI Illustration students are participating in the event, namely seniors Kelsey Wroten, Kelsey Borcherding, and Rosie Ruzicka as well as instructor Hector Casanova.

The brain child behind the fundraising is the push for a new "Guest Services" department at Children's Mercy, which in conception would take care of visitors needs when caught off guard with the challenges they may face when being a guest at a hospital. It would be about getting patients what they need in order to make people feel more at home during a stressful time. Though Children's Mercy is blessed with many donors, they expressed a need for start-up costs in order to get things moving and thus the idea was born. 

Many local companies have noticed the efforts of the Hearts Social Club and have come together to help meet the needs of the event. VML will be hosting the auction at their downtown WISE gallery, Blick art supplies at Main Street donated supplies directly to the artists at Drink and Draw events, Children's Mercy employees and volunteers have offered to help manage the auction, and many other companies have come forward to offer their support. Scribe would also like to thank the many people involved behind the scenes, his wife, Alisa Ross,  Max Ross, Joc Max, Missy Stover, Kevin Lee, Megan Stock, Lisa Take and John Mulvihill and his support staff at VML, The Tower Tavern, Blick Art Supplies, Sign Connection and Poster Worx and most importantly all the artists and their works.

Heart by Zachary Lama

Already his third heart submission! 

Scribe's Heart

One of many hearts Scribe himself has completed. 

Everyone loves to Drink and Draw!

One of the several events held at Town Tavern over the past several months.

Heart by JT Daniels

Local Kansas City illustrator and muralist. 

VML Promotes with Print Outs

VML has printed many of the unique heart designs and hung them in their doorway to promote the event! Lookin' great! 

Heart by Stacy Hoyt

Another sample of the creativity and variety of the artists!

Drink and Draw turn in

Just a sample of the many many hearts that came home last Wednesday at the turn-in event.

The event is open to the public and Children's Mercy will be there to accept the bid money via cash or credit card. 100% of the proceeds will go to Guest Services at CMH. Donations on the hearts will start at $50 and will be capped at $100, a move which Scribe believes will level the playing field and allow art collectors of all levels and ambitions a shot at a a piece. 

Scribe is already planning the next Hearts Social events and envisions a once a year revival and many more artistically focused events to come. 

Article written by Rosie Ruzicka