BiG thanks!

Although last semester seems like forever ago (!), we wanted to stop and give a special shout out to Pam and Gary Gradinger for their generous support and for sponsoring our department. Your belief in our department and our students means the world to us and to KCAI. Thank you!!

Here are just a few picks from the Illustration NOW show, held on December 5, 2013.

Thank you Pam & Gary!

What is normally classroom space was transformed into gallery space for Illustration NOW 2013.

Junior Rosie Ruzicka talking about her piece with patrons Cindy and Steve Kunz.

Several juniors checking out the work in the show.

Professor David Terrill and senior Christina Larkins talking about the show.

Professor and Department Chair Steve Mayse talking with patron Cindy Kunz about the show. (That's me, prof Maura Cluthe, on the right ready with some red dots. I was more than happy to place red dots on some pieces that night!)

Society of Korea lllusart (SOKI) winners

Last December, the Society of Korea Illusart (SOKI) had a call for entries for their annual illustration competition. Welcoming entries from around the world, the SOKI competition is broken down into several categories including Character Illustration, Fashion Illustration (styles and patterns), Scientific and Technical Illustration, 3D Illustration, Typography Illustration, Gallery Illustration, Installation Illustration and Illustration for Communication Design.

We are pleased to announce that Taylor Fourt and Johannah Miller (both KCAI Illustration sophomores) have both been accepted into the SOKI international art competition in Seoul, Korea and have both been acknowledged and awarded for their entries into the competition. In addition, they are both honorary members of SOKI. Way to go, Taylor and Johannah!! Congratulations!

Taylor Fourt, 2013

Johannah Miller, 2013

Illustrators 56

Illustration faculty member and alumni Maura Cluthe (Illustration, '93) has been selected for inclusion in The Society of Illustrators show Illustrators 56. The piece, Assembly Unknown, will be on display during the first part of the two-part annual exhibition Illustrators 56 to be held at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in New York, NY January 7 to February 1, 2014. The exhibit features works by leading contemporary illustrators worldwide, selected by a prestigious jury of professionals. For more information about the show, visit the Society of Illustrators website.

http://www.societyillustrators.org/The-Museum/2014/UIAM/Illustrators-56--Part-One.aspx

"Assembly Unknown, measures 6x8 inches and was originally done for a group show at a gallery in Seaside, Oregon. It's a mixed media piece on board that includes etching, letterpress, and a few found bits. It's one of three pieces that were done around the same time; one of the other pieces went to a group show in London, the other one went to a private collection." - Maura Cluthe, 2013.

Maura Cluthe, Assembly Unknown, 2013

ILLUSTRATION NOW preview #2

We're just a few days away from ILLUSTRATION NOW 2013! We're going to be prepping and painting the space tonight and the work will be hung tomorrow. So exciting! Here's some additional work that will be in the show.

Juan Carlos Franco • Niku, digital painting, 2013, $60 framed, $15 unframed

Cassie Allen • spread from Stranger Things, hand-made book, ink on paper, 2013, $150

Ellen Fox • Bumbershoot, pencil, digital, 2013, $60 framed, $30 unframed

Spencer Pullen • interior (exterior) interior, ink on paper, 2013, $275

Adam Soyring • Feet of Lead and Wings of Tin, found object sculpture, 2013, $225

Christina Larkins • Poe Intoxication, digital painting,2013, $40 framed, $20 unframed 

Nathan Hall • Troll, ballpoint pen on panel, 2013, $600

Thanks for looking! We hope to see you sometime this weekend! (See previous post for exhibition details.)

ILLUSTRATION NOW preview

ILLUSTRATION NOW 2013 is just over a week away and we couldn't be more excited! Between the ILLUSTRATION NOW show next weekend, The Harvest Internship Event on December 12 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. 38 students (out of 102) were selected by full-time faculty and invited to submit up to 3 pieces for consideration in the show. Once all the pieces were submitted, one piece per student was chosen. 

Since the show is almost a week away, we thought we'd post a little preview of some of the work that will be in the show. Check it out!

Lamya Al Douri • Hilawaa (Beauty) , graphite, digital, 2013, $75 framed

Kelsey Borcherding • Sketch #118, gouache, 2013, $150 framed original 

Salvador Carrasco • Eschaton, digital, 2013, $75 framed

Kim Chapman • Walk My Dog, 2013, digital, 2012, $60 framed, $30 unframed

Katherine Dodson • The Jungle Book, ink on board, 2013, $245 framed

Austin Gober • Just Numbers, acrylic and ink, 2013, $450

Angelita Medina Gonzales • Kishi Bashi, mixed media, 2013, $65 framed, $25 unframed

Phil Hernandez • Funkadelic, digital, 2013, $60 framed, $30 unframed

Emma Jennings • Untitled, graphite on paper, 2013, $350 framed

Kristopher Martin • Crow Mother of Country Club Drive, ink, acrylic, mixed media, 2013, $200 framed

Suzanne Nelson • Face Assemblage, mixed media, $275 / prints $45

Purps Percival • Kintsukuroi, watercolor and ink, 2013, $125

Brittany Plachecki • Blasphemy, digital, 2013, $50 framed, $20 unframed

Tara Raweewon • V---- d- M---, digital, 2013, $65 framed

Carrie Riehl • Tractor Ride, oil on canvas, 2013, $400

Jacob Robinson • The Transfiguration of Horselover Fat (Vast Active Living Intelligence Systems), mixed media + digital, 2013, $70 framed, $40 unframed

Rosemarie Ruzicka • Fox In Snow, silkscreen, 2011, $150 framed

This piece was a part of Illustrators 55, a juried exhibition on display at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in New York, January 2013.

Patti Ryland • Streptococcalroach, digital painting, 2013, $65 framed

Brantly Sheffield • Outfield, oil on masonite, 2013, $400

R.T. Smith • 400 Funerals, acrylic, watercolor, digital, 2013, $75 framed

Coleman Stampley • Rise and Fall, digital, 2013, $70 framed, $40 unframed

Clinton Walker • Artist's Block, ink and digital, 2013, $60 framed, $25 unframed

Allison Welter • Hindu Demon Mask, cut paper, 2013, $20 unframed print

Kelsey Wroten • Monster Mash, ink and digital on paper, 2013, $70 framed, $35 unframed

David White • It'sa Mario, cut paper and spray paint, 2013, $200

We will be posting additional work in the next few days. Stay tuned!

Patron Preview Night 
This is a ticketed event; Students, Faculty, and Patrons Welcome
Thursday, December 5th from 6 to 9 PM

For ticket information, visit kcai.edu/patronpreview

End of Semester Show 
FREE and open to the public
Friday, December 6th, Opening Reception from 5 to 7 PM; Weekend Hours: Saturday, December 7th from 10 AM to 5 PM, Sunday, December 8th from 12 to 5 PM

The Flex Space Gallery • KCAI Illustration Building, 324 East 43rd Street KCMO (Street parking is available)

Save the date for The Harvest!

It's quickly approaching that time of year once again; time for The Harvest, a KCAI Illustration Internship Event.

artwork by Senior Illustration student Kim Chapman

Need an Intern? 

We can help you with that. The KCAI Illustration Department requires our students to have an internship, and we want to help connect local internship sites with the best possible interns. Our students are interested in pursuing internships in a  wide variety of fields. Come see what our students have to offer!

Come Harvest

Join us on Thursday, December 12 from 5-8pm to harvest your intern(s). Enjoy refreshments while you peruse the Illustration studios, which will be set up trade show style. The students will have samples of their work and will be available to talk to any interested potential internship sites.

Tell Us Who's Coming

Your office-mate wants an intern too? Bring them along! We welcome any local creatives interested in sizing up potential interns. However, we do request that you RSVP with the approximate number of employees from your company that will be attending so we can plan and provide accordingly.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact Skye Livingston at slivingston@kcai.edu or 816.802.3518.

The KCAI Illustration department is located at 324 E 43rd Street. Street parking is available in the surrounding neighborhood. For a detailed map, please visit our CONTACT page.

artwork by Senior Illustration student Sharon Moore

ILLUSTRATION NOW 2013

ILLUSTRATION N0W 2013 is a faculty curated group show featuring the work of Kansas City Art Institute Illustration students. 

Featuring work by: Cassie Allen, Lamya Al Douri, Kelsey Borcherding, Salvador Carrasco, Kim Chapman, Katherine Dodson, Ellen Fox, Juan Carlos Franco, Caleb Gebel, Austin Gober, Angelita Gonzales, Nathan Hall, Phil Hernandez, Emma Jennings, Christina Larkins, Kristopher Martin, Suzanne Nelson, Purps Percival, Brittany Plachecki, Austin Pritchett, Spencer Pullen, Kendall Quack, Tara Raweewon, Carrie Riehl, Jacob Robinson, Rosie Ruzicka, Patti Ryland, Brantley Sheffield, Taylor Smith, Adam Soyring, Coleman Stampley, Luke Taylor, Clinton Walker, Alli Welter, Kelsey Wroten, David White

Find us on Facebook: ILLUSTRATION NOW 2013

On Thursday, December 5, 2013 the Kansas City Art Institute will host a Patron Preview from 6 to 10 p.m. on the eve of the public opening of the end-of-semester student exhibition and sale. Partygoers will have an opportunity to tour selected studio departments; view and purchase work before the exhibition and sale opens to the public; and enjoy a progressive evening of food and drinks. Proceeds benefit the student scholarship fund.

Exclusive Patron Preview
OPENING: Thursday, December 5, 2013, 6-9 pm
For ticket information, visit www.kcai.edu/PatronPreview or call 816-802-3483.

KCAI’s “End-of-semester student exhibition and sale” showcases work by students in the departments of ceramics, digital filmmaking, fiber, graphic design, illustration, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture. 

End of Semester Exhibition Show & Sale
FREE TO THE PUBLIC
OPENING: Friday, December 6, 2013, 5-7pm
Weekend Hours: Saturday, December 7, 10am-5pm and Sunday, December 8, 12pm-5pm

Join us at The Flex Space Gallery in the KCAI Illustration Building, 324 East 43rd Street, KCMO

Street parking is available.

We hope to se you there!!

JFK - A Ghostly Evening

Last month visiting instructor Hector Casanova and his class of juniors teamed up with MeltingPot KC and the Just Off Broadway Theatre to create a poster / playbill cover to promote the upcoming theatrical production, JFK - A Ghostly Evening. The project was put together by Hector in an effort to establish symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationships with other artistic institutions in town. The students got an opportunity to work on a "real world" project, with the winning design getting published, and this small independent theatre company got the opportunity to choose from 16 poster designs. All the participating students got tickets to go see the performance on preview night, Thursday, November 21, where their work will be featured in the lobby of the theatre. Congratulations to junior Katherine Dodson, whose work was chosen for the poster and playbill!

When asked about the project Hector said, "This project went very well, and we hope to continue to work with Off Broadway Theatre for similar future projects."

JFK - A Ghostly Evening will be running at Just Off Broadway Theatre from November 22 - December 1, 2013.  For more information, visit their website or call 816-784-5020.

Katherine Dodson, JFK - A Ghostly Evening

Congratulations, too, to all the runners-up!

Jacob Robinson

Augustus Oberg

Adam Soyring

Kelsey Wroten

Kelsey Borcherding

It's time once again for the American Royal

Every year the folks from the American Royal host a competition within our department to illustrate and design the poster for this year's annual barbecue event. Any student is allowed to enter, but only one is chosen. The selected artwork then becomes the signage for the event and is used on everything from posters to t-shirts. The winner also receives a $750 check towards their scholarship. Congratulations to this year's winner, senior Christina Larkins!

34th Annual American Royal • Christina Larkins, 2013

Christina Larkins, receiving her award at the American Royal

Congratulations!

Every year, since 1981, the Society of Illustrators has hosted a Student Scholarship Competition that's open to college-level students across the country. Every year for the past 3 years, since the Illustration program at KCAI started, we have submitted student work to the competition. As you can imagine, the competition is highly competitive; approximately one hundred pieces are selected from 5,000+ entries. The chosen works then go on to the Student Scholarship Exhibition that is held within the galleries at the Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators in New York. In the last 30 years the Society of Illustrators has awarded over $1,500,000 to deserving students in this unique competition. Congratulations to this year's winners!

Hyena Trio • Andy Ozier, 2013

$1000 award in Memory of Helen Wohlberg Lambert and Herman Lambert

Issey Assemblage • Andy Ozier, 2013

Thriftway • Chloe George, 2013

Ocean Organisms • Carrie Riehl, 2013

Fox • Rosie Ruzicka, 2013

Busy, busy!

It's a busy time in the studios these days. Lots going on. We're just past mid semester and the 3x3s from John Ferry's sophomore color class are starting to appear, as they come to fruition. It's always fun to see these come together.

The 3x3s are coming!

sophomores Coleman Stampley and Kelsey Borcherding, next to their 3x3s