2018 The ART of Illustration

Monday, February 12, 2018–Tuesday, March 27, 2018

  • Reception: Thursday, February 15, 2018, 5:30-7:30 pm
  • Gallery Talk at 6:30 pm by Liza Wynette
  • Live music by Sami Issa
  • Additional Lecture by Illustrator Ed Binkley: Tuesday, March 27 at 12 pm in the gallery and workshop from 2 to 4 pm in room D244.
  • Participating illustrators include Anna and Elena Balbusso, Ed Binkley, Chris Buzelli, Marcos Chin, Tatsuro Kiuchi, Miriam Martincic, Bill Mayer, James Prosek, Ralph Steadman and Matt Wiley.

For The ART of Illustration, curator Liza Wynette selected 10 contemporary U.S. illustrators known for their innovative work, personal style, and varying methods of creating their originals from paintbrush and gouache through digital manipulation. The exhibition will also feature books, packaging, and animation.

Wynette, a practicing illustrator and owner of Esoterra Studio, currently teaches graphic design classes at Parkland College. Her goal in curating the exhibit was to give visitors a glimpse into the wide range of styles, techniques, mediums, and formats illustrators work in today.

"In our visually saturated environment, illustrators must create work that communicates efficiently and effectively," Wynette said. "However, the creativity and fine craftsmanship of their art is often overlooked as we go about our hectic lives. The goal of The ART of Illustration is to bring the best commercial art out of the wild and into a gallery setting where the audience will have the time and space to truly appreciate the work.

"Artists were selected for their strong conceptual imagery, outstanding craftsmanship, and unique visual language. They are ambassadors representing the current state of contemporary illustration."

Gallery visitors will encounter the illustrations of Anna and Elena Balbusso, Ed Binkley, Chris Buzelli, Marcos Chin, Tatsuro Kiuchi, Miriam Martincic, Bill Mayer, James Prosek, Ralph Steadman and Matt Wiley. Their works have been published throughout the world on such varied media as book jackets, children's books, classic novels, magazines, and newspapers including The New Yorker, The New York Times, National Geographic, Time, Rolling Stone, GQ, Sports Illustrated, The Village Voice, and The Wall Street Journal.

Ad clients for these illustrators have included the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Sundance Film Festival, Dream Works, Cartoon Network, Macy's, Sony, Facebook, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, MGM Resorts, Budweiser, Mattel, Hasbro, Levi's, Wild Turkey, Neiman Marcus, Fiat, Japan Airlines, Asahi, Fluevog, Jose Cuervo, IBM, and The US Postal Service.