Monthly Archives: March 2009

Nichelle Hits SXSW

by Nichelle Stephens

In addition to bookkeeping at Morgan Gaynin, I am the co-editor and event organizer of a blog, Cupcakes Take the Cake. The blog is all about cupcakes, I normally do monthly events here in New York City at various locations including bakeries, bars and parks. However, since my co-blogger Rachel Kramer Bussell and I were going to be in Austin for South by Southwest (SXSW), we decided to create a Cupcake Social at a local bar. The goal was to create a fun party where people could sample cupcakes from local bakers and also meet other people who love cupcakes. Cupcakes 2.0 was a success thanks to friends, locals, and word-of-mouth.

 

First, my friends helped. Doing a google search to find a venue close to SXSW was a good way to start, but it was good to ask friends (or friends of friends) for recommendations. One friend of a friend recommended a few bars, so I chose from those. 

Second, I got the locals involved, which included local bakeries, food bloggers, and a great area bar. When planning any event, the hardest thing is nailing down a venue. It seemed a little more daunting to “cold call” a bar in a city I had never been to. The manager at the Tiniest Bar in Texas was friendly and heartily agreed after I pitched the event and told him that I could get a lot of people to attend. It was a win-win situation since I brought patrons to a bar on a Sunday afternoon, and I didn’t have to pay a fee. 

Third, I spread the word both online and offline. I posted the event on the blog and on facebook, created an online invitation using Pingg, and emailed friends who I knew would be in Austin. I also promoted the event offline by telling new people that I met when I first arrived. Luckily, friends from Los Angeles and Minneapolis also spread the word, and their friends came as well. Everyone had a blast, and I hope to do it again next year. These three elements can also work for an artist who wants to do a show of their work in another city. When you show your work in a a different place, it’s new and fresh. This is a great way to expand your patron base. Go on a tour! Artists are like rock stars, you know. :)

Big News for Wendy Edelson

Wendy Edelson was thrilled when, over the course of two days, her charming book Saturn for my Birthday won two independent publishing awards! Wendy took home the Reader Views Second Place Award for children’s fiction ages 6-8, and was a Foreward Magazine 2008 Book of the Year finalist in the picture book category.

This certainly gives the acclaimed artist a lot to share as she makes not one, but two appearances in her local area of Winslow, Washington. The first, taking place at Oil & Water on Saturday, March 21 from 1-3 pm, will offer an interesting view into her illustration career, processes, and experiences. There will also be snazzy demonstrations!

Wendy will also be at Eagle Harbor Books on Sunday, May 16th from 12-1pm, reading from Saturn for my Birthday and showing some beautiful original art from the book.

Congratulations, Wendy!

Best in Show!

Don Kilpatrick shared his most recent work with us, and it really takes the cake! Adam Solman Kilpatrick was born on March 9th at 3:23 am. Don’s lovely wife Kate is doing very well, and little Adam is “tall, healthy, and happy”…and also very, very pink. 

The growing family is catching up on some much needed rest, but doing great. Congratulations on the newest addition, Kilpatricks!

Gail’s weekend in Palm Springs, CA

By Gail Gaynin

On Sunday, March 1, 2009 I participated in the 11th Annual Hike 4Hope in the beautiful Indian Canyons of Palm Springs, CA.  The hike was started by my friend Eileen Stern, to raise funds for women’s cancer research, treatment, and educational programs at the world renown City of Hope Hospital.  I am proud to say that our team, Same Time Next Year Gals raised $13,755.00 so far, which puts us in first place for fund raising amongst over 50 teams. City Of Hope’s research is also shared with medical centers worldwide, improving the lives of millions, so you can click through here to donate!

Another benefit of my fabulous weekend in Palm Springs was that I got a personal tour of the town by one of MGI’s own, Dave Calver.  The first stop on our tour was a trip to Rt. 66, a gallery where Dave currently has a show. In this day of digital files it was wonderful to once again see Dave’s original work.

Introducing…

Laurie Lafrance & Anne Faith Nicholls!

We are excited to announce two artists who have just joined MGI: Laurie Lafrance, from Toronto and Anne Faith Nicholls, from LA!

Laurie was MGI’s first non-U.S. Illustrator in the mid ‘90s., and then she curtailed her U.S. work to spend time raising Clare and Aiden. Laurie’s gestural art makes us smile as does her enormous enthusiasm. She is absolutely the most ebullient person we have ever met. Now that the kids are older, and she can increase her work load, Laurie asked if we would represent her again. “In a heartbeat!” we replied.

morgangaynin.com/lafrance
morgangayninkids.com/lafrance

Anne’s work simply ‘wowed’ us. As we viewed the hundreds of illustrators’ web sites and attachments we received in the last few months, we kept returning to Anne’s graphic, contemporary art. Anne has positioned herself as a complete creative powerhouse and thoroughly promotes her talents as a hot property. MGI is pleased to represent the illustration arm of her business.

morgangaynin.com/nicholls

MGI Sweeps Creative Quarterly!

Creative Quarterly, another gorgeous publication under Charles Hively’s wing, recently announced the winners for CQ 15. And oh me oh my, our talented MGI artists took home quite a few awards!

In the Fine Art category, Steven Tabbutt won the Gold, Silver, and two merit awards for his stunning surrealist pieces. He also took home two merit awards in the Illustration category.

Gold, Fine Art:

Silver, Fine Art:

Sylvie Daigneault’s wonderful Pierrot took the Silver in the Illustration category, from which she’s also received a runner-up.

Silver, Illustration:

Carlo Stanga’s gorgeous cityscape, commissioned for the MTA, received the Gold medal in the Illustration category.

Gold, Illustration:

And we also see the epic return of Rene Milot’s scary bunny, which won Best in Show in the Illustration category. The little killer also persuaded the judges to award Rene additional merit and runner-up awards.

Best of Show, Illustration:

But we’re not through yet! Beppe Giacobbe received two merit awards and one runner-up, Valeria Petrone received two merit awards, and Kurt Huggins & Zelda Devon received a runner-up.

The medal and merit winners will be published in Creative Quarterly 15 and all winners, including our runners-up, will be featured online. Currently, you can see a list of all the talented winners here.

And congratulations to all!

Sally Vitsky Recycles for Recyclers

Every year since 2005, paper artist Sally Vitsky has been asked to create one-of-a-kind shadowbox awards for the American Forest & Paper Association. The little award constructions, acknowledging excellence in recycling, are such a perfect use of Sally’s paper sculpture art. 

You can learn more about Sally’s approach (and the resulting mess!) on her blog.

Morgan Gaynin Takes over at the Society!

New York is one of the centers of the illustration world, and some of the most exciting events we get to attend are at the Society of Illustrators. A phenomenal museum of American Illustration by day, the Society hosts a series of galas and award shows throughout the year to celebrate the top illustrators working in the field.

Last week, we were pleased to attend the Advertising, Institutional, and Noncommissioned show. It’s a delight to see our artists’ originals grace the walls, and a great opportunity to catch up with pals and colleagues!

Here we see Gail with Bob Pastore, advertising sales mogul for the Workbook:

And here’s Gail again, with Jami Giovanopoulos, VP extraordinaire of Theispot:

Vicki and Gail take a moment to pose by Rene Milot’s killer bunny:

 

Killer Bunny!

Valeria Petrone:

A. Richard Allen:

Katherine Dunn:

Keith and I had a fabulous time as well, but have ultimate pictorial veto power. Please just take our word for it.

Valeria Petrone Featured in Communication Arts

Another MGI artist was featured in Communication Arts recently! We were a bit delayed in announcing it, but Valeria Petrone has been actively participating in the illustrative United Airlines campaigns, and a terrific article highlighting the efforts of the creative team behind the ads has been included in the January/February issue of CA.

Displaying one of her trademark humorous images, the article is a fascinating look at how illustration can be effectively used in marketing today. 

It is so encouraging to see creatives using illustration so effectively and abundantly….be sure to pick up your copy today!

Presenting Katherine Dunn as Auteur

Many of us at MGI are huge fans of Katherine Dunn’s wonderful blog, so it was particularly exciting when The Bark Magazine decided to utilize her compassionate voice to approach this touching article. Accompanied by a wonderful pet portrait done in Katherine’s distinctive style, it’s a bit of a tear-jerker for animal lovers…proceed with caution!