In 1992, nearly 20 years ago, Prof. Elaine Cunfer and I went to Philadelphia to hear Jerry Pinkney speak. Mr. Pinkney was being given a lifetime achievement award by Drexel University. If he had been struck by lightning, or hit by a bus that day in Philadelphia his place in the pantheon of great children’sContinue reading “Jerry Pinkney: Class Act at KU”
Author Archives: illustrationclass
KU Anime Club Helps JAPAN
For years I’ve been faculty advisor to the Kutztown Anime club. Anime, as you probably know, is Japanese animation. This group has a reputation for being a bit odd. I’ve heard them called them “nerds,” “geeks,” or worse, by other students. Personally, I’m not a great anime fan, but I firmly believe anything that helps studentsContinue reading “KU Anime Club Helps JAPAN”
Beth Krommes: Caldecott Winner Visits KU
Beth Krommes was born and raised just over the hill in Emmaus, PA. She recalls applying to study art at Kutztown State College. Her portfolio was accepted, but she chose to go to Syracuse University, in part, because it was further from home and she longed to travel. After her undergrad painting degree there, sheContinue reading “Beth Krommes: Caldecott Winner Visits KU”
Mike Tyson and Vinnie Torre
One of the great things about these WordPress blogs is that the moderator is able to see which search terms visitors are using to reach this page. Lately there has been a big upsurge in searches for “Vinnie Torre”, “Hoboken Museum,” and “pigeons.” I wrote about Vinnie last year in my very first Illustration ConcentrationContinue reading “Mike Tyson and Vinnie Torre”
Julia & Julia Cameron
Artists should know about two Julia Camerons. There is the Julia Cameron we talk about in the History of Graphic Design. A pioneering portrait photographer, Julia M. Cameron grew up in Ceylon, modern-day Sri Lanka. She moved to the Isle of Wright off the coast of England and was a neighbor to many British VIP’sContinue reading “Julia & Julia Cameron”
Shannon Collins’ Critters
Shannon Collins stopped by the blog and dropped us a line. She won the Kutztown Senior illustration award when she graduated in 2006. She is now the editor at Bucks & Montgomery Living Magazine. The word ‘Living’ in the title means it covers everything but zombies in those two Pennsylvania counties. Shannon wrote an interestingContinue reading “Shannon Collins’ Critters”
Brooklyn, Zombies & the News from St. Louis
Martin Lemelman, beloved Kutztown illustration faculty emeritus, shared some good news. He learned that his graphic novel, Two Cents Plain: My Brooklyn Boyhood was chosen by The New York Society Library as a winner in the 2010-2011 New York City Book Awards. He didn’t even know the book was in the running. Martin was onContinue reading “Brooklyn, Zombies & the News from St. Louis”
TOM HUCK: –St. Louis Living Legend
Huck runs Evil Prints, a state-of-the art print studio in a borderline neighborhood of St, Louis. Most university print programs would envy his work space and presses. Huck is surrounded by an entourage good-looking women, and bad-looking men. Printmakers are an odd lot. Huck is odder than most. He throws wild ‘performance’ parties. He isContinue reading “TOM HUCK: –St. Louis Living Legend”
Ross Moody: Clever Pays
Ross Moody was on campus the other day. He is an inventive guy. He does small-run limited edition cards and posters, and what we call printed ephemera. He told me his series of Valentine’s Day cards were a big hit. I asked him about his studio and why it is called 55 Hi’s. “Well,… I thoughtContinue reading “Ross Moody: Clever Pays”
Philadelphia Union: A Dream Internship
There are dream internships. Sometimes students get jealous of their classmates’ amazing internships. We’ve written here about Matt Twombly interning at Marvel and Amanda Geisinger at Nickelodeon. As Amanda said, “Go for your dream internship. It worked for me! It can happen, because they don’t have to pay you. Try to work for free after youContinue reading “Philadelphia Union: A Dream Internship”
