#icon10

I am behind with my Year of the Dog project*, but I put myself even further back because I committed to the half-crazy idea of giving away another relief print at ICON (@theillustrationconference), in Detroit.

I’ve lived in California most of my life and have never been to Michigan. This print with the CA and MI state flowers will be my way of saying hello. 

They’re printed on Japanese Masa and on mulberry papers. I’m going to hand color some of them, probably.

Yeah, I totally used the ICON10 poster to cover my ink table, haha.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: ICON10 DETROIT GROUP SHOW

Hello ICON10 Attendees and Speakers,

You're are invited to submit work for a juried gallery group show during ICON10 The Illustration Conference at The Red Bull House of Art in Detroit. Red Bull House of Art is a live-in residency experience in Detroit, dedicated to providing visual artists the freedom and space to create. This space’s aim is to support courageous exploration in visual arts.

There will be no central theme for this show — we want you to submit your best work! If you’re looking for a theme to work from, the opening for the show during ICON10 falls on Friday the 13th. While not required, if you want to use that unlucky number as inspiration for your work, please do!

All you have to do is fill out the following form and upload up to 2 images for consideration in the show. The size restriction is 18”x24” maximum, and the art you submit can be exhibition-ready traditional originals or framed prints. More information about shipping and hanging procedures will be supplied if your work is accepted.

Submit up to 2 entries here.

This call is ONLY open to all ICON10 attendees and speakers. This exhibition will be curated with The Red Bull House of Art. Submission does not guarantee inclusion.

Deadline for submission is FRIDAY MAY 25, 2018

DEADLINE EXTENDED TO TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2018

Should you be selected to participate, artwork must be at the gallery no later than FRIDAY JULY 6, 2018.

SHOW DETAILS for those selected

Artist receives 100% of sales!

Delivery and return of unsold work will be paid by the artist; pre-paid return shipping label required.

Art must be wired or properly fitted and ready to hang.

The opening will be Friday, July 13th at The Red Bull House of Art, Detroit.

The exhibition is right in the famous Detroit Eastern Market.

ABOUT HÉCTOR: Héctor Casanova is an Assistant Professor in the Illustration Dept. at the Kansas City Art Institute, and an Instructor at The Illustration Academy, teaching courses on Comics & Sequential Art, Illustration and Muralism.

He has been working as a fine and graphic artist for over 20 years, doing work for collectors, magazines and corporations nationally and abroad. He was staff Editorial Artist at The Kansas City Star from 1999 - 2014. His comics work includes the graphic novels Screamland with writer Harold Sipe (Image Comics, 2008, 2010) and The Lurkers with writer Steve Niles (IDW, 2006), as well as his own weekly comic strip Guffman & Godot (2000 - 2003). He was co-founder and curator of the Green Door Gallery, an alternative art space dedicated to showcasing the work of established and emerging artists from Kansas City and beyond. He has received awards from American Illustration, Print, and Society of News Designers, and was the recipient of The Pitch’s 2008 Mastermind Award for his artistic contributions to Kansas City.

Where did you first learn about ICON? 

I first heard about ICON from my colleagues when I started teaching Illustration at the Kansas City Art Institute. ICON8 was my first time attending.

Tell us about the best part of your ICON experience.

Being able to soak up so much information and inspiration is a fantastic experience as an attendee. I was a presenter at ICON9, and that was also a thrill and an honor.

How has your experience with ICON impacted your creative career?

The networking opportunities have led to new friendships and professional relationships, which in turn have led to new projects and being invited to participate in other art and comics-related conferences.

Any advice for ICON first-timers?

Bri Hermanson is the President of ICON11: The Illustration Conference. Her inky scratchboard drawings can be seen worldwide—on book covers, gin bottles, and theater posters. Hermanson's clients include Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SKYY Vodka, Tor Books, and Denizen's Brewing Co. She received an MFA in Illustration from FIT in NYC in 2011.

What's your favorite memory from past ICON conferences?

That's a difficult question—there are so many! But the memory that will always be closest to my heart is meeting Kim Rosen at ICON5 in NYC. It was the start of one of my most treasured friendships, and since then, Kim has helped me through so much, both professionally and personally.

Tell me about your practice!

I work in scratchboard. My drawings are made by working in reverse, using knives to cut white lines into inky silhouetted shapes. It's a really immersive, meditative medium, and there's something so satisfying about letting my brain click into that mode. Forms make more sense to me working this way. I feel like I draw much better in scratchboard than I do using an additive process — even pencil.

What is your studio/office space like?

I share a studio space with my partner in our home, a little blue house that was built in 1865. When we originally moved in, what is now the studio was an upstairs kitchen from the house's stint as a two-family dwelling. We were happy to find the original hardwood floors intact under laminate, plywood, peel and stick linoleum, and paint. There's still more I want to do with the space longterm (an integrated floating desk! skylights!), but for now, it's really functional. I do all of my computer-based work at my desk, but when I'm scratching, I prefer to work on my lap. We have a sunroom off the main studio that gets great natural light and provides a cozy space to get lost in my process.

Where is your hometown and where do you currently live?

I'm originally from Ponca City, OK, which also happens to be the hometown of illustrator James Yang. After living in NYC for seven years, I'm now based in Northampton, MA — it strikes the perfect balance for me: culture, community, and easy access to the city.

Who are some of your favorite emerging creatives?