Monson Arts was honored to host the Illustration Institute for a week-long residency full of community-focused activities! The Illustration Institute is located on Peaks Island off the coast of Maine. Their mission is to raise appreciation and awareness of illustration in its many forms. They seek to provide people of all ages the opportunity to learn directly from master artists and working professionals through exhibitions and workshops provided at public libraries, museums, schools, and other community venues. They provide community members with the rare opportunity to learn how these artists have developed their careers and craft. They bring their unique perspective and behind-the-scenes view into what the creative process requires.
On day one, Lucky Platt and Nancy Gibson-Nash worked with our local homeschool program to illustrate fanciful wolf ears and mix-and-match character booklets. And they all gathered around to hear Lucky read her book, Imagine a Wolf, published in 2021, which she wrote and illustrated. Nancy is the co-founder of the Illustration Institute with her husband, Scott Nash. She is a mixed media collage artist and illustrator. A big fan of recycling, Nancy gives eclectic objects a new lease on life.
On day two, our Monson Arts High School Program had the opportunity to work with Scott Nash and William Roth. Scott is the illustrator of over 50 children’s books, and his former design studio, Big Blue Dot, designed iconic logos for Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Comedy Central. He generously shared his process of creating visual narratives, along with sketchbooks full of ideas and drawings from published and unpublished works. The students were captivated by his passion for art and storytelling.
After Scott, William worked with the writing and visual arts students on the hidden language of composing pages, scripts, and thumbnails for comics. William is a young graphic novelist and recent graduate of RISD. He wrote and illustrated the webcomic Witch Heart and self-published it in book form while still in school. Most recently, he wrote and illustrated Hindsight Foresight, published by VIZ Originals last January. It was particularly inspiring for the students to work with a professional artist who is only a few years older than they are now.
On day three, we had a public demonstration by Jim Macdonald of his craft of marquetry. A master woodworker, Jim creates furniture, wall art, and solid-body electric guitars that feature marquetry — an intricate process of composing illustrations and decorative elements from diverse wood veneers. Jim showed his art process and finished work, and some attendees even participated in creating a piece!
On day four, the Monson Public Library hosted Steve Costanza, author and illustrator of many acclaimed picture books for children. Steve talked about his book, Scott Joplin: King of Ragtime, which he wrote about a favorite musician. He shared the process of writing and creating the picture book, discussed his inspiration and research, and displayed sketches and sketchbooks for the audience to see. He also played several Joplin ragtime tunes on piano. Steve‘s work has been recognized by the Bologna Book Fair, the Society of Illustrators, and the Maine Library Association.
It was truly a week full of inspiration for our community. We feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from this wonderful group of illustrators. If you would like to learn more about the Illustration Institute, their residency, mission, and their exhibitions around the state of Maine, visit their website: https://www.illustrationinstitute.org/
Time and space to create.
Monson Arts is a new artists’ residency and arts center in Monson, Maine. Programs include residencies for artists and writers, intensive shorter workshops, and educational partnerships with area secondary schools.