AIB Illustration & Animation Blog

MICE @ AIB Slideshow

Dissolving Destinies

AIB Faculty Brandon Strathmann's current film, "Dissolving Destinies", has been accepted into eight film festivals so far, including a touring festival, Scinema Film Festival, that will service over 400 locations in Australia. It will also tour in India as part of the WorldKids Film Festival. It was made with Maya and Aftereffects software.

Dissolving Destinies made its premiere festival screening in the Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film Festival in Texas. It also screened at the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival this past September, marking my first repeat film festival acceptance. Additional screenings include the 2011 DigiFest online between October 15 and November 15, and the Orlando International Animation Film Festival October 19-23.





Dissolving Destinies focuses on the universal problem of ocean acidification, often called global climate change’s “evil twin” by some in the scientific community. The topic was suggested to me by Jerry Schubel, the head of the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. He explained that this is an issue that very few people know about, yet it is the most important to the future health of the oceans and our planet.  Because scientists have only recently begun to study and understand the effect of Ocean Acidification, the scientific data is not readily available and has not yet spread to the general public. I hope to speed the spread of the information through this film.

Brandon will be part of a panel discussing the film at the Aquarium of the Pacific early next year. This will include artists and scientists who worked on the film and is aimed at introducing the issues of pollution and carbon emissions effect on the oceans to the public.

MICE @ AIB

AIB would like to thank all of the artists, vendors, and attendees who came out this past weekend to MICE, The Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, held annually at The Art Institute of Boston. Photos below taken by AIB alumni Renee Kurilla.

Sink or Swim @ Spoke Art Gallery

AIB Alumni and Illustration Core Faculty, Ryan Maguire will have an original drawing and print featured in Pangeaseed's Sink or Swim Benefit Exhibition at Spoke Art Gallery. Opening reception is Friday 23, 2011.
Clck here for complete event information here.

Shown above: Ryan Maguire, 'The Ghost of Shark Fin', animated clip 
   

In the spirit of ocean conservation the Japan-based non-profit organization, PangeaSeed, in collaboration with Spoke Art, is pleased to announce our inaugural transcontinental art exhibition, Sink or Swim, featuring original works from 30 internationally renowned artists such as Dave Kinsey, Josh Keyes, Dan May, Jim Phillips, Jeff Soto and many more. This gathering of widely acclaimed artists from around the globe will address one the biggest threats facing the health of world’s oceans today – the rapid and mass depletion of sharks.

Cowboy Keith @ Boston Ahts Festival

Check out Assistant Professor of Illustration, Keith MacLelland's booth at this years Boston Arts Festival. The event took place downtown at the Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park on September 10-11. The event included 60 juried artists, as well as live performances by local musicians on two stages.  Click here view all pictures from the event. Thankfully the weather was beautiful, and the event was packed both days with folks out shopping for the fast approaching holidays season. Those interested in maybe participating next year, and or interested in further information, click the following link.

For further infromation visit:

http://www.bostonahtsfestival.com

 

Comics Art New England: an exhibit of original art

Comics Art New England: an exhibit of original art

Local comic artists work on display in conjunction with Independent Comics Expo
On view at Lesley University’s Atrium Gallery
1815 Massachusetts Ave., 2nd floor, Cambridge

September 10-October 16
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 17, 6-9 pm

The Boston Comics Roundtable and the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University present “Comic Art New England,” an exhibit featuring original comic art by over 40 independent comics creators from the region.  “Comic Art New England” is one of the largest exhibits of local and regional comics artists ever displayed in the Boston area.
 
Adorning the walls of Lesley’s University Hall Atrium Gallery, the exhibit will be on view from September 10-October 16 and will also coincide with MICE, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo on September 24. Works include traditional ink on paper comics pages, as well as digital prints from webcomics and other digitally-created sequential art.   There will be a special display as part of the exhibit which will present the artistic process of several comics artists in the show.
 
An opening reception for the show will be held on Saturday, September 17, 2011, from 6-9 pm, open to the public.
Artist in the show include:
Dan Moynihan, Renee Kurilla, Jason Viola, E.J. Barnes, Ansis Purins, Leann Leake, Laurel Leake, Adrian Nunez, Garry Bonesteel, DeAnna Marie Johnson, Gabe Robinson, Tyler James, Patt Kelley, Jim Bredt, Clayton McCormack, Ron LeBrasseur, Cherry Ogata, Dan Mazur, Line O, Joel Christian Gill, Aya Rothwell, Jesse Lonergan, Cara Bean, John Lechner, Bob Flynn
 
….and many more.
 
For more information, visit www.masscomics.com
Or call Dan Mazur at  857 998 2631

AIB Alumni: Abstraks Magazine

Could you tell us about Abstraks Magazine? How was it formed and your mission?
Abstraks Magazine is a Boston based art magazine that focuses on artists from Massachusetts. As of right now that is our sole mission, but we do plan to expand in the future. Abstraks came about because I felt like artists from the Massachusetts area weren't getting any or enough recognition. I used to read a lot of Juxtapoz and I loved it, but it felt like everything was just about the West Coast. My friends are artists and talented so I definitely wanted to see them get out there. Plus, creating Abstraks gave me the opportunity to create in multiple aspects of graphic design.

What type of topics does Abstraks feature? All art related? Music?
We've covered a variety of topics that are visually art related, like organizations, events, galleries, and artists. We'd like to keep on expanding on different topics that are art related. I'm not strict on what really goes into the magazine, because these days all types of things are art. Although we don't cover music in the magazine, some of the questions asked in interviews may involve something about music. Music is art, but it's not what we're trying to focus on. Maybe in the future.



There are a few AIB alum on staff. Could you tell us who and what they do? How did you come together to form the magazine?
Well, I'm an alumni and graduated with a degree focusing on Graphic Design. Brianna Calello is our Art Director who graduated for Photography. And Kevin Hebb who is a writer that graduated for Fine Arts. For the most part, the 3 of us write, along with the other writers on staff. Some of us may take on different roles, like marketing, photography, public relations, etc. That works because we all have multiple skills and love to explore things outside of our professions. We all came together as the magazine progressed since March of this year. Originally it was Brianna and I along with a few other staff members, and others came on board. I knew Kevin and Brianna from when I was in school and have stayed in touch. We all have a passion for art so it was easy to want to create and be involved.

Are you looking for local artists to collaborate with? If so, how?
There are plans of doing some collaborations but nothing is set in stone. There are some names that we keep in contact with, like Glovebox, Kulturez, and Orchard skateshop. So, there are some collaborations in mind with a few of these names. We're in the works of setting up our online store to help promote the artists that we feature, and do collaborative pieces with merchandise. And we're always taking submissions too, so more collaborations and plans will arise.

What type of projects/features are you working on currently?
Along with the online store, I'm always on the lookout for material, and I tell my staff to do the same. There are still a bunch of aspects to add to the Abstraks website. We're also in talks about doing a quarterly print of Abstraks, but don't have a set date for the print issue yet.

So What's coming out in the next issue?
I don't really want to give anything away. But I'll tell you that we like to have a mix of artists. So you can expect a variety of styles, subjects and talented individuals.

Check out Abtraks Magazine online: http://www.abstraks.com/
Follow them Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/AbstraksMag

MICE, Boston’s Independent Comics Show Returns!

Second annual Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo moves to a new location in Cambridge on September 24th.

A day of independent comics exhibitors and panel discussions, plus original art show.

MICE, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, returns for a second year on September 24th, from 10 AM–6 PM, in a new location. The Second Floor Atrium of University Hall, at Lesley University’s Porter Square campus in Cambridge, will be the site of the Boston area’s only show dedicated to independent and alternative comics, small publishers, webcomics and ’zines. The event also includes an exhibit of original comic art and a day-long series of panel discussions which will focus on the growing interaction of comics and graphic novels with other spheres of modern culture. Admission to the show and all related events will be free.

WHAT: MICE, the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo

WHEN: September 24, 2011, 10am-6pm

WHERE: University Hall, Lesley University, 1815 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge (Porter Square), 2nd floor

ADMISSION: Free

CONTACT: massmice@gmail.com, www.masscomics.com

 

AIB Fall 2011 Pre-College

Click to view Fall 2011 courses