BOONE, N.C. – The Department of Art at Appalachian State University is proud to announce that Grace Reaves, a BFA Studio Art major, has had her work "Toe Poster" accepted into SILA 64, the 64th annual Illustration West competition and exhibition presented by the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles.
Illustration West is an annual competition and exhibition highlighting the year's best illustration—both from Los Angeles and from around the world. SILA is proud to represent established and emerging artists and demonstrate that this continues to be an exciting era for illustration.
This year's competition was exceptionally competitive, receiving over 1,300 entries from 411 artists representing 35 countries. The distinguished jury selected only 329 pieces representing 159 entrants from 22 countries, making Reaves' acceptance a significant achievement.
The work was created in Associate Professor Josh Winkler's ART 2125 Relief Printmaking course. "This was Grace’s second woodcut and her first multiple layer woodblock print! I was thoroughly impressed with her innate carving ability, and also the experimentational approaches she developed in the printing process. Grace used transparency and overlapping layers to develop relationships between the form and content of this work about nurturing, femininity, and natural cycles."
Grace Reaves "Toe Poster," an 11 x 16 Color Woodcut
Grace Reaves' Description of Artistic Intent:
I created this print alongside my most recent collection of oil paintings, titled Terms of Endeerment. This collection explores nurturing relationships between the feminine, and the ways femininity manifests through connection, care, and shared strength, using the imagery of deer as a metaphor.
"We couldn't be more pleased to see our students' work recognized in such a prestigious international exhibition," said Amy Johnson, chair of the Department of Art at Appalachian State University. "This selection validates the quality of instruction and creative development happening at App and demonstrates that our students are competitive at the highest levels."
The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles was founded in 1953 by a handful of Southern California advertising artists and designers who sought to promote the professional status of illustration art as well as foster both philanthropic and educational goals. From this small beginning, SILA has grown to a productive membership whose work is seen locally and nationally by millions each year in all printed media, television, films, the Internet, and gallery exhibitions. The organization is firmly established as the major professional art entity on the West Coast, providing significant contributions to the vitality of not only the community itself, but the nation as well. For more information about Illustration West 64, visit https://illustrationwest.org/64/.
This year's world-class judges included SooJin Buzelli, David Depasquale, Christine Foltzer, Jessica Hische, Matt Mahurin, Miriam Martincic, James Ransome, Jeff Soto, and D.J. Stout. Each brought their own unique experience to evaluating the submitted work.
For more information about the Department of Art at Appalachian State University, visit www.art.appstate.edu.
For more information, contact Art Department Chair, Amy Johnson at artoffice@appstate.edu or CFAA Communication Director, P.J. Wirchansky at wirchanskypj@appstate.edu.
About the Department of Art
One of seven departments within the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Art at Appalachian State University prepares students to explore art, identity, expression, and creative problem-solving, while challenging them to push beyond their previous limits by discovering new connections to culture. The department offers degrees in art and visual culture, art education, graphic design, studio art, photography, and graphic communications management, with minors in art history, studio art, photography, and graphic communications management. Learn more at https://art.appstate.edu.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University’s College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance. Learn more at https://cfaa.appstate.edu.
About Appalachian State University
As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education for all.
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