Schedule | ICON11 | The Illustration Conference

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Tuesday, June 28

2 –5pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown, East Tower

All attendees must check in at the Marriott to pick up their name badge before attending Workshops, Education Symposium, Main Stage sessions and Events.

Day One: Wednesday, June 29

7am –3pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown, East Tower

All attendees must check in at the Marriott to pick up their name badge before attending Workshops, Education Symposium, Main Stage sessions and Events.

7:15am

Breakfast + Coffee

@ Kansas City Art Institute, William T. Kemper Painting Building Gallery

Grab a lite breakfast and coffee — generously provided by KCAI.

7:45am

Limited Transportation

@ Marriott to KCAI

Pick up outside Marriott East Tower. Drop off at KCAI.

Bus will make two runs from Marriott to KCAI

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

8:30am

ICON11 Welcome

@ Atkins Auditorium

Gather for a brief welcome to ICON11. All ICON11 attendees welcome. Doors open at 8:30.

9 –11am

Hallmark Tour

Samantha Bradbeer, Matt Kesler, Chris Duh @ Hallmark, FREE

Hallmark, an ICON11 Platinum Partner, will take attendees on a tour of the company’s Creative Archives, Hallmark’s Fine Art collection, and more.

Sponsored by Hallmark. Registration required.

9am –12pm

Cut Paper Mantra Workshop

Lynn Giunta, Eric Brace, Cat Hollyer @ Kansas City Art Institute, FREE

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 201

Nurture your creative wellness by developing a displayable personal mantra, with help from the Creative Studios at Hallmark. Led by Hallmark artists Lynn Giunta and Eric Brace and writer Cat Hollyer, this workshop will help you focus on self-care through writing and collage. First, you’ll explore reflective writing exercises in order to discover a meaningful personal mantra. Next, you’ll experiment with pattern making and cut paper collage, building up to creating a final cut paper collage mantra. Lynn, Eric, and Cat will guide participants through creative challenges and provide a fun and safe place to explore while participants gain confidence in their voice and creative skills. Hallmark will provide tools and supplies needed for cut paper workshop but attendees are welcome to bring their favorite mark-making tools as well.

Sponsored by Hallmark. Registration required.

Lego Press Workshop

Michelle Dreher & Angie Dreher @ Two Tone Press, $45

Tour the facilities at Two Tone Press and learn a brief history of letterpress printing. Then get a little inky by creating a relief poster design using a variety of LEGO block tiles printed over hand pressed backgrounds. Each participant will get up to 5 printed pieces of their own creation.

Odd Bodies: Illustrating Expressive, Stylized People

Tom Froese @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 203

This class will teach participants how to make illustrated people more expressive and unique. Illustrator and Skillshare teacher Tom Froese leads this interactive, live-format workshop based on his most popular class.

Sketchbook Burnout Buster

Elizabeth Baddeley @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 402

Much of being a professional illustrator is planning, presenting and perfecting. This workshop, aims to turn that off and let the right brain mingle with the left, combining spontaneous, messy mark-making and observational drawing to create vibrant and wildly unexpected sketchbook experiments.

Visual Comparisons: Creative Strategies for Making Meaning

Tyler Galloway & Lisa J. Maione @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 404

Explore conceptual image-making through a range of visual strategies. The complexity of meaning that is produced by various combinations of images and text is what causes the revelatory moment for viewers. We will connect theoretical and intuitive processes that add to any creative studio practice.

9am –4pm

Exploring Line and Shape in Printmaking

Laura Crehuet Berman @ Kansas City Art Institute, $60

KCAI's East Building

This workshop introduces a variety of printmaking techniques through intaglio and relief methods of printing. Students will explore hand-drawn lines, textures and layered colors through using shaped plates and stencils in their prints. The class uses water-based ink and all basic supplies are provided. Students are welcome to start from scratch or to bring sketches as a starting point for this fast-paced workshop. Instruction is hands-on from 9:00am-12:00pm and a studio monitor is available from 1:00-4:00pm for students to continue their work on their own that day after the workshop too.

9:15am

Education Symposium Welcome

Marty Blake @ Atkins Auditorium

9:30am

COLLABORATING OUT OF THE BOX: Blurring the lines between media, disciplines, performers and audience

Hector Casanova @ Atkins Auditorium

Students from the Kansas City Art Institute collaborated with performer/artist/musician duo Freight Train Rabbit Killer to create an immersive, multi-layered theatrical experience incorporating visual art, live music, storytelling, animation, set design, puppetry, costuming and video projections.

10am

LOOK IT UP: THE ROLE OF THE WEB FOR THE RISING STUDENTS

Karen Jiyun Sung @ Atkins Auditorium

The web has been demonized for creating a gap between the students and staff. However, is that true? Is the web the root of all misunderstanding? The session investigates the true role of digital for rising students and other key higher ed trends.

10am –3pm

Modern but Wonky Still Life

Sarah & Colin Walsh @ Sarah & Colin’s Studio, $60

Spend the day at Sarah & Colin Walsh’s sunny River Market art studio listening to chill music & painting quirky still life arrangements composed of art objects, toys, food with fun and interesting labels, plants and more. They’ll briefly go over some basic acrylic gouache tips & techniques for those who aren’t familiar & also share a bit of their creative process. Supplies will be provided but feel free to bring your own favorite tools. There will be a mid day break & an option to visit the nearby city market square to enjoy a variety of food vendors, coffee houses & shops, including a three tiered antique mall.

10:30am

Discussing and Developing Style

Robert Young @ Atkins Auditorium

This presentation will examine the importance of style in the classroom. We will explore various exercises designed to help students address questions of influence and style.

11am

TWISTS AND LOOPS: ILLUSTRATING ECOLOGICALLY

Jamie Mills @ Atkins Auditorium

This paper seeks a more ecological view of illustration practice, situating interdependence at the center. Focusing on a recent body of work responding to small-scale ecosystems and the value of field-study and observation in embedding traits of curiosity and specificity in illustration methods.

11:45am

Limited Transportation

@ KCAI to Marriott

Pick up at KCAI. Drop off at Marriott.

Bus will make two runs.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

1 –2:30pm

Opposites Attract: A Character and Visual Development Workshop

Mary Jane Begin @ Kansas City Art Institute, $25

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 201

This lecture focuses on contrast in developing characters and their stories. Attendees will review expression sheets, turnarounds, mood boards and color to develop more expressive characters for narrative illustrations. A drawing exercise is also included.

1 –4pm

Everyday Sketchbook

Grant Kratzer @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 402

This workshop is about the importance of keeping a sketchbook. It will go through different drawing prompts that are designed to overcome creative block, include journaling daily life or special events, and create a visual catalog to use throughout a creative career.

Introduction to After Effects

Allison Kerek Williams @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 203

Participants will turn one of their own illustrations/designs into a short looping animation and learn how to render their work for social media. This workshop is perfect for artists who love Photoshop and Illustrator but have little to no knowledge of After Effects. Laptop required.

Oil Painting Demo

John Ferry @ Kansas City Art Institute, $25

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 401

John Ferry will be doing an oil painting demonstration using an urban scene as subject matter.

1:15pm

Editorial Illustration: Audience Interaction through Space and Time

Andrew Selby @ Atkins Auditorium

How is editorial illustration adapting to publishing formats beyond the printed page and a fixed publishing workflow? This paper investigates new digital platforms and questions how they may change the face of content consumption in global communication media.

1:45pm

BRIDGING THE GAP: EQUIPPING ILLUSTRATORS FOR LIFE AFTER THE CLASSROOM

Shreyas R. Krishnan @ Atkins Auditorium

This presentation explores classroom practices, exercises and projects that enable illustration students to sustain their practice and hold their own outside the scaffolding of a classroom and university.

2:15pm

Race, Responsibility, and Educating Illustration Students

Robyn Phillips-Pendleton @ Atkins Auditorium

This presentation discusses understanding the history of illustration and race and promoting intercultural tolerance, exploration and incorporation of underrepresented groups in imagery. Through extensive research as part of illustration curriculum, students can explore their own cultural stories and others through the guidance of programmatic pedagogy to better understand their place in the creative world.

2:45pm

Entrepreneurship in the Classroom

Christina Hess @ Atkins Auditorium

Discussion on the implementation of entrepreneurship in the classroom as a springboard for personal projects, intellectual properties and a conduit for client acquisition.

3:15pm

STIR IT UP: STEP AWAY FROM THAT ROUTINE, EXPAND AND EXPLORE

Dave Szalay @ Atkins Auditorium

This presentation shares experiences from coteaching a special topics, multidisciplinary course in illustration. Explorations in Visual Narratives was written to elevate awareness, experimentation, inclusivity, creativity and new potential outlets for the field.

4pm

Limited Transportation

@ Marriott to KCAI

Pick up outside Marriott East Tower. Drop off at KCAI.

Bus will make one run from Marriott to KCAI

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation is limited. Please plan accordingly.

4 –6pm

KCAI HAPPY HOUR

@ Kansas City Art Institute, William T. Kemper Painting Building Gallery

All ICON11 attendees are welcome.

6 –7:30pm

Motion Commotion

@ Atkins Auditorium

MOTION COMMOTION is a curated screening of animation and motion shorts.

Get Tickets

8pm

Limited Transportation

@ Nelson Atkins to Marriott

Bus will make one run from Nelson Atkins to Marriott.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation is limited. Please plan accordingly.

Day Two: Thursday, June 30

7am –3pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown, East Tower

All attendees must check in at the Marriott to pick up their name badge before attending Workshops, Education Symposium, Main Stage sessions and Events.

7:15am

Breakfast + Coffee

@ Kansas City Art Institute, William T. Kemper Painting Building Gallery

Grab a lite breakfast and coffee — generously provided by KCAI.

7:45am

Limited Transportation

@ Marriott to KCAI

9am

Education Symposium: Welcome Back

@ Atkins Auditorium

9 –10:30am

Publishing for Creatives (Chronicle Books)

Ariel Richardson @ Kansas City Art Institute, $25

KCAI's Epperson Auditorium

Dreaming of being published? Chronicle Books children’s editor Ariel Richardson will help attendees get closer to that dream. Attendees will learn how to develop their best idea, craft a compelling pitch, get in touch with publishers, connect with their book’s audience and more.

9am –12pm

Costumed Figure Drawing

Dean Kube @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Painting Building, Room 202

In this workshop, attendees of all skill levels are invited to join us for some costumed figure drawing. Model will be wearing a selection of themed costumes. Drawing horses/chairs, easels and some drawing materials will be provided, but attendees should come prepared with their own art materials and sketchbooks. Gestures, contour and blind contour, value structure studies, positive and negative observation, subtractive drawing and portraiture will all be explored in this workshop.

Difficult Drawings: Unlearning Drawing Through DIY Mark-Making Tools

Adam Lucas @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 404

Each participant will be instructed to design and build a rudimentary mark-making tool to make the drawing process difficult. In the second half of the workshop, participants will use these tools to make difficult drawings, resulting in an unlearning of craft and skill and creating a shift in perspective.

This Zine Violates Terms and Conditions

Carta Monir @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 203

Because of increasingly censored and restricted online spaces, physical zines are becoming one of the most useful and accessible ways for marginalized artists to say what they want and need to. Join award-winning pornographer Carta Monir in a series of hands-on exercises to help you create the most furious, not safe for anything zines possible.

9:15am

Teaching Students to Reject Stereotyping and Cultural Appropriation Through Research-Based Assignments

Alison Nowak @ Atkins Auditorium

This presentation will demonstrate strategies to avoid the pitfalls of subtle stereotype and appropriation, sharing experiences designing assignments that use visual research processes as a tool to combat students’ unconscious assumptions about visually underrepresented groups.

9:45am

Raising Your Illustrative Voice

David Habben @ Atkins Auditorium

Building confidence with a personal aesthetic is a common hurdle in the academic environment. This presentation examines how experiential learning opportunities help rising illustrators take ownership and develop confidence.

10am –12pm

Vahalla Studios: Open House

Dan Padavic @ Vahalla Studios, FREE

Vahalla Studios is a full service, flat-stock screen printing and letterpress studio located in North Kansas City, Missouri. Tour their facilities, view their print collection and talk shop with their crew.

10:15am

Analog to Digital: A Mixed Media, Digital Arts Workshop

Matt Rota @ Atkins Auditorium

Art students can easily access a wealth of knowledge about digital arts through online tutorials and demo videos. As a result, it’s important to ensure the value of a class becomes much greater than what is available free online. Teaching digital arts in a world with so much free information requires foregrounding critical thinking and creative exploration.

10:45am

The Visual Language of Political Illustration

Catherine A. Moore @ Atkins Auditorium

The Visual Language of Political Illustration, a book project co-authored by political scientist Dr. Megan Hauser, introduces students of illustration, visual communication, art and political science to a variety of applications of political illustration from around the world.

11:15am

A Case for Creative Play

Jamie Runnells @ Atkins Auditorium

Without creative play/ experimentation, we become stagnant. Regularly incorporating creative play into studio practice provides inspiration and innovation. This presentation addresses the following: What is “creative play” in terms of studio practice? Why should we engage in creative play? Who should engage in creative play and when? And most importantly, how can we engage in creative play?

11:45am

Education Symposium: Closing Remarks

@ Atkins Auditorium

Limited Transportation

@ KCAI to Marriott

Pick up at KCAI. Drop off at Marriott.

Bus will make two runs.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

12 –4pm

Kansas City Art Tour

Benjamin Jones , $45

Participants will tour The Rabbit Hole, Hammerpress, Carpenter Collective and Studios Inc. The Rabbit Hole, still under construction, is a new museum experience in Kansas City that brings American children’s literature to life. Hammerpress is a letterpress print shop, design studio and retail store. The Carpenter Collective is the studio and creative space of ICON11 emcee Tad Carpenter. Studios Inc is a non-profit that provides studio space, professional development, networking, and exhibitions for mid-career artists.

1 –2:30pm

Going Solo: Making the Leap to Full-Time Freelance

Frank Norton @ Kansas City Art Institute, $25

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 402

In this session, Frank Norton will discuss how 10 years of creative employment led him to reevaluate his goals, design his own path and start his own freelance practice. Norton will talk about what he did wrong, what he did right, and how to balance mental health with creative ambition when plotting a career shift.

Making Money at Maker's Markets

Katie Mabry van Dieren @ Kansas City Art Institute, $25

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 201

Attendees will learn how to be successful selling art at maker's markets and craft shows by implementing a strategy focusing on five categories: Product, Booth, Shows, Marketing and Systems. Attendees will walk away with an 11-page workbook and executable strategies for making money at maker's markets.

1 –4pm

Build Your Own Pochade Box and Take Your Studio on the Road

David Terrill @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 203

Participants will transform a wooden cigar box into functional, compact storage for their most-used art materials. Additional information and tips about building a sketchbook practice will be addressed as well.

Fun with Procreate: Create Playful Illustrations, Learn Essential Tools

Brooke Glaser @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 403

This workshop allows participants to learn while drawing. Brooke Glaser walks through her technique of digital illustration, revealing hidden tools and gestures in Procreate, all while creating something colorful. No experience in Procreate needed, just the app and an Apple pencil.

Getting to Know Adobe Fresco

Kyle T. Webster @ Kansas City Art Institute, FREE

KCAI's Epperson Auditorium

Join Kyle T. Webster, Illustrator, author, brush wizard, and Adobe senior design evangelist in this hands-on workshop exploring Adobe’s newest drawing, painting, and illustration app: Adobe Fresco. Get started with the basics like brushes, layer properties, selections, smudge, and vector shapes and then we’ll dive deeper into some of Fresco’s most recent updates and powerful features, such as: animation, perspective drawing, advanced brush techniques, masking, seamless patterns, and multi-color swatches. You’ll walk away ready to create your next masterpiece from start to finish in this versatile and feature-packed (yet easy-to-master) app.

Sponsored by Adobe. Registration required.

Illustrated Handmade Book Workshop with Lisa Congdon

Lisa Congdon @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 404

Join illustrator Lisa Congdon to create and illustrate your very own beautiful, illustrated handmade art book. All paper and book construction materials and tools (glue, bone folders, etc) provided. We will have some limited supplies for illustrating (colored pencils and pens), but participants are encouraged to bring their own favorite illustration supplies (paint, preferred pens or pencils, paper for collage, etc). Since we are illustrating our books during the class, supplies must be analog (no digital illustration). Each student will leave class with their own gorgeous art book!

1:15pm

Educators Roundtable

Whitney Sherman @ Atkins Auditorium

The Educators Roundtable will include Héctor Casanova, Andrew Selby, Robyn Phillips-Pendleton, Karen Jiyun Sung and Shreyas R. Krishnan, whose papers span a wide range of topics. Illustrator/educator Whitney Sherman will guide the discussion, seeking useful intersections between the creative process and ethical considerations, and how to cultivate the next generation of pragmatic professionals and intuitive artists.

4pm

Limited Transportation

@ KCAI to Marriott

Pick up at KCAI. Drop off at Marriott.

Bus will make two runs.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

5 –5:30pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

@ The Folly

All attendees must check in to pick up their name badge before attending Workshops, Education Symposium, Main Stage sessions and Events.

5:30pm

Opening Ceremonies on the Mainstage

@ The Folly

Doors Open at 5pm

Opening Fanfare
Mark Heflin, Director
Bri Hermanson, President

6:15pm

KEYNOTE: THE BLURRY LINE BETWEEN LIFE AND ART

Lauren Weinstein @ The Folly

Once Lauren Weinstein interviewed her comics hero, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, who said, “life and art, it’s all the same.” This statement made Weinstein rethink her role as an artist, especially since becoming a mother, and more during the pandemic. How does one make meaningful, beautiful artwork that can change and heal?

7 –8pm

Sober ICON

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown, East Tower, Room TBA

ICON11 hosts a daily 12-step meeting. All in recovery are welcome.

7 –11pm

Roadshow KCMO

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown

ROADSHOW KCMO is an exciting, one night only, pop-up marketplace of illustration, art and comic works. This event will feature artists' books, zines, printed ephemera, artist multiples, handmade objects and more from a diverse and impressive group of 60+ national and international exhibitors.

Day Three: Friday, July 1

8am –12pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown

All attendees must check in at the Marriott to pick up their name badge before attending Workshops, Education Symposium, Main Stage sessions and Events.

8:40am

MAINSTAGE DEMO: Fontself

@ The Folly

9am

EMCEE WELCOME: WE’RE HERE?

Tad Carpenter @ The Folly

Local creative hero and ICON11 emcee Tad Carpenter will kick off Friday’s main stage talks with a warm welcome to KCMO.

9:30am

ON FREEDOM AND RISK

Edel Rodriguez @ The Folly

Too often, we are quiet, we don’t speak up and we do what’s expected of us— because we are afraid of the risks involved. Edel Rodriguez will talk about his family’s journey, how those events influence his work today and the power that art has to speak for a people when they are at a crossroads of history.

9:55am

ADULT CIVILIZATION AND THE DIMINISHMENT OF CHILDREN’S CULTURE

Pete Cowdin @ The Folly

This presentation explores the challenges of creating a place of beauty for children in the midst of an adult culture hellbent on creating new consumers and preparing young people for their place in the workforce. The plight of museums and an increasingly reactionary book industry are considered.

10:45am

THE POWER OF PURPOSE

Lisa Congdon @ The Folly

The events of the past few years have been nothing short of overwhelming. In the midst of so much turmoil and uncertainty, many of us have begun to question our work, our creative voice and our purpose. And yet finding purpose in our work — even in the smallest ways — can help us to align with our values, find the agency to impact change and motivate us to keep going. Illustrator Lisa Congdon poses the essential question: Where do I find purpose in my work now? Drawing on her own experiences of the last few years, Lisa will show how the exploration of this question can inspire us to find deeper engagement with our creativity and a stronger connection to our purpose.

11:10am

BY THE HOUR

Robert Hunt & Adam McCauley @ The Folly

Illustration is increasingly commissioned through contract employment. This presents a challenge to the illustration business model, in which the price is based primarily on usage, presenting serious issues for artists, freelancers, potential contract workers and educators.

11:40am

A HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPH OF A NAKED TRANSSEXUAL WOMAN

Carta Monir @ The Folly

Pornographer and awardwinning writer/publisher Carta Monir challenges the ubiquitous online censorship of naked, queer and otherwise “provocative” bodies.

12:05pm

STARTING A LIBRARY FROM SCRATCH

Matthew James-Wilson @ The Folly

What can the past teach us about the future, and why “third space” is important for cultivating artist communities in a post-internet world.

1:50pm

KALEIDOSCOPE

ICON11 attendees get their moment on the main stage with personal and insightful takes on their lives and work.

—Lindsay Johnson (Leave All the Doors Open)

—Jacqueline Brown (On Acceptance)

—Paul Twa (Self-Referencing)

—Krystal Lauk (Defense of Corporate Memphis)

2:15pm

THE EYES OF MY EYES ARE OPENED: HOW PRECIOUS RUBBISH MAKES USE OF COMICS TO TELL THE STORY OF A CHILDHOOD SHAPED BY TRAUMA

Kayla E. @ The Folly

There isn’t enough language in the world to wrap all the way around atrocity. Sometimes the truth is too intimate or hideous to tell with text or images alone. Kayla E., author of the forthcoming memoir Precious Rubbish, expands on why only comics can tell the story of a childhood shaped by trauma.

2:40pm

REAL LIFE CONCERNS OF UNDOCUMENTED ARTISTS

Eunsoo Jeong @ The Folly

Eunsoo Jeong will explore the struggle of being an artist with undocumented immigrant history and how the experience affected her artworks. She was previously undocumented and will share her personal journey of how she expresses her fear and anxiety through her artwork in comic form.

3:45pm

TRICKSTER AT THE END OF A WORLD

Helen Shewolfe Tseng @ The Folly

A visual narrative journey into the tall grasses of uncertainty and the spaces between realms, guided by coyotes and in search of things lost.

4:10pm

THE ART OF STORY

Shane W. Evans @ The Folly

Storytelling and the process of shaping story books, picture books, the beautiful way to tell challenging stories. With an emphasis on collaboration and how we evolve a simple story into what become classics.

4:35pm

ABUSE AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE ARTS SCENE

Maura Callahan & Rebekah Kirkman @ The Folly

Art writers Rebekah Kirkman and Maura Callahan, co-authors of the 2017 City Paper article Abuse and Accountability in the Arts Scene: A Reckoning, will discuss patterns of misconduct and abusive behavior in artist communities and the accountability measures those communities can take.

5:25pm

CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL COLLABORATOR

Shreyas R. Krishnan @ The Folly

Shreyas R. Krishnan is a serial collaborator, and she wants you to be one too. Find out why she collaborates with other illustrators (do they remain friends?), what she’s learned from collaborating (is sharing caring?) and what teaching collaboration in the classroom looks like (wait, who is grading?).

5:50pm

Attendee Q&A

Terri Fry Kasuba, Michael Hoeweler

6:20pm

GETTING IN YOUR WAY

Sam Yates Meier @ The Folly

Sam Yates Meier will share her adventures of planting creative seeds, watering them and watching them grow. Follow through a creative’s path of experimentation, mentorship and embracing the unexpected curveballs of life.

7pm

Limited Transportation

@ Marriott to Studios Inc

Bus will make two runs from Marriott to Studios Inc for the Gallery Show.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

7 –8pm

Sober ICON

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown

ICON11 hosts a daily 12-step meeting. All in recovery are welcome.

8 –10pm

Gallery Show

@ Studios Inc

The ICON11 Gallery Show brings together 100+ original pieces of art by conference attendees in a curated exhibition. Artwork on display will be available for purchase. No pre-registration required.

10pm

Limited Transportation

@ Studios Inc to Marriott

Bus will make two runs from Studios Inc to the Marriott.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

Day Four: Saturday, July 2

8:45am

EMCEE WELCOME

Tad Carpenter @ The Folly

9am

Under One Roof

@ The Folly

–Esther Pearl Watson
–Mark Todd
–Lili Todd
–Keiji Ishida

9:25am

Twirl: A love letter to the femmes that rule my life

Jasjyot Singh Hans @ The Folly

Jasjyot Singh Hans takes a dive into his childhood in Delhi, India: Living in a "joint family", digging out early femme influences from Indian pop culture (and IRL) and finding pockets of queer joy (and sorrow) that helped shape his work and the way he came to see himself.

9:50am

ILLUSTRATING IDENTITY

George McCalman @ The Folly

George McCalman has always been curious about human identity. When he started illustrating, he engaged with a natural portal—trying to discover the identity of the folks he illustrated. Now, he brings that visual reporting to his monthly illustrated culture column.

10:35am

CULTIVATING A PERSONAL VALUE SYSTEM

Kris Chau @ The Folly

Living as a creative person in a capitalistic world can make every relationship seem transactional. Making art and making money can feel like oppositional pursuits. Chau shares how cultivating a personal value system can help set boundaries with commercial work, money and validation.

11am

IS ILLUSTRATION BULLSH*T?

Erik Carter @ The Folly

A look at the current environment for working illustrators, including an exploration of how shifting power structures under capitalism—from corporations, to social media, to NFTs— are changing the dynamics for those who seek to monetize their art.

11:25am

EVOLVING AS AN ARTIST THROUGH A TRENDS MINDSET

Jen Walker @ The Folly

Hallmark’s best-in-class trend forecasting and translation capability have not only transformed their business and products—they have revolutionized the way their artists and designers think and create. Through a trends mindset, even the most seasoned creative talent have evolved their craft beyond what they are “known for” to develop new capabilities and creative passions. In this visually inspiring and thought-provoking talk, Jen Walker, Vice President, Global Trends and creative studios, will give attendees a peek behind the curtain into the world of trends—what it is, why it matters, and how you as an artist can build and apply a trends mindset to evolve and expand your skill set in unexpected ways.

11:50am

KALEIDOSCOPE

@ The Folly

ICON11 attendees get their moment on the main stage with personal and insightful takes on their lives and work.

—Pat Higgins (Path of Most Resistance)

—Sasha "Kouzza" Kuznetsova (Russia, Ukraine, and Painted Fish)

—Samuel Washburn (Its OK to Make Stuff You Like)

—Jillian Adel (Mental Health Episode)

2:05pm

Attendee Q&A

Veronica Miller Jamison, Mark Kaufman @ The Folly

ICON11 attendees take to the main stage to ask each other big questions.

2:30pm

WHAT IT IS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE…?

Henry Bonsu, Jeremy Sengly, Hellen Jo @ The Folly

Lazor Wulf creator Henry Bonsu and art director Jeremy Sengly discuss their experiences navigating the tangled web of television animation, while doing their best to come out the other end with their kindness, sanity and optimism intact. In conversation with Hellen Jo.

3pm

THINGS ARE WHAT YOU MAKE OF THEM: LIFE ADVICE FOR CREATIVES

Adam J. Kurtz @ The Folly

Adam J. Kurtz mines his semisuccessful creative career for anecdotes and humor, encouraging everyone to do what they can with what they’ve got. This talk assumes attendees already know how to do what they do, and instead aims to be a reminder of the reason they do what they do in the fi rst place.

3:45pm

DRAW WHAT YOU SEE

Vidhya Nagarajan @ The Folly

Vidhya Nagarajan’s observations of the world make their way into her personal and professional work, from her travel sketchbooks to her illustrations, which include diverse groups of people and people of color as main characters.

4:10pm

HOT MESS: A CREATIVE FAMILY’S TAKE ON WORK AND PLAY

Sarah & Colin Walsh @ The Folly

What does collaboration actually look like? Or feel like? Sarah and Colin discuss what collaboration means to them, the different forms it can take and how they navigate a personal relationship and kids.

4:35pm

HANMOJI: A TOUR THROUGH CHINESE CHARACTERS AND EMOJI

Jennifer 8. Lee @ The Folly

Even though their dates of origin are millennia apart, the languages of Chinese and emoji share similarities that the average person might find surprising. These parallels offer an exciting new way to learn Chinese—and understand how emoji could potentially evolve over the long run.

5:20pm

INFLUENCING CULTURES, ONE SPACE AT A TIME

Yatika Starr Fields @ The Folly

Throughout Yatika Starr Fields’ journey as an artist, he has always been interested in examining the relationships of cultures and his Indigenous identity. Pop references intertwined with contemporary dialogue have led his work to discuss current nations of life and politics. Painting is a vehicle, a mode to educate and present.

5:45pm

PRESIDENT’S CLOSING REMARKS

Bri Hermanson @ The Folly

6:10pm

KEYNOTE: THE ART OF PROCESS

Aimee Mann, Ted Leo, Gail Marowitz @ The Folly

Legendary singer-songwriters Aimee Mann and Ted Leo take to the ICON11 Main Stage where they discuss album packaging and the process of turning an idea into art with Gail Marowitz, award-winning Creative Director at The Visual Strategist.

7pm

Limited Transportation

@ Marriott to The Truman

Bus will make two runs from Marriott to The Truman for the Closing Night Party.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

7 –8pm

Sober ICON

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown

ICON11 hosts a daily 12-step meeting. All in recovery are welcome.

8 –10pm

Closing Party

@ The Truman

Originally built in the 1930s, The Truman is a former car dealership and machine shop that has been transformed into Kansas City’s most unique event venue, sporting exposed brick walls, a lofty steel beam ceiling and polished concrete bars. Musician Eddie Moore, described as “KC new jazz scene royalty,” will perform on stage as attendees come together one last time to end ICON11 on a high note.

10pm

Limited Transportation

@ The Truman to Marriott

Bus will make two runs from The Truman to the Marriott.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

Kansas City Marriott Downtown, East Tower

Tuesday, June 28th: 2 – 5pm
Wednesday, June 29th: 8am – 5pm
Thursday, June 30th: 8am – 5pm
Friday, July 1: 8am – 12pm

All attendees must check in at the Marriott to pick up their name badge before attending Workshops, Education Symposium, Main Stage sessions and Events.

Day One: Sunday, June 28

7am –3pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

@ Kansas City Marriott Downtown, East Tower

All attendees must check in at the Marriott to pick up their name badge before attending Workshops, Education Symposium, Main Stage sessions and Events.

7:15am

Breakfast + Coffee

@ Kansas City Art Institute, William T. Kemper Painting Building Gallery

Grab a lite breakfast and coffee — generously provided by KCAI.

7:45am

Limited Transportation

@ Marriott to KCAI

8:30am

ICON11 Welcome

@ Atkins Auditorium

Gather for a brief welcome to ICON11. All ICON11 attendees welcome. Doors open at 8:30.

9 –11am

Hallmark Tour

Samantha Bradbeer, Matt Kesler, Chris Duh @ Hallmark, FREE

Hallmark, an ICON11 Platinum Partner, will take attendees on a tour of the company’s Creative Archives, Hallmark’s Fine Art collection, and more.

Sponsored by Hallmark. Registration required.

9am –12pm

Cut Paper Mantra Workshop

Lynn Giunta, Eric Brace, Cat Hollyer @ Kansas City Art Institute, FREE

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 201

Sponsored by Hallmark. Registration required.

Lego Press Workshop

Michelle Dreher & Angie Dreher @ Two Tone Press, $45

Odd Bodies: Illustrating Expressive, Stylized People

Tom Froese @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 203

Sketchbook Burnout Buster

Elizabeth Baddeley @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 402

Visual Comparisons: Creative Strategies for Making Meaning

Tyler Galloway & Lisa J. Maione @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 404

9am –4pm

Exploring Line and Shape in Printmaking

Laura Crehuet Berman @ Kansas City Art Institute, $60

KCAI's East Building

9:15am

Education Symposium Welcome

Marty Blake @ Atkins Auditorium

9:30am

COLLABORATING OUT OF THE BOX: Blurring the lines between media, disciplines, performers and audience

Hector Casanova @ Atkins Auditorium

10am

LOOK IT UP: THE ROLE OF THE WEB FOR THE RISING STUDENTS

Karen Jiyun Sung @ Atkins Auditorium

10am –3pm

Modern but Wonky Still Life

Sarah & Colin Walsh @ Sarah & Colin’s Studio, $60

10:30am

Discussing and Developing Style

Robert Young @ Atkins Auditorium

This presentation will examine the importance of style in the classroom. We will explore various exercises designed to help students address questions of influence and style.

11am

TWISTS AND LOOPS: ILLUSTRATING ECOLOGICALLY

Jamie Mills @ Atkins Auditorium

11:45am

Limited Transportation

@ KCAI to Marriott

Pick up at KCAI. Drop off at Marriott.

Bus will make two runs.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation even with 2 runs is limited. Please plan accordingly.

1 –2:30pm

Opposites Attract: A Character and Visual Development Workshop

Mary Jane Begin @ Kansas City Art Institute, $25

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 201

1 –4pm

Everyday Sketchbook

Grant Kratzer @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 402

Introduction to After Effects

Allison Kerek Williams @ Kansas City Art Institute, $45

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 203

Oil Painting Demo

John Ferry @ Kansas City Art Institute, $25

KCAI's Tony Jones Studios for Animation & Illustration, Room 401

John Ferry will be doing an oil painting demonstration using an urban scene as subject matter.

1:15pm

Editorial Illustration: Audience Interaction through Space and Time

Andrew Selby @ Atkins Auditorium

1:45pm

BRIDGING THE GAP: EQUIPPING ILLUSTRATORS FOR LIFE AFTER THE CLASSROOM

Shreyas R. Krishnan @ Atkins Auditorium

2:15pm

Race, Responsibility, and Educating Illustration Students

Robyn Phillips-Pendleton @ Atkins Auditorium

2:45pm

Entrepreneurship in the Classroom

Christina Hess @ Atkins Auditorium

Discussion on the implementation of entrepreneurship in the classroom as a springboard for personal projects, intellectual properties and a conduit for client acquisition.

3:15pm

STIR IT UP: STEP AWAY FROM THAT ROUTINE, EXPAND AND EXPLORE

Dave Szalay @ Atkins Auditorium

4pm

Limited Transportation

@ Marriott to KCAI

Pick up outside Marriott East Tower. Drop off at KCAI.

Bus will make one run from Marriott to KCAI

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation is limited. Please plan accordingly.

4 –6pm

KCAI HAPPY HOUR

@ Kansas City Art Institute, William T. Kemper Painting Building Gallery

All ICON11 attendees are welcome.

6 –7:30pm

Motion Commotion

@ Atkins Auditorium

MOTION COMMOTION is a curated screening of animation and motion shorts.

Get Tickets

8pm

Limited Transportation

@ Nelson Atkins to Marriott

Bus will make one run from Nelson Atkins to Marriott.

Bus seats 56 per run, so transportation is limited. Please plan accordingly.

JUNE 29–JULY 2, 2022 | KCMO

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Tuesday, June 28

2 –5pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

Day One: Wednesday, June 29

7am –3pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

7:15am

Breakfast + Coffee

7:45am

Limited Transportation

8:30am

ICON11 Welcome

9 –11am

Hallmark Tour

9am –12pm

Cut Paper Mantra Workshop

Lego Press Workshop

Odd Bodies: Illustrating Expressive, Stylized People

Sketchbook Burnout Buster

Visual Comparisons: Creative Strategies for Making Meaning

9am –4pm

Exploring Line and Shape in Printmaking

9:15am

Education Symposium Welcome

9:30am

COLLABORATING OUT OF THE BOX: Blurring the lines between media, disciplines, performers and audience

10am

LOOK IT UP: THE ROLE OF THE WEB FOR THE RISING STUDENTS

10am –3pm

Modern but Wonky Still Life

10:30am

Discussing and Developing Style

11am

TWISTS AND LOOPS: ILLUSTRATING ECOLOGICALLY

11:45am

Limited Transportation

1 –2:30pm

Opposites Attract: A Character and Visual Development Workshop

1 –4pm

Everyday Sketchbook

Introduction to After Effects

Oil Painting Demo

1:15pm

Editorial Illustration: Audience Interaction through Space and Time

1:45pm

BRIDGING THE GAP: EQUIPPING ILLUSTRATORS FOR LIFE AFTER THE CLASSROOM

2:15pm

Race, Responsibility, and Educating Illustration Students

2:45pm

Entrepreneurship in the Classroom

3:15pm

STIR IT UP: STEP AWAY FROM THAT ROUTINE, EXPAND AND EXPLORE

4pm

Limited Transportation

4 –6pm

KCAI HAPPY HOUR

6 –7:30pm

Motion Commotion

8pm

Limited Transportation

Day Two: Thursday, June 30

7am –3pm

CONFERENCE CHECK IN / REGISTRATION

7:15am

Breakfast + Coffee

7:45am

Limited Transportation

9am

Education Symposium: Welcome Back

9 –10:30am

Publishing for Creatives (Chronicle Books)

9am –12pm

Costumed Figure Drawing

Difficult Drawings: Unlearning Drawing Through DIY Mark-Making Tools

This Zine Violates Terms and Conditions

9:15am

Teaching Students to Reject Stereotyping and Cultural Appropriation Through Research-Based Assignments