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Society of Illustrators

Coordinates:40°45′52.56″N73°58′1.25″W/ 40.7646000°N 73.9670139°W/40.7646000; -73.9670139
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Society of Illustrators
FormationFebruary 1, 1901;123 years ago(1901-02-01)
FoundersHenry S. Fleming, Otto Henry Bacher,Frank Vincent DuMond,Henry Hutt, Albert Wenzell,Albert Sterner,Benjamin West Clinedinst,F. C. Yohn,Louis Loeb,andReginald Birch
PurposeEncourage high ideals through exhibitions, lectures, education, and by fostering a sense of community and open discussion. Its mission is to promote the art and appreciation ofillustrationandcomics,as well as their history.
Headquarters128 E. 63rd Street
New York City,U.S.
Coordinates40°45′52.56″N73°58′1.25″W/ 40.7646000°N 73.9670139°W/40.7646000; -73.9670139
FieldsIllustration and Comics
Executive Director
Arabelle Liepold
SubsidiariesMuseum of Comic and Cartoon Art
Websitewww.societyillustrators.org

TheSociety of Illustrators(SoI) is aprofessional societybased inNew York City.It was founded in 1901 to promote the art ofillustrationand, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition.

Since absorbing theMuseum of Comic and Cartoon Art(MoCCA) in 2012, the Society has also promoted the art ofcomics.In addition to its holding exhibitions in its own Museum of American Illustration, the Society holds the annualMoCCA Festival,an independent comics showcase.

History

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Founding

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Society of Illustrators members at the Berkeley Theater inManhattanin 1914

The Society of Illustrators was founded on February 1, 1901, by a group of nine artists and one advising businessman. The advising businessman was Henry S. Fleming, acoaldealer who offered his legal staff to the Society in an advisory role and also served as the Society of Illustrators Secretary and Treasurer for many years.[1]The nine artists who, with Fleming, founded the Society wereOtto Henry Bacher,Frank Vincent DuMond,Henry Hutt, Albert Wenzell,Albert Sterner,Benjamin West Clinedinst,F. C. Yohn,Louis Loeb,andReginald Birch.[2]

The mission statement was "to promote generally the art of illustration and to hold exhibitions from time to time".[3]Women first became part of the organization in 1903, whenElizabeth Shippen GreenandFlorence Scovel Shinnwere named Associate Members; but women were prohibited from full membership until 1922.[4]

World War I

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J. M. Flagg's 1917 poster used to recruit soldiers for bothWorld War IandWorld War II;Flagg used a modified version of his own face forUncle Sam,and war veteran Walter Botts provided the pose.[5]

During theWorld War Iyears, withCharles Dana Gibsonas the acting president,[6]Society members worked through theCommittee on Public Information's Division of Pictorial Publicity, creating many original poster designs, includingJames M. Flagg'sUS Armyiconicrecruiting poster ofUncle Sam,[3]as well as advertising of the massive War Bond effort.[2]

Photo journalismwas impractical during these years[7]and eight Society members, commissioned Captains in the Engineers, were sent to France to sketch the war.[6]

After the war, the Society operated the School for Disabled Soldiers.[8]

Between the wars

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In 1920, the society was incorporated, and in 1922 women were allowed to become full members.[4]The early history of the society was documented in 1927 and 1939 byNorman Mills Price.His handwritten notes are held in the Society of Illustrators archives.[2]

During the 1920s and 1930s, the Society presented the Illustrator's Shows, featuring artists and their models as actors, songwriters, set designers and painters. Professional talent such as theCotton Clubband andJimmy Durantealso performed. Through member and set designer Watson Barrett, the Illustrator's Show of 1925 was held at theShubert Theatre,and theShubertspurchased the rights to the skits for their Broadway productions ofArtists and Models.

In 1939, those funds allowed the Society to acquire its present headquarters, at 128 East 63rd Street.[3]Norman Rockwell'sDover Coachbecame the backdrop for the bar on the fourth floor, donated by Rockwell in honor of the Society's new building. This painting currently hangs in the Members Dining Room.[9]

World War II

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A 1943 poster illustration by society member C.W. Beuttey for theOffice of War Information
A 1945 poster illustration by society member Harry Morse for theOffice of War Information

DuringWorld War II,the society again contributed to the war effort with a massive campaign of posters. Society members visited veterans’ hospitals to sketch the wounded,[3]and these art works were sent to the families to boost morale.

The Illustrator's Jazz Band was formed to entertain the wounded,[10]and an ensemble by the same name plays at Society events up until the present.[11]

Post-World War II

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In 1946, a Welfare Fund for indigent artists was established.

In 1948, the Joint Ethics Committee, of which The Society is a member[12]developed the first Code of Fair Practice, which still serves today in addressing concerns of artists andart directorsworking in thegraphic communicationsfield where abuses and misunderstandings regarding usage rights and ownership of works of illustration and other works of art created for a wide range ofpublic media.[13]

In 1954, theU.S. Air Forcebegan sending Society of Illustrators members around the world to document the Air Force's activities. This program continues today. Thousands of paintings have been contributed over the years.[14]

In 1959, the society hold its first Annual Exhibition, juried byBob Peak,Bradbury Thompson,Stevan Dohanos,and others. It opened with 350 original works of art and led to the publication of the firstIllustrators Annual.[15]

The Society opened its doors to the public in 1981, establishing the Museum of American Illustration, with regular public exhibitions.[12]

21st century

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In 2001, the 100th anniversary of the society's founding, a 12-month celebration began with theU.S. Postal Serviceissuing the Great American Illustrators.[16]That year was punctuated with the 9/11 Memorial Exhibition,Prevailing Human Spirit.[17]

TheMuseum of Comic and Cartoon Art(MoCCA) endowed its assets in August 2012 to the society, which has since subsidized theMoCCA Festival.[3]

Anelle Miller was appointed executive director of the society in 2007 and served in that capacity until 2023. She updated the exhibition space, hired new staff, and instituted a slew of programs open to the general public.[18]Arabelle Liepold took the position in June 2023.[19]

The Society of Illustrators maintains an annual of illustration, student scholarship competitions and various awards honoring excellence in the field of illustration.[12]The society has had outreach programs with theNew York City Department of Parks and Recreationsince 2001,[20]and with theNew York City Board of Educationsince 1999.[21]

Presidents

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As of 2023, the president of the Society of Illustrators is Leslie Cober.[22]

Notable past presidents of the Society:[22]

Museum of American Illustration and Exhibitions

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The main upstairs gallery at the Museum of American Illustration in June 2015

The Museum of American Illustration was established at the society in 1981, under the stewardship of John Witt, the society's president.[12]The Society's permanent collection, featuring pieces on rotational display throughout the building, includes nearly 2500 works by such artists asNorman Rockwell,Howard Pyle,N.C. Wyeth,James Montgomery Flagg,Bob Peak,andBernie Fuchs.[23]

The Museum hosts the Annual Illustration show and smaller topical exhibits related to illustration and comics.[24]In recent years, the main galleries have played host to numerous acclaimed, contemporary, and popular exhibitions including:

  • R. Crumb:Lines Drawn on Paper(March 23 - April 11, 2011), curated by Monte Beauchamp.[25]
  • Maurice Sendak:A Celebration of the Artist and his Work(June 11 - August 17, 2013), curated by Justin Schiller and Dennis David.[26][27]
  • TheZAPShow(March 2 - May 17, 2016), curated by Monte Beauchamp and Eric Sack.[28][29]
  • Will Eisner:The Centennial Celebration1917–2017 (March 1 - June 3, 2017).[30][31]
  • The Art ofMARCH:A Civil Rights Masterpiece(February 28 - June 30, 2018), curated by John Lind andCharles Brownstein.[32][33]
  • IllustratingBatman:Eighty Years of Comics and Pop Culture(June 12 - October 12, 2019), curated by Rob Pistella, John Lind, andChip Kidd.[34][35]

The Society also has a gallery on the second floor dedicated to MoCCA that frequently hosts smaller exhibits of comic book art.

Recognition

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The Society of Illustrators inaugurated the Hall of Fame program in 1958, to recognize "distinguished achievement in the art of illustration".[36]The first recipient wasNorman Rockwell.[6]Like other recognized artists, he was elected by former Society presidents for his contributions to the field of illustration. Every year since 1958, one or more illustrators have been added to the Hall of Fame. In 2001, two additional forms of recognition were added: Dean Cornwell Recognition Award[37]and the Arthur William Brown Achievement Award, which may be awarded annually.

In 1965, The Society established the Hamilton King Award, which is given annually to one society member.[38]

In 1981, The Society established the Student Scholarship Competition, which has continued annually to the present.[39]The Highest Award presented to a student by the society is the Zankel Scholarship Award, established in 2006 in honor of Arthur Zankel, an advocate for higher education whose bequest made the scholarship possible.[40]

References

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  1. ^"Catalogue of The Second Annual Exhibition of the Society of Illustrators, 1903"(PDF).Detroit Area Library Network.Retrieved2016-12-16.
  2. ^abcBrown, Terrance."Historic Rights Issues in American Illustration".The Journal of Biocommunication.Retrieved2016-12-11.
  3. ^abcdeKing, Carol (March 20, 2013)."Leader Unafraid to Venture Outside of the Lines".The New York Times.RetrievedDecember 8,2014.
  4. ^abGrove, Jaleen (11 February 2015)."A Brief History Of Sexism And The Illustration Industry".Ravishly.Retrieved2016-12-10.
  5. ^"The Most Famous Poster".American Treasures of the Library of Congress.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-07-02.
  6. ^abcJonkhoff, Sabrina."3 Things to Know About the Society of Illustrators".New York Adventure Club.Retrieved2016-12-03.
  7. ^Roberts, Hilary."Photography 1914-1918".Encyclopedia of the first world war.Retrieved2016-12-11.
  8. ^Rogers, W.A. (1924-03-01). Bowles, J.M. (ed.). "Making Good".Bulletin of the Art Center, New York.2(7).
  9. ^Soloman, Deborah (2013-11-05).American Mirror: The Life and Art of Norman Rockwell.Macmillan. p. 167.ISBN9780374711047.Retrieved2016-12-07.
  10. ^Kilgannon, Corey (26 April 2005)."Nudes on Stage, and Music to Sketch By".The New York Times.Retrieved2016-12-10.
  11. ^Sloan, Michael."About Michael Sloan".Retrieved2016-12-15.
  12. ^abcd"History of The Society of Illustrators".Society of Illustrators.Retrieved2016-12-14.
  13. ^"The Code of Fair Practice for the Graphic Communications Industry".Graphic Artist Guild.Retrieved2016-12-10.
  14. ^Hannon, Greg."Society of Illustrators visits U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center".Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.Retrieved2016-12-10.
  15. ^"llustrators '59: The First annual of American Illustration".Abe Books.Retrieved2016-12-10.
  16. ^Kronish, Syd."Postal service pays tribute to illustrators".LJ World.Associated Press.Retrieved2016-12-03.
  17. ^McKinley, Jesse (2 February 2002)."$25,000 Raised by Artists Helps Sept. 11 Charities".The New York Times.Retrieved2016-12-03.
  18. ^Kino, Carol (2013-03-20)."Leader Unafraid to Venture Outside of the Lines".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  19. ^MacDonald, Heidi(May 2, 2023)."Arabelle Liepold to take over as Executive Director at Society of Illustrators".The Beat.
  20. ^Hoory, Leeron (30 March 2016)."When It Comes to Art in New York City Parks, Jonathan Kuhn Knows His Stuff".Garden Collage.Retrieved2016-12-11.
  21. ^"ANNUAL ARTS IN SCHOOLS REPORT 2014-2015"(PDF).New York Department of Education.Retrieved2016-12-11.
  22. ^ab"Board and Staff".Retrieved2020-02-22.
  23. ^"More Than The Museum Can Hold: A Purposeful Partnership".Art Director's Club.28 October 2014.Retrieved2016-12-03.
  24. ^"Illustrators 60 Exhibit: Part Two | Society of Illustrators".societyillustrators.org.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  25. ^"R. Crumb retrospective exhibit at Society of Illustrators opens in March".Fantagraphics.2011-02-24.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  26. ^Murg, Stephanie (2013-06-10)."Where the Wild Things Art: Sendak Gets the Spotlight".ARTnews.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  27. ^Kahn, Eve M. (2013-08-01)."For Fans of Sendak, the Artist Keeps Giving".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  28. ^"The ZAP Show: A Cultural Revolution | Society of Illustrators".societyillustrators.org.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  29. ^"Zap Atcha: How Underground Comix Spelunked America's Id | The Village Voice".villagevoice.5 April 2016.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  30. ^"WILL EISNER: The Centennial Celebration 1917-2017 | Society of Illustrators".societyillustrators.org.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  31. ^"Will Eisner's Universal New York Stories | The Village Voice".villagevoice.7 March 2017.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  32. ^"MARCH | Society of Illustrators".societyillustrators.org.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  33. ^"AI-AP | DART » Upcoming Exhibition: The Art of MARCH".ai-ap.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  34. ^Gustines, George Gene (2019-06-26)."Batman Through the Decades, in Black and White".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  35. ^Horne, Karama (2019-07-11)."New York has a bonanza of Batman art, toys, and ads for his 80th birthday".SYFY WIRE.Retrieved2020-02-14.
  36. ^"Homepage".
  37. ^"Dean Cornwell".National Museum of American Illustration.Retrieved2016-12-03.
  38. ^"Hamilton King Award – Society of Illustrators".Retrieved2022-06-20.
  39. ^"Society of Illustrators Student Scholarship Competition".The University of the Arts.Retrieved2016-12-10.
  40. ^"Zankel Scholar".University of the Arts.Retrieved2016-12-10.
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