tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75708456337493340082024-03-13T11:50:33.273-04:00The Alliance for Young Artists & WritersThe official blog of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05747266505752722862noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-23906099573860512262010-11-15T10:44:00.000-05:002010-11-15T10:44:21.677-05:00ASK A WRITER: Is there a Secret Dating Handbook for Writers? <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a_QpTFuG_9g_40xG9ez53APGxM9JtUM30ob_wjs2y_57EwfLHdjBs3U19B806iEXdT7CGHRc7FeLtzJicuVNjgW1f3IYoY1E0E826RUVAbb1V3agYARpiPiGeZSKczqvyc8iJ3N3hHcp/s1600/10340282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a_QpTFuG_9g_40xG9ez53APGxM9JtUM30ob_wjs2y_57EwfLHdjBs3U19B806iEXdT7CGHRc7FeLtzJicuVNjgW1f3IYoY1E0E826RUVAbb1V3agYARpiPiGeZSKczqvyc8iJ3N3hHcp/s320/10340282.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">ArcaMIDI Synthesizer. Alex Hatch, Senior. 2010 Gold Medal, Design. </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>JOSH ASKED</strong>: First of all, I’m a pretty great writer. But girls like guys who can play basketball and lift weights. Is there a secret dating handbook for writers?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>NED SAID</strong>: Josh, the whims of women are complicated and alas, there is no "secret dating handbook" for writers. If you're a great writer and you still find it difficult to meet women, join a rock band. It's very easy to learn (especially bass guitar). Girls love the gusto and immediacy of musicians; with the music/writing double-whammy you shouldn't have any problems. If the rock band thing doesn't work, I'm going to have to recommend that you form a hip-hop crew.<br />
</span><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you have questions about the writing world, just ask! E-mail us at </span><a href="mailto:askned@artandwriting.org"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">askned@artandwriting.org</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></i><br />
</span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-13849966245754190792010-11-11T12:11:00.002-05:002010-11-16T15:40:27.802-05:00REGIONAL STORY: Joan Dooley Uses Photography to Inspire Students in L.A.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDoPweTiY1a2qe1tdQx8ovoWO4wXa9EYeVpp7eFRQyCBpho-G__ht8xtg8MWL5fIYQblYVDfOvgB9WzRktd_UWNYyMxjksSUoepFyO9ubedGap3fZxcZcAzbySLYVlgTF-3UCzQucUvz1/s1600/11-11-2010+Joan+Dooley.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDoPweTiY1a2qe1tdQx8ovoWO4wXa9EYeVpp7eFRQyCBpho-G__ht8xtg8MWL5fIYQblYVDfOvgB9WzRktd_UWNYyMxjksSUoepFyO9ubedGap3fZxcZcAzbySLYVlgTF-3UCzQucUvz1/s320/11-11-2010+Joan+Dooley.JPG" width="204" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo caption: Although my photographs sometimes seem to be posed, they hardly ever are. Whether I’m surreptitiously photographing on the street or I’ve established a rapport with my subject, it’s fundamental for me that images be authentic and true to life.</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/world-in-focus/previous-winners-galleries"><em>Joan Dooley</em></a><em> is a teacher at Los Angeles High School No. 9, an inner-city public school that focuses on visual and performing arts. Before finding her way into teaching, she spent over 12 years as a professional curator with the Getty Museum. When she’s not teaching, she practices her own photography and has won recognition from National Geographic and Women in Photography International. According to Joan, her style is best described as "decisive moment meets </em><a href="http://campus.digication.com/MediaArtsVAPA/My_Own_Photography_Awards"><em>Jan Vermeer</em></a><em>."</em></span></div><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
I’ve been teaching full-time for 14 years. I teach Photography and more recently, Stop-motion Animation.<br />
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The most rewarding thing about teaching has to be the magic moment when I witness a “student breakthrough.” Those breakthroughs can be huge, like when a student discovers (sometimes for the first time in their lives) that they have a talent for expressing themselves in a unique way. Or it can be small, within the context of a particular lesson. These breakthroughs are what art teachers live for. <br />
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Personally, I love to enter contests, especially those with judges I admire and respect, and each win helps to validate my direction and encourage future work. So before my students submit work to the Scholastic Art Awards, we have several review lessons to determine the best work and portfolio development. We also study and analyze the work of previous Scholastic Award winners through group discussions and written responses. The work of Award-winning young artists is incredibly inspirational and raises the bar of achievement not only for my students but also for myself. The program has had a great impact on many levels: I’ve watched students’ artwork break through to new heights. Several of my students were awarded summer scholarships to attend renowned summer art schools through the Alliance’s Young Artist Awards program. These opportunities are transformational in the lives of my students and open up new pathways in the arts for them.<br />
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I attribute any success I’ve achieved to feeling passionate about what I do and to caring for the success of my students, both as young artists and citizens of the world. But teaching also has its challenges. Teaching a lab and equipment-based curriculum requires expensive materials, and it can be a struggle to fund and maintain that equipment in a large public high school. My classes are also very big – I typically teach about 240 students in six classes. It’s important to enlist the help of your students whenever possible when managing supplies and equipment. You definitely need to learn to manage behavior in the art room, but time spent in that area has great payoffs; you’ll be surprised when your worst behaved student becomes your best artist and even friend for life. <br />
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My best advice to other teachers is: Don’t lose your passion. Make sure you keep practicing your art. Don’t let all the relatively minor annoyances (paperwork, red tape, administrative snafus, order forms) dampen your spirits. Stay focused on the “prize” – your students – and on helping them find their voice in art.</span> </span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-31709094854556783772010-11-09T12:26:00.002-05:002010-11-09T12:29:53.153-05:00ARCHIVE PICK OF THE MONTH: BARBARA HOLLAND: In Defense of Naps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod3VPvjbRu8h2QshJjt6oNFZnJ_fXIYB431oA6p90Y_QlfE4QYChpl5diyVEfSk9lZOQai-DnyWebvcvoW_zybvDB9OhNzjEx0yxuQVM2G1Pdn_1w-bIMHZlZnDqS6QWeq6Q7l0Ban00Q/s1600/11-9-2010-BarbaraHolland-bookcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiod3VPvjbRu8h2QshJjt6oNFZnJ_fXIYB431oA6p90Y_QlfE4QYChpl5diyVEfSk9lZOQai-DnyWebvcvoW_zybvDB9OhNzjEx0yxuQVM2G1Pdn_1w-bIMHZlZnDqS6QWeq6Q7l0Ban00Q/s320/11-9-2010-BarbaraHolland-bookcover.jpg"></img></a></div>Noted humor writer Barbara Holland died of lung cancer this past September. But we found Ms. Holland in our archives, protecting the hunted and reminiscing about her childhood in her poetry. As a junior and senior at Woodrow Wilson High School in 1949 and 1950, her poems won top honors from the Scholastic Writing Awards. <br />
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Barbara Holland had six half-brothers and sisters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, but lived with relatives to attend high school in Washington, D.C. According to her high school bio, her chief interests were “convertibles,” and writing poems on the backs of envelopes – “usually with lipstick.” She confessed that passing P.E. might pose a challenge during her last year of school, but she hoped her future plans involved writing. <br />
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Shortly after graduation, Barbara Holland took a job at department store and eventually moved to Philadelphia to work as an advertising copywriter. She began to publish small articles and stories in magazines such as McCall’s, Seventeen, and Ladies’ Home Journal. She would go on to publish over a dozen books including her best-selling memoir When All the World Was Young (2005), several children’s books, a biography of Katharine Hepburn and a history of dueling. <br />
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But if Holland’s love of writing followed her into adulthood, so did her dislike of gym class, which may have even inspired works such as Endangered Pleasures: In Defense of Naps, Bacon, Martinis, Profanity, and Other Indulgences (2005) and The Joy of Drinking (2007). In a recent interview with <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052801400_2.html">The Washington Post</a>, she confessed she hoped that people would buy Endangered Pleasures for their mothers as Mother’s Day gifts. She added: "Writing is the only thing I was ever able to do, actually. I wrote my first novel when I was 5. I had to dictate it because I couldn't print all those words.” </span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-48864670355509088912010-11-08T14:36:00.001-05:002010-11-09T12:28:20.347-05:00Meet Monica Johnson, Manager, Exhibitions… and so much more!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVPX45OSEOlsdn_zDLyuApXlFHz0TPxpaRDS5s1sBIDcqRto4HtT6FgOt2dQut5YLHuCDrPHyDwNLE_qUQ_tzx_a8r3SZlqrVr87IW8WTMnZrCIRy9oh0ytBVWk3NcSJj9Qn7f23adAb-/s1600/NationalExhibitionOpening.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnVPX45OSEOlsdn_zDLyuApXlFHz0TPxpaRDS5s1sBIDcqRto4HtT6FgOt2dQut5YLHuCDrPHyDwNLE_qUQ_tzx_a8r3SZlqrVr87IW8WTMnZrCIRy9oh0ytBVWk3NcSJj9Qn7f23adAb-/s320/NationalExhibitionOpening.jpg"></img></a></div><br />
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<b>Primary role:</b> Monica Johnson oversees a massive art storage space adjoining our headquarters in New York City. She carefully receives, registers and catalogues every national award-winning work of art that comes through our doors. She’s also responsible for the design and installation of our New York City exhibitions and for shipping artwork to various destinations—an art unto itself! <br />
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<b>Secret facts:</b> Monica has her own power tools. She can also make <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha">kombucha</a> and twirl a baton. <br />
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<b>Monica:</b> Before coming to the Alliance, I studied painting in San Francisco and enjoyed a short and moderately successful career as a <a href="http://jackfischergallery.com/monica_johnson/">gallery artist</a>. <br />
But I was always in search of a more robust career in the arts. For me, the gallery was just one outlet for visual communication, so I set out to develop a greater visual skill-set at Hunter College in New York City in the Integrated Media Arts program. <br />
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As a graduate student, I’m currently using various web-based languages and technologies to develop my visual skills. For me, the dynamic and instantaneous possibilities that web communication offers balances and enhances the otherwise static nature of the gallery exhibition. <br />
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As Manager of Exhibitions at the Alliance, I draw on my experience with installation and woodworking to design and create exhibitions. I learned solid woodworking skills and museum practices in undergrad, but developed considerably by working for many years as a museum preparator and fine arts framer. I take these skills outside the workplace and into my own art-making as well – I design and create large-scale installations and do contract work on really cool projects like David Byrne’s <a href="http://www.davidbyrne.com/art/art_projects/playing_the_building/">Playing the Building</a>. Not to mention I can also make my own furniture!<br />
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My artistic roots rely on things created with my own two hands. Oftentimes, after working many long hours at the computer, I crave the immediacy of creating with my hands. When I get this urge, I usually reach for wool and fabric. I knit and sew hats, clothes, bags and other objects and sell them under the brand name <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/woolandbrick?ga_search_query=wool+and+brick&ga_search_type=seller_usernames">Wool + Brick</a> at local flea markets and on etsy.com. Photographing the items and writing their descriptions adds another dimension to this creative process. <br />
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Over time, my visual and technical abilities have developed into a multi-layered career in the arts. In the process, I’ve also created a diverse skill-set that ensures I’ll always find work doing something I enjoy. I remain connected to my gallery roots in that I still draw a lot, but now it’s something I do for myself without the strains of production and presentation. <br />
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<b>Advice to Artists:</b> Learn to write well, or at least clearly. Learn to manage your finances as early as you can. Although these skills will serve anyone in any career, they are particularly important in an arts career because they are typically overlooked in arts education. Oftentimes, working in the arts you are your own little company with your own PR and accounting departments and you have to know how to run those departments successfully all by yourself. Also, most importantly, always use the right tool for the job. And, if you don’t have the right tool, make it. <br />
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</span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-87056603851128281582010-11-03T14:20:00.001-04:002010-11-03T14:20:47.078-04:00ART.WRITE.NOW Begins its Journey Around the Country!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3D2X33KDQYeYkt2EtfWZt-MEWdcmwMSB70VeFQlrerDcAF9I1oX5gZiXKvSMtPd8YyaeNGpguefjOg3NpNRhQqLZXZ1CQErjQ2Xbb21p8GMLatXW14j7t0KoSDaDS6psi17NZMtDKktKU/s1600/ArtWriteNow_210x318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3D2X33KDQYeYkt2EtfWZt-MEWdcmwMSB70VeFQlrerDcAF9I1oX5gZiXKvSMtPd8YyaeNGpguefjOg3NpNRhQqLZXZ1CQErjQ2Xbb21p8GMLatXW14j7t0KoSDaDS6psi17NZMtDKktKU/s1600/ArtWriteNow_210x318.jpg" /></a></div>Did you miss this year’s National Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Teen Exhibition in New York City? If so, you may have a chance to catch a segment of the works while they tour the country in the Alliance’s first-ever traveling exhibition, ART.WRITE.NOW. The roughly 100 works of art and writing on display in ART.WRITE.NOW. are merely a slice of the national exhibition which in 2010 showcased more than 600 visual and literary works from teens in grades 7 through 12 hailing from 45 states and 6 countries. <br />
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The exhibition opened on October 29 at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, the first stop on its tour. A special exhibition reception with Fort Wayne Museum of Art Executive Director Charles A. Shepard III and Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is free and open to the public on Saturday, November 6 from 4PM – 5PM. <br />
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The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is open Tuesday – Saturday 11am – 6pm (until 8pm on Thursdays) and on Sundays 12pm – 5pm. <br />
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Through June 2011, ART.WRITE.NOW. will travel to the following venues and locations:<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.fwmoa.org/">Fort Wayne Museum of Art</a>, Fort Wayne, IN</b><br />
October 29 – December 5, 2010<br />
Opening reception: November 6, 2010, 4-5pm<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.halfpricebooks.com/">Half Price Books Headquarters</a>, Dallas, TX</b><br />
January 8 – February 12, 2011<br />
Opening reception: January 12, 2011, 7-9pm<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/">Seattle Museum of Art</a>, Seattle, WA</b><br />
March 8 – April 24, 2011<br />
Opening reception: To be announced!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.kantorgallery.com/">Kantor Gallery</a>, Los Angeles, CA</b><br />
May 21 – June 25, 2011<br />
Opening reception: May 24, 2011, 7-9pm<br />
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Can’t make it to any of the locations above? Visit the <a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/artwritenow" target="_blank">exhibition webpage</a> to see a list of participating teens and to view an online gallery of the show. <br />
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ART.WRITE.NOW. is generously supported by Scholastic Inc., Ovation and Dick Blick Co. </span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-69528036853725621822010-10-26T11:55:00.011-04:002010-10-27T10:53:58.418-04:00Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in Anchorage, Alaska<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbknvF7fCKTP_TZ2RU-iBA1ZGMQtcV47St3d49a7bMMpgLf3T6zgt2a-3aoeUvpYyiT7GOfP5ZlN396J-BMAEuv82BK4YJsZt743nfh4xK-y3FsCdO05S4RffnkGRaDJT9bai0EuFX-XXB/s1600/Matz_workinginhisroommakingteapot.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532384972923138434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbknvF7fCKTP_TZ2RU-iBA1ZGMQtcV47St3d49a7bMMpgLf3T6zgt2a-3aoeUvpYyiT7GOfP5ZlN396J-BMAEuv82BK4YJsZt743nfh4xK-y3FsCdO05S4RffnkGRaDJT9bai0EuFX-XXB/s400/Matz_workinginhisroommakingteapot.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: Artist and teacher Leslie Matz demonstrating technique in class.</span><br /><br /><div>The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are happening all over the country: from Portland, Maine, to Portland, Oregon. Even in Anchorage, Alaska – the northern and western-most point in the United States – art students in Leslie Matz’s A.P. and Advanced Art classes are preparing artwork for the Awards. In addition to being an educator, Leslie Matz is a practicing artist who creates jewelry, pottery, paintings and “seriously functional bicycle components.” This year, two of Matz’s students won national Awards for their metalwork and jewelry. We recently asked Matz to tell us about his dual identity as a teacher and an artist.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><strong>AYAW: How do you use The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program in your classroom?</strong></span></div><div><span class="fullpost"><strong>LM:</strong> We use the Scholastic Awards as inspiration. Seeing all the regional work in an exhibition is very instructive for both students and teachers - and the community.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW:</strong> <strong>Do you create your own work outside of the classroom, and if so, can you tell us a little bit about it?</strong> </span></div><div><span class="fullpost"><strong>LM: </strong>I am a generalist, a designer, with broad media skills. I recently completed a mixed media sculpture titled, "Caduceus," with fish skin stretched across metal framework for wing skin. The Anchorage Museum bought it last spring. I have another piece, a small brass container titled, "de Bergerac's Dew Box." It's all about dew rising with the sun and causing flight. The museum bought that one a couple of years ago. I also make jewelry, pottery, paintings and seriously functional bicycle components.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about teaching?</strong> </span></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N2-8OjpwgVUUdtNEh_cxnRCMm0oDB4MQ8zfyaWyUn3vP0hjzDcutWGcYnzWFCXKbfK3jpGIwrvIFiP09dT94DCqOvdsM007-rJ80Wfd0y5svO_C8t46QML6U1Qe4M62Iv0EwIDnpJdwn/s1600/Matz.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532385765808686450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5N2-8OjpwgVUUdtNEh_cxnRCMm0oDB4MQ8zfyaWyUn3vP0hjzDcutWGcYnzWFCXKbfK3jpGIwrvIFiP09dT94DCqOvdsM007-rJ80Wfd0y5svO_C8t46QML6U1Qe4M62Iv0EwIDnpJdwn/s400/Matz.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_O3IehbIZDrz1ncSQ0GR3A9vPkKMXUEhYr-x-X_7v-jmI0O8JgevrsbCV2N5HzhJbQYtKcaj9IuI8tGHbQZZBkTIj9XfpdJXTv_D34044awK9RZDaDlQXQXutlHccqZbC3L9yGbZvdhKE/s1600/MatzDeBergeracsDewBox.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: <em>Caduceus</em>. Leslie Matz. Halibut skin on metal. Collection: Anchorage Museum. </span><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><div><span class="fullpost"><strong>LM:</strong> Watching students improve is rewarding, but watching them come to a point when they begin to value their work and the value of their arts education is tops.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: What's the secret to your success?</strong> </span></div><div><span class="fullpost"><strong>LM:</strong> Hard work. Taking risks. Messing around with found objects. Constantly learning.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy53CLjjVMYqapRqKu06Dn2QYWjJo_MOmboPaIqzLX6mPOGCm1zDCWgFwhQMteH0d5ta6rxeZsFASQiHWZbBABvzeUto9Bs3ql61VzBry9hssw0i8g5lX_SVwuSjOoeTG3VkgqbIpbO3_/s1600/MatzDeBergeracsDewBox.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532386637545368546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 304px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQy53CLjjVMYqapRqKu06Dn2QYWjJo_MOmboPaIqzLX6mPOGCm1zDCWgFwhQMteH0d5ta6rxeZsFASQiHWZbBABvzeUto9Bs3ql61VzBry9hssw0i8g5lX_SVwuSjOoeTG3VkgqbIpbO3_/s400/MatzDeBergeracsDewBox.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /></div></span><span class="fullpost"><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_O3IehbIZDrz1ncSQ0GR3A9vPkKMXUEhYr-x-X_7v-jmI0O8JgevrsbCV2N5HzhJbQYtKcaj9IuI8tGHbQZZBkTIj9XfpdJXTv_D34044awK9RZDaDlQXQXutlHccqZbC3L9yGbZvdhKE/s1600/MatzDeBergeracsDewBox.jpg"></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: <em>DeBergerac's Dewbox</em>. Leslie Matz. DeBergerac wrote the first science fiction account of flying around the world by strapping on the power of dew. Collection: Anchorage Museum.</span></div><div><span style="font-size:78%;"></span><br /><strong>AYAW: What advice would you offer a new teacher? </strong></span></div></div><div><span class="fullpost"><strong>LM:</strong> Make connections with more experienced teachers. Don't isolate yourself. Be patient; confidence comes with experience. Don't be arrogant towards other teachers, students, administrators or parents.</span></div>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-3224906111468759202010-10-26T10:33:00.003-04:002010-10-26T10:36:07.060-04:00How A Boring Summer Job Turned Into A Best-selling Fantasy Series<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbdvtDYP6MjZYp18so5Hwl_rsmUpUlZTVyFOVgKT3HS4hNvGVXayneo137ONQMPo6cA-AngnPEaYWkkBgRHwoVVqdYc5mTpivVmKW-DH0Kttxs2Ex5O5R3T640h3RHj4IZDtKZ74LNKBL/s1600/10-25-2010Havemercy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 272px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRbdvtDYP6MjZYp18so5Hwl_rsmUpUlZTVyFOVgKT3HS4hNvGVXayneo137ONQMPo6cA-AngnPEaYWkkBgRHwoVVqdYc5mTpivVmKW-DH0Kttxs2Ex5O5R3T640h3RHj4IZDtKZ74LNKBL/s400/10-25-2010Havemercy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532009447327015506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: Cover for <span style="font-style: italic;">Havemercy. </span>Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett. (Spectra, 2008).</span><br /><br />The books <span style="font-style: italic;">Havemercy, Shadow Magic</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragon Soul</span> are part of a fantasy trilogy written by 2004 Scholastic Writing Portfolio Gold Medalist Jaida Jones and her co-author Danielle Bennett. The books begin with a tale of two cities, Volstov and Ke-Han. Amidst warring magicians, macho dragon riders and their mysterious mechanical steeds, these rich characters must ultimately work together to find lasting peace.<br /><br />How did Jaida and Danielle publish three books (with a fourth on the way!) and conceive a rich fictional world with original characters? Like many epic sagas, it started out with a Scholastic Award, a story about firefighters, and a sensitivity training class at a summer job.<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What was the inspiration for Havemercy?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jaida:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Havemercy</span> [our first book] was inspired by a three-hour sensitivity training course during a summer job I was working between college semesters. The woman leading the course told a story about the hazing of women by a predominantly male firefighting force—peeing in their boots and bullying them in the locker rooms. For some reason, that story wouldn’t leave my head, so when I finally headed back to my desk, I shot Danielle an email about it. We’ve both always been very into the fantasy genre and kept tossing ideas back and forth about how to make that experience into something inherently fantastical. We talked about elves, flying motorcycles, and then suddenly hit on dragons.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How was your manuscript “discovered” or picked up to be published? What do you think made it appealing to your publisher?</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Jaida:</span> Actually, we were pretty lucky. After I was included in an article published in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Wall Street Journal</span> featuring fan-fiction authors who also wrote original works, our soon-to-be agent ended up finding my email address and asking me if I had any finished manuscripts lying around. Danielle and I had just finished writing <span style="font-style: italic;">Havemercy</span>, so the timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I hand-delivered the manuscript and two weeks later, that agent called saying she really enjoyed the book and that she would love to represent us.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danielle: </span>We waited a long time—for us, but not in the publishing world!—to hear back after our agent sent it out to publishers. Six months later, we received an acceptance letter from <a href="http://sf-fantasy.suvudu.com/">Bantam Spectra’s</a> Anne Groell at Random House. She worked hard to help us polish what we already had, and she loved our characters just as much as we loved them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you feel your Scholastic Portfolio Award helped prepare you for this process?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jaida:</span> There was absolutely no sci-fi or fantasy in my portfolio when it won the national gold. It was poetry and a few short works of personal essays/memoirs. But the scholarship that was awarded to me helped me go to Barnard, and across the street from Barnard was Columbia, where I ended up taking a lot of East Asian history classes that influenced the fantasy worlds I was building. At the same time, the poetry that did win the Scholastic Award was published in a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cinquefoil-Hannah-Jones/dp/097201974X">small collection</a> that was featured in that <span style="font-style: italic;">Wall Street Journal</span> article, which is how we ended up getting in touch with our agent. So things happened in an admittedly accidental, roundabout way, but everything really does tie back in with that first national recognition.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How did you brainstorm the fictional world in this book?</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Danielle:</span> Jaida and I always start with the characters and character dynamics. Part-way through the book, I drew a map in MS Paint that would help us get a better feel for the lay of the land. We wanted to write about dragons, but we wanted to make them different. Jaida has always been obsessed with old clocks and clockwork, so we came up with this idea of dragons that are built and infused with personalities, with their own capriciousness and personal quirks.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Hw02MRUhWaTJTFwGX9ljl5HPzOx1GTeStkmP_pHb7xrtonV2FMCLoFKx0cCsnNCRBTBC0LI3opHIGSEwuaj8hSQruJIx5bs0FcWjWVosZkPVZLt0ZauzoyOgUp0doZtAsvn3DLFvkUVR/s1600/10-25-2010DragonSoulMap.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 480px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2Hw02MRUhWaTJTFwGX9ljl5HPzOx1GTeStkmP_pHb7xrtonV2FMCLoFKx0cCsnNCRBTBC0LI3opHIGSEwuaj8hSQruJIx5bs0FcWjWVosZkPVZLt0ZauzoyOgUp0doZtAsvn3DLFvkUVR/s400/10-25-2010DragonSoulMap.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532009006383268018" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: Map of Volstov and Ke-Han empires. From <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragon Soul</span> (Spectra, 2010).</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What was some of the feedback you got from your editor about your first draft?</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Jaida: </span>I still remember how enormous our editorial letter was. Thirteen pages! That’s just our editor’s style, however. She broke down what needed to be changed page by page. One of the things I remember her coming back to again and again was the fact that she was looking for a lot more build-up in the beginning, so that we could lay the groundwork for the conclusion.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">How did you respond to that feedback?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danielle:</span> It was really, really daunting at first. There were moments at the start when we had to ask ourselves, why did she even want this imperfect book at all? But in the end, after working hard to give her the manuscript she’d been hoping for, it became clear why she’d been so specific and meticulous. She was making sure we spent as much time as we possibly could world-building. Her method was incredibly helpful in terms of breaking down the different elements we had to improve on. We even ended up color-coding them, with green highlighter for world-building issues and pink for character relationships.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Is there anything you learned the “hard way” about writing fantasy and science fiction series that you think others could benefit from?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jaida:</span> We didn’t write our first book with an outline or even any plan of where we were going and what we were doing. While it was an amazing amount of fun figuring out where we were going while we were going there, it also made for a lot of revision work later. So planning things out in advance definitely helps in the long run.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What are some of the important elements of a series that help people come back?<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jaida:</span> I wish I knew! What has always caused me to come back to a series has been the characters. What will happen to them? Where will they go after the so-called ‘end?’ That’s how I’ve always written—with characters first, everything else later—and that’s how I read, too.<br /></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-23383521328028101962010-10-25T11:58:00.004-04:002010-10-25T12:17:32.836-04:00Legendary Science Fiction Writer Madeleine L'Engle Judges 1970s Scholastic Writing Awards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDu-tURAfjJAcbkUrYCjGvZg18M9_xuv1TlJHmHUt53hZJjgcEGOYCrK1Mz_49hTYU554GWYFV7A36VDtLORlW4Mt1QOSHjitGPjc3yUjf2Jj_1Sh6kmgjvxyUDusS35J2r9S9WU5nrnk/s1600/10-21-2010+madeleine.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 381px; height: 121px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZDu-tURAfjJAcbkUrYCjGvZg18M9_xuv1TlJHmHUt53hZJjgcEGOYCrK1Mz_49hTYU554GWYFV7A36VDtLORlW4Mt1QOSHjitGPjc3yUjf2Jj_1Sh6kmgjvxyUDusS35J2r9S9WU5nrnk/s400/10-21-2010+madeleine.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532016983930392754" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: Madeleine L'Engle. Juror for The Scholastic Writing Awards, Short Story Division. <span style="font-style: italic;">Literary Calvacade</span>, 1973. </span><br /><br />Sci-fi author Madeleine L’Engle enjoyed careers as a librarian and an actress by the time she judged short stories for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in the early 1970s. But like the young writers whose work she evaluated, she was no stranger to criticism. L’Engle’s best known work, the sci-fi children’s classic <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780739331781"><span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time</span></a>, was initially rejected by dozens of publishers in the early 1960s. Why? According to Madeleine L’Engle: “<span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time</span> had a female protagonist in a science fiction book, and that wasn’t done.”<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />L’Engle drew inspiration for the Newberry-winning book from several places: a camping trip in the American west, time travel, her family’s farmhouse in Connecticut and a book on quantum physics. But in addition to having a female protagonist (awkward, mousy-haired <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meg_Murry">Meg Murry</a>), the manuscript also drew criticism for its religious references, and because many publishers didn’t initially see it as a young adult book. By a stroke of luck the manuscript came into the hands of an editor who was supportive of the work, and the book was published in 1962. <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wrinkle in Time </span>became the first book in a science fiction quartet that includes <span style="font-style: italic;">A Wind in the Door, Many Waters </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">A Swiftly Tilting Planet. A Wrinkle in Time</span> has never been out of print and has been republished in numerous editions. A graphic novel adaptation will be released in Fall 2012.<br /><br />Of the Award-winning student short stories submitted in 1973, L’Engle commended young writers for their embrace of fiction and fantasy. “I am pleased to note a wider enthusiasm for the world which is beyond the world of provable fact, an awareness of fantasy and fairy tale as vehicles of truth, rather than as escape from truth.”<br /><br /><br /><br /></span>Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233442308091746110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-77913874664138626472010-10-20T15:48:00.007-04:002010-11-01T11:46:35.342-04:00Scholastic Award-Winning Teens Honored in Washington, D.C.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2NlhaYNwU2Z_O51aw8VXVwsEvFKKtVJN4E7VXzai6WY4vfU1TMHv51TW5pkNd__hqdwCqWnwTARK6Glm-0PV46CTAw5e6awLTC01aWKgq6FK5dW60QnjXyXaj9QWsWLzfLJGmcA_arMd/s1600/DSC_0224.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530219490897214802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip2NlhaYNwU2Z_O51aw8VXVwsEvFKKtVJN4E7VXzai6WY4vfU1TMHv51TW5pkNd__hqdwCqWnwTARK6Glm-0PV46CTAw5e6awLTC01aWKgq6FK5dW60QnjXyXaj9QWsWLzfLJGmcA_arMd/s400/DSC_0224.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo, above: 2007 Alumna Ebony Robinson shares words of inspiration with 2010 Scholastic Award winners. (Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.)</span><br />
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On October 8, 30 Scholastic Award-winning teens convened in Washington, D.C. to participate in an exhibition reception and ribbon-cutting ceremony for ART D.C., the Alliance’s ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Department of Education and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. For the next year, their works and others from the 2010 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards will be on display at the DoED and the PCAH and will represent to policy makers, officials and notables on Capitol Hill the value of arts education.<br />
<span class="fullpost"><br />
Scholastic Award-winning students who attended the festivities came from as far away as California, and woke up as early as 4AM to drive down from New York City. In addition to a ribbon cutting ceremony, students also took a tour of the capitol building and participated in a creative development workshop with performance artist and poet Regie Cabico. Also present to honor these young artists with some words of inspiration were Martha J. Kanter, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education; Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; and Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uBQkJTrC5zxgjLkiCQyBoXRnKQ2lVrc3bHBVqbrEIFIw7wc7cnQpxQOwj1qKKIBxTpAtxBIn3UlPWDjhJMmAGscv1lsE29WGcD-a0in044vW-7sQCoyxg5CjlFF7D7KwzCoT_7FJ35Iu/s1600/DSC_0229.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530218813475041442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 268px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uBQkJTrC5zxgjLkiCQyBoXRnKQ2lVrc3bHBVqbrEIFIw7wc7cnQpxQOwj1qKKIBxTpAtxBIn3UlPWDjhJMmAGscv1lsE29WGcD-a0in044vW-7sQCoyxg5CjlFF7D7KwzCoT_7FJ35Iu/s400/DSC_0229.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;"> Photo: Teens help cut ribbon at the U.S. Department of Education Exhibition. (Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.)</span><br />
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<span class="fullpost">Fifty-six works will be on display at the Department of Education (400 Maryland Avenue S.W.), and forty-three works will be on display at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 526) for the next year. To view the exhibit by appointment at the Department of Education, contact Marilyn Joyner at <a href="mailto:marilyn.joyner@ed.gov">marilyn.joyner@ed.gov</a>, and to view the exhibit at the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, contact Lindsey Clark at <a href="mailto:lindsey.clark@ed.gov">lindsey.clark@ed.gov</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_riQH7fxup31zAHqyAmBU_E2HV1lncXhDDq44XeeRfko-AoQ3P2026gKTjEBgBmpFL8zRTGW71URoAFUnX0OkWxtKwxu9BwrSpqZcYGuVrgjxR_UiDjzBprap-rMNiK5apEKB0UWjt9Or/s1600/4+copies.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5530221029112395042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 290px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_riQH7fxup31zAHqyAmBU_E2HV1lncXhDDq44XeeRfko-AoQ3P2026gKTjEBgBmpFL8zRTGW71URoAFUnX0OkWxtKwxu9BwrSpqZcYGuVrgjxR_UiDjzBprap-rMNiK5apEKB0UWjt9Or/s400/4+copies.JPG" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo: From left: P</span></span><span class="fullpost" style="font-size:78%;">erformance artist and poet Regie Cabico; Rachel Goslins, Executive Director of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities; Virginia McEnerney, Executive Director of the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers; and Martha Kanter, Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education. </span><br />
<strong>Award-Winning Teens Featured at the U.S. Department of Education</strong><br />
Jose Arreola, 18, NC<br />
Allie Ayers, 16, VA<br />
Sara Barnes, 18, TN<br />
Sarah Bradach, 13, MA<br />
Caleb Brown, 18, FL<br />
Alexandria Bryan, 14, NH<br />
Tyler Bullock, 17, NC<br />
Orié Cepeda-Willgerodt, 13, NY<br />
Jaclyn Colello, 17, NY<br />
Rachel Criswell, 18, PA<br />
Kevin Dao, 17, WA<br />
Linh Tran Do, 18, TX<br />
Xavier Donnelly, 17, VT<br />
Amy Donovan, 18, VA<br />
Mazelle Etessami, 14, CA<br />
Caroline Felner, 14, OH<br />
Karla Flemming, 16, CO<br />
Sean Frisoli, 18, CT<br />
Justin Fung, 16, NC<br />
Andrew George, 16, IN<br />
Emma Glennon, 17, NH<br />
Shawn Glover, 17, SC<br />
Malliccaaii Green, 18, IN<br />
Meredith Haake, 18, NC<br />
Amanda Hanna-McLeer, 16, NY<br />
Dominique Jenkins, 18, SC<br />
Susan Kang, 17, GA<br />
Sun Jung Kim, 17, VT<br />
Sarah Kuipers, 18, MI<br />
Stewart Lawrence, 17, TX<br />
Grant Leung, 17, OH<br />
Kimberly Lord, 17, IN<br />
Allison McGrath, 18, PA<br />
Max Mikulecky, 18, KS<br />
James Niekamp, 18, KY<br />
Victoria Nikolich, 18, GA<br />
Kayla Parsh, 17, OH<br />
Addison Pollard, 15, AL<br />
Nicole Pratte, 18, CO<br />
Isaiah Russell, 17, NY<br />
Isabella Schubert-Jones, 14, PA<br />
Sam Shapiro, 18, OH<br />
Karen Shea, 17, OR<br />
Sasha Smith, 16, NY<br />
Esther So, 17, CO<br />
Melisse Sporn, 18, FL<br />
Anna Steele, 18, FL<br />
Boya Sun, 18, KY<br />
Azania Toure, 15, DC<br />
Lachlan Turczan, 16, CA<br />
Rachel Walker, 18, TX<br />
Audrey Warren, 15, DC<br />
Jahana Wazir, 18, WV<br />
Amy Wilcox, 17, MN<br />
Erica Young, 17, PA<br />
Chloe Zimmerman, 18, MA<br />
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<strong>Award-Winning Teens Featured at the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities<br />
</strong>Josh Adams, 18, WV<br />
Sally Baek, 17, NC<br />
George Brooks, 18, CA<br />
Megan Burton, 18, NC<br />
Jaclyn Casavant, 17, NH<br />
Jocelyn Contreras, 14, KS<br />
Michaela Curtin, 15, MA<br />
Aubry Daman, 17, IN<br />
Emily Damone, 13, IN<br />
Mary Defer, 17, OH<br />
Xavier Donnelly, 17, VT<br />
Tiffany Droke, 18, DE<br />
Elanor Eberhardt, 12, OH<br />
Rachel Finlaw, 15, CT<br />
Becky Flannigan, 16, NY<br />
Kate Fleming, 17, VA<br />
Will Frazier, 18, VA<br />
Tiffany Gordon, 17, TX<br />
Emily Grayson, 16, CT<br />
Soomin Kim, 13, NJ<br />
Michelle Lee, 17, VA<br />
Maddy Leeser, 16, CA<br />
Caroline Lindley, 17, TX<br />
Kate Mattingly, 18, KY<br />
Max Mikulecky, 18, KS<br />
Alec Nguyen, 14, FL<br />
Tara Niami, 16, CA<br />
June Park, 16, NY<br />
Rachel Parrill, 16, KY<br />
Paulene Phouybanhdyt, 17, WI<br />
Addison Pollard, 15, AL<br />
Nathalie Pouzar, 16, KY<br />
Taylor Risser, 14, IN<br />
Payne Rueter, 16, IL<br />
Melisse Sporn, 18, FL<br />
Ashley Standage, 16, KS<br />
Julia Stauble, 17, NC<br />
Lauren Taylor, 18, TN<br />
Courtney Vassar, 17, KS<br />
Melanie Waller, 14, NY<br />
Travis Waller, 17, OH<br />
Alyssa Watson, 17, NV<br />
Margaret Zrabkowski, 14, LA<br />
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</span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-18847027797181904962010-10-19T17:24:00.006-04:002010-10-19T17:32:21.317-04:00Ask a Writer: Getting Your Science Fiction Story Published<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9A39gMulJ8jlUNIjq8grcZWlrsUaNV4SWIhyphenhypheniOtwsIbGDvj2zRbFktTT05wbhbycvwoDh94WM66d7CPC8bMTMUt7jVY2cXk7Wnb8vlqon7kwbfemvgyGLB2fNGEFU4MK0vHUVFudjk448/s1600/10427936.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529872313463167106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9A39gMulJ8jlUNIjq8grcZWlrsUaNV4SWIhyphenhypheniOtwsIbGDvj2zRbFktTT05wbhbycvwoDh94WM66d7CPC8bMTMUt7jVY2cXk7Wnb8vlqon7kwbfemvgyGLB2fNGEFU4MK0vHUVFudjk448/s400/10427936.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><strong>Tiffany asked: </strong>I'm seventeen 17 and I've finished a Young Adult book that measures in at 256 pages and somewhere around 80,000 words. I've been trying for months to find an agent to represent me because I want one of the bigger publishing houses to find my book. Random House would be awesome, but that is but a dream, a fancy of a teenager.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />How can I know who is reliable? I've been turned down numerous times, but each time I was commended on my writing skills. I'm hoping that it is simply the economy making agents less likely to take in new writers.<br /><br />Also, I have a short story or two I would like to publish, with the hopes of getting recognized. They are science fiction and I'm not sure what magazine to contact.<br /><br />As you can see, I'm really excited about writing (I even plan on being a journalist when I graduate high school), but need a little help from someone who knows what they're doing.<br /><br />Thank you for your time,<br />Tiffany<br /><br />Tiffany, it sounds like you're organized and dedicated and you just need access to information. All the information you want will be in <a href="http://amzn.to/ad6Kk7"><em>Writer's Market 2011</em></a>. <em>Writer's Market</em> is a guidebook for writers with listings of agents and publishers. The thing about being an agent is that it doesn't require a license –-- anyone can just declare themselves an agent, so there are some hucksters out there that you should avoid. Sticking with the agents listed in <em>Writer's Market</em> should limit you to agents who are legitimate.<br /><br />Science fiction magazines will be listed in <em>Writer's Market</em> as well. The key there is to pick a magazine that you are familiar with (and if you're not familiar with any, get familiar). Then send them a story that you know fits their editorial tone. So track down a copy of <em>Writer's Market 2011</em> and start circling the agents and science fiction magazines that look good to you.<br /><br />Good luck with your book!<br /><br />Ned<br /></span></div><div><span class="fullpost"><em>Have a question about the writing world? Ask Ned! You can e-mail us at </em><a href="mailto:askned@artandwriting.org"><em>askned@artandwriting.org</em></a><em>, or you can learn more about Ned at </em><a href="http://www.nedvizzini.com/"><em>www.nedvizzini.com</em></a><em>.</em></span></div><span class="fullpost"></span><br /><span class="fullpost"><div><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image: <em>Flight of The Imaginary Creatures.</em> Youngmin Lee, Grade 10. 2010 Gold Medal, Drawing.</span></div></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-51541215918652913382010-10-18T10:59:00.006-04:002010-10-18T11:17:05.126-04:00A 2010 Scholastic Award-winning Ghost Story<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5NuBu9dnz71A-cvT_ZGH_Ai0nujOZHqTQETdXKhV4WfStz1OLz6o_saDOAYv-n8i8VD2q7lZL4qu1waBJtWom-2ynoRHU3l18ISngGnJ2RYAd4lV6x0-c5GdOp1M5Ase-N4ocHetm5SX/s1600/10377542.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529402787514944930" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 360px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 244px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT5NuBu9dnz71A-cvT_ZGH_Ai0nujOZHqTQETdXKhV4WfStz1OLz6o_saDOAYv-n8i8VD2q7lZL4qu1waBJtWom-2ynoRHU3l18ISngGnJ2RYAd4lV6x0-c5GdOp1M5Ase-N4ocHetm5SX/s400/10377542.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div><em>High School Senior Amanda Miles won a National Gold Medal for her science fiction and fantasy piece, Allister Reese. Below is an excerpt from her haunting ghost story.</em><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Pasta’s a lonely meal. I make it when I’m tired or alone, and certainly not expecting company. It’s quick, easy, the best option when a meal for myself isn’t worth slaving over. It was a nice dining room. It reeked of an aged renaissance, smothered in thick, rich tones of red and accents of creamy white—a well-blended atmosphere in no urgent need of interruption.<br /><br />I had never believed in ghosts or demons, any paranormal phenomenons like that. I’d been completely psyched about this Tuesday: moving day. The little, bleak blue house down on the corner of Maple and Haver seemed perfect, well-suited for me. Until I realized it was that little blue house located on the sputtering, questionable ends of Maple and Haver, which seemed to have their reputations dampened by this traumatically tainted house. They never told me who had lived here, or informed me of who had stabbed himself in the parlor, however many years back. They never told me his name or what he’d been like, or why he’d done it. Never shared with me anything of his infamous afterlife, never showed me the list of victims, or told me how many souls he’d eaten.<br /><br /><em>“Ssssskkkkeeoooohhh.”<br /></em><br />Sand in the time sift drooled like droplets of molasses as I stood up. My wineglass in perpetual motion, falling to the parlor floor, never seemed to shatter or splatter. I couldn’t hear it. Couldn’t see it. All I heard was the voice. All I saw was the man.<br />He was calm and cool. Stood firm and fresh in front of me. The glass slowly lulled around the floor as I watched him. A moment of trance unable to be broken by a human persona of an awkward silence. Jeans, pale shirt, unbuttoned at the top. The chiseling began at the V, and pulsed down his torso in ravishing ripples. He looked new and clean, too pure for something damned to an eternity in this lonely house. He didn’t strike me as a suicide—didn’t look like he’d want to take away anything of the everything he’d been given. He looked confident, but curious, something rather odd for someone who had a countless amount of time to inquire. I wondered when the first question would come, I could feel them, there were plenty, dancing like little caged insects inside his empty soul, fireflies matching in luminosity inside his fluorescent figure.<br />He didn’t move to advance on me, yet I felt a pull to him. Like the supernatural force that claimed him reached for a hold on me, too.<br />“Hello, my name is Allister. Allister Reese,” he bowed. His choice of formal greeting seemed out of place for the situation. I eyed him suspiciously.<br />“Hello…I’m—”<br />“Venya, I know. Pleasure to meet you,” he nodded.<br />“Just Ven.” What a mysterious little creeper. He already knew my name.<br />He spread his arms wide, “Welcome to my home.”<br />Perfect; a territorial numen—just what I needed my first night in. When I didn’t answer, he proceeded, “Please, continue your meal.”<br />I never broke eye contact as I cautiously slid back into my chair and tackled another meatball, forgetting about the spilled wine.<br />“You just gonna sit there and stare at me?”<br />“I felt it more proper than rudely concealing myself, promoting my presence as something more of a friendly household companion than a spy.”<br />I absentmindedly twirled up a few bites of spaghetti on my fork as I continued to inspect him.<br />“How long have you been here?”<br />“A long time.”<br />“I mean today.”<br />“I’m always here.”<br />I was quiet again. Not too sure how to proceed with our introductions, not sure what to ask a ghost. He sensed my confusion and a smart little smile emerged.<br />“I’m sorry, you shouldn’t feel this uncomfortable in my home. Would you like me to leave?”<br />“Are you going to leave or just disappear?” I asked.<br />“Disappear.”<br />“You’re right. This is less creepy.”<br />He laughed, leaned back in his chair and settled in.<br /><br />There were a few specific things that sparked my inquisitions about Allister’s being as I came to know him over the next few weeks:<br />Allister never left the house. I didn’t completely understand why. And when I asked, he said he simply just never felt like it. Allister never talked about his death and wasn’t confined to after-hours; he was out at all times of the day and would occasionally meet me for breakfast in the kitchen. Slowly our conversations became more fluid. He’d greet me when I came home from work, unless he was unusually bothered by something. If I didn’t bring work home from the office, we’d stay up all night at the kitchen bar. He’d ask all the questions, about my family, my childhood, my old house, and which house I liked more. Sometimes I wished he’d let me join in on the cross-examination, but then again I didn’t know what I’d ask.<br />The bigger the space grew between his knowledge of me and mine of him, the more I was attracted to him. He was a mystery, a puzzle that I wanted to take all the time in the world to solve, and the small sense of vulnerability intrigued me.<br /><br />Allister also developed a strange fascination with my cooking. When I couldn’t see him in the kitchen, I’d feel his presence lurking over my shoulder. The next time I made pasta, he sat and watched. He didn’t talk, just sat in silence observing my work. It confused me. I figured this would be a typical action of someone who had a desire to re-create the dish later himself, but Allister was stuck here in quite a peculiar state, a twilight—able to move, unable to do, able to talk, yet unable to interact. It bothered me. I wondered how much it bothered him—if it did at all. I couldn’t find a trace of irritation, couldn’t read a thing from his transfixing transparent face.<br />“Yes?”<br />He caught me staring at him. I’d absentmindedly slowed to a stop in my stirs around the boiling fettuccini.<br />“Nothing, nothing.” I refocused on the stove. He continued to watch.<br />“I forget what it’s like.”<br />“What’s like?” I asked.<br />“To eat.”<br />“Oh.” I couldn’t think of anything better to say. “It takes up a lot of time.”<br />He threw me a funny look.<br />“I waste so much time preparing food, eating food, digesting food...”<br />“I wouldn’t mind making another meal.”<br />Allister had too much time. He’d forgotten to be human. He didn’t remember what it was like to be irritated, or how annoying the chores of everyday life were. It made me wonder how old he really was—how much time had lapsed since his last painfully normal day.<br />“What’s it like?” I asked.<br />He already knew what I was talking about. He thought for a moment.<br />“Different. Very different.”<br />“Does it look different?”<br />“It feels different…everything feels so hollow.”<br />I waited for more.<br />“It’s hard to remember life, it used to be hard to compare, but with you around I get a taste of it—a refreshment. You’re different, apart from all the inert objects that occupy my existence. I sense something else with your presence that I can’t in others.”<br />He sounded so alone. Suddenly I was where he was, trapped in this box, and just the moment sucked all my happiness away. On nurturing instinct, I took the steaming teakettle from the backburner and went to grab him a mug, but then caught myself. The situation nipped at me. I felt helpless. I poured myself instead.<br />“Does it tease you?” I asked.<br />“It’s better to feel something than nothing at all.”<br /><br />Allister got dangerously close. He plotted further than the physical boundaries that disconnected us. It was hard to keep him out, especially when I was mad or frustrated—or found myself set off by a past lover. They were nothing alike, but the poltergeist seemed to always weave webs of relation back to himself in my head, no matter how hard I fought against it, or how black and white the differences were between him and anyone I’d ever met.<br />He heard it before it happened and was already there waiting.<br />I slammed the door shut, threw my bag down on the kitchen floor, and hurled the keys against the wall.<br />I screamed hysterically.<br />He waited.<br />I flew around the kitchen in a bull-run tirade, thrashing open the cabinets, roughly shoving things around in search of a clean glass. Soon, without success, I slammed that shut too.<br />“Godforgetit. Just forget it.” I sat down on the barstool. Took a breath.<br />He gave me some time. Then came over to sit beside me. Fumes slowly smoldering to death in his presence. He didn’t have to say anything. Just look.<br />“Bad day,” I said. I didn’t really want to talk. Sometimes I felt silly, like I was sitting in front of an overly patient psychiatrist. Allister kept looking, waiting for further explanation. I loved that about him. His euphonic aura infected me, like an incurable mutated strand of disease so advanced there was nothing I could do to stop the contamination.<br />“You know, I wish more people were like you.”<br />“Explain.”<br />“Just relaxed…understanding. I dunno.”<br />“You come to understand a lot when you’ve been here this long.”<br />“I know. I just…wish people could sit here like you can.”<br />“This is my house. I’ve been sitting here a long time.”<br />“I wish everyone else had the time.”<br />“Ven, all I have is time.”</span></div><span class="fullpost"></span><br /><p><span class="fullpost" style="font-size:78%;">Image: <em>New Love Found</em>. Kelsey Hart, Grade 12. 2010 American Visions Medal, Photography.</span></p><p><span class="fullpost"></p></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-74440248876099274492010-10-13T14:06:00.013-04:002010-10-13T14:23:11.766-04:00Calling all Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS93E4zaB5eiGDGcZw1_uuDv6QEgvLq-1mfZw67zV2BWWtReaDdazioKvMxP9AFtpT1jGxvOhL9NxfEXpq_ZvndYDm00KtpkdurMpEF0CaJg1Y10iCrTAxi4FtG1dNokbOLAL0sj4cDp6a/s1600/10-13-2010+Image.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5527597214002737922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 353px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS93E4zaB5eiGDGcZw1_uuDv6QEgvLq-1mfZw67zV2BWWtReaDdazioKvMxP9AFtpT1jGxvOhL9NxfEXpq_ZvndYDm00KtpkdurMpEF0CaJg1Y10iCrTAxi4FtG1dNokbOLAL0sj4cDp6a/s400/10-13-2010+Image.JPG" border="0" /></a> <p>The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards are one of the best opportunities out there for aspiring writers of science fiction and fantasy to get their work recognized. But the Awards are not the only writing competition that accepts entries in this category. Below is a sampling of opportunities devoted exclusively to science fiction and fantasy. <span class="fullpost">Some contests offer cash prizes and opportunities for publication, so please read the directions/rules carefully as some restrictions and entry fees may apply.<br /><br /><strong>Contests </strong></p><br /><ol><br /><li><a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/" target="_blank">Scholastic Art & Writing Awards</a>, Science Fiction & Fantasy Category: Eligible students in grades 7-12 may enter poems, short stories and dramatic scripts with science fiction or fantastical themes. Entries must be between 600 – 3,000 words. Deadline varies by region. </li><br /><li><a href="http://www.writersofthefuture.com/contest" target="_blank">L. Ron Hubbard Writers & Illustrators of the Future Contest</a>: Open to both writers and artists, this unique contest offers a range of cash prizes. Submissions for both artistic and written works are accepted quarterly. National Fantasy Fan Federation Contest: http://www.n3f.org/N3Fssc.shtml (December 31, 2010) </li><br /><li><a href="http://www.albedo1.com/aeon_award.html" target="_blank">The International Aeon Award Short Fiction Contest</a>: Get international acclaim in this short story contest accepting submissions in all forms of horror, science fiction and fantasy from around the world. The contest is sponsored by Ireland’s premiere science fiction magazine, Albedo One. Submissions must be received by November 30, 2011. </li><br /><li><a href="http://wildcat.wsc.edu/clubs/willycon/gen/short_story/" target="_blank">The Willycon Short Story/Poetry Contest </a>is sponsored by the Wayne State Science Fiction and Fantasy Club, in conjunction with the WillyCon convention. </li><br /><li><a href="http://www.williamledbetter.com/contest" target="_blank">2011 Jim Baen Memorial Writing Contest</a>: Sponsored by the National Space Society and Baen Books, this contest was established in memory of science fiction writer and publisher Jim Baen. </li></ol><br /><p><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image credit: <em>Exile.</em> Kelsey Laycock, Grade 12. 2010 Silver Medal, Art Portfolio (Digital Art). <br /></p><br /><p><br /><br /><br /><br /></p><br /></span></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-38651619082997727302010-10-06T16:48:00.006-04:002010-10-06T16:54:37.319-04:00Conceptual Artist John Baldessari To Receive Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqDTfElYladlEeEAe71zMuTMzdxKDBDu0ceVUQhSUhVWHuwLEL0ct0lzCHvGZ1cGL9T8t6UrPcygGsZ-4HfQTErwtezGuS9tmFGqjakX5O0mMMhQt9xs6bUPV2Kg9OB11Ke7-wdwT_oU5/s1600/10-6-2010JB.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 274px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDqDTfElYladlEeEAe71zMuTMzdxKDBDu0ceVUQhSUhVWHuwLEL0ct0lzCHvGZ1cGL9T8t6UrPcygGsZ-4HfQTErwtezGuS9tmFGqjakX5O0mMMhQt9xs6bUPV2Kg9OB11Ke7-wdwT_oU5/s400/10-6-2010JB.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525038298418965442" border="0" /></a>On May 31 2011, the Alliance will honor <a href="http://www.baldessari.org" target="_blank">John Baldessari</a> with an Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. John Baldessari has become one of the best-known figures in American conceptual art. As a student in National City, California, Baldessari experimented with pastels and watercolors, but it wasn’t until he picked up a camera in high school that his art finally became noticed. “I guess I was good, because there was something called the National Scholastic Art Award in the US, and my art teacher encouraged me to enter. At that time I was experimenting with photography, so I put in a photograph, and I won. That’s where it all began,” John Baldessari remembers in a <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/tateetc/issue17/baldessari17.htm" target="_blank">2009 interview with European art magazine</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">Tate Etc.</span><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Since winning his Scholastic Award, Baldessari’s work has appeared in over 200 solo exhibitions and 900 group shows in the U.S. and abroad. His diverse body of conceptual work includes everything from canvas paintings to billboards, film, photography and art books. Much of his work deals with the nature of imagery, absences and life cycles. Humor also plays a role in his work. In one famous 1970 piece, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Cremation Project</span>, he burned his early paintings from 1953 – 1966 and baked the ashes into cookies. The cookies were placed in an urn that was displayed with the cookie recipe and the paintings’ dates of creation and destruction.<br /><br />John Baldessari’s fifty-year retrospective, <a href="http://www.metmuseum.org/press_room/full_release.asp?prid=%7BEE89EA89-EB03-4AED-A5E3-8ADCA2E67ECD%7D" target="_blank"><span style="font-style: italic;">John Baldessari: Pure Beauty</span></a> will open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on October 20, 2010 and runs through January 9, 2011. Prior to its opening at the Met, the exhibition was on display at the Tate Modern in London; the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona in Spain; and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.<br /><br />Recent Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award recipients include sculptor Tom Otterness, painter Philip Pearlstein, writer Joyce Maynard and poet Carolyn Forché.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo Credit: Sidney B. Felson, 2007. <a href="http://www.baldessari.org/">www.baldessari.org</a></span><br /></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-68102165041235109852010-10-04T12:15:00.010-04:002010-10-04T12:42:07.234-04:005 Tips for the Science Fiction & Fantasy Category of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52VqWdUtmpMmr1MPOu4J2rScV6qJbu866mECHLwsOPV_y46q9LIiwwE1EWduCS_UK3Eqz8Fnvdo0UoUFBly3D5wapI5xM2r6DgbeofbhfdxgSK6402dQDLc83XHjcH4gzo5Y2Cs-Tfoph/s1600/10426435.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524227942825448194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 360px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj52VqWdUtmpMmr1MPOu4J2rScV6qJbu866mECHLwsOPV_y46q9LIiwwE1EWduCS_UK3Eqz8Fnvdo0UoUFBly3D5wapI5xM2r6DgbeofbhfdxgSK6402dQDLc83XHjcH4gzo5Y2Cs-Tfoph/s400/10426435.jpg" border="0" /></a> What makes the science fiction and fantasy genre so appealing is that anything can happen – the sky’s the limit! Even when you’re writing about an imaginary world, it’s still possible to incorporate elements that are familiar. When director James Cameron conceived the natural environment of Pandora for the movie <em>Avatar</em>, he drew heavy inspiration <a href="http://www.grist.org/article/2010-03-01-cameron-im-the-greenest-director-of-all-time/" target="_blank">from his dives in tropical coral reefs.</a> And multilingual lyricist and composer Stephen Schwartz adapted words from Latin, Egyptian, Greek, German and Italian to create incantations for Wicked Witch Elphaba in the musical <em><a href="http://www.wickedthemusical.com/" target="_blank">Wicked.</a></em><br /><p><span class="fullpost">When planning a fictional world, sometimes it also helps to set it down on paper. Who are your characters, and how do they think or interact with their environment? If your characters speak a unique language, what are some of the words? </p></span><p>Before letting your imagination run wild (which we fully encourage), here are a few tips to remember when submitting work to the <a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/Awards/Categories#SCIENCE" target="_blank">Science Fiction & Fantasy category</a> of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.<br /></p><span class="fullpost"><ul><li>Jurors are looking for inventiveness, originality and a unique writing style. Be sure to only submit works that are your absolute own creation. </span></li><br /><li><span class="fullpost">Any written pieces (poems, dramatic scripts, short stories and short short stories) with science fiction or fantasy themes are encouraged. </li><br /><li>Submissions should be between 600 – 3,000 words. </li><br /><li>Careful proofreading and polishing goes a long way to strengthening a work. </li><br /><li>Only written pieces are accepted. Graphic novel excerpts dealing with science fiction themes can be submitted to the Comic Art category instead. </li></ul></span><br /><span class="fullpost"><p>Some of the best advice on the subject comes from 2010 Science Fiction juror Alex Carr: “Read more. Read more Science Fiction & Fantasy and other genres, but save room for contemporary fiction as well. The more you read, the more you understand how writing works.”<br /><br /><br />Good luck!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image credit: <em>Judicial Branch Inquest into Flight of R. Byrd.</em> Elizabeth Peterschmidt, Grade 12. 2010. Silver Medal, Art Portfolio.</span><br /><br /></span></p>Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233442308091746110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-57519123912271276452010-09-29T09:58:00.005-04:002010-09-29T10:16:52.954-04:00Creating Concept Art for Video Games and Film<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUPj8pIl4Alii6X134JRiPY-xi-GxtKCiv-hAn7xUIoy9DY8oj-zjiEAuPI9y36ZqhMFRHBsbYTh8wr3Qob5NaRPK_C1GeIbUaU73x8iDwyhplXFab_s3rNYd4bnlRmVUlfr4KrLiUmgi/s1600/CBour_CharDesignsofrAnOnlineGame.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522335379806248770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 309px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUPj8pIl4Alii6X134JRiPY-xi-GxtKCiv-hAn7xUIoy9DY8oj-zjiEAuPI9y36ZqhMFRHBsbYTh8wr3Qob5NaRPK_C1GeIbUaU73x8iDwyhplXFab_s3rNYd4bnlRmVUlfr4KrLiUmgi/s400/CBour_CharDesignsofrAnOnlineGame.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Concept artists work across diverse industries – automotive, video games, animation, theater, movies and toys – to bring ideas to life. Recently, Senior Concept Artist Chris Bourassa at Vancouver-based Propaganda Games shared some of his tips for emerging artists interested in working on concept art for video games and film.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><strong>AYAW: What are some of the types of projects a concept art department handles? Are you designing characters, creating scenery for game levels, brainstorming the look and feel of the video game, or something completely different?<br />CB:</strong> For a concept artist’s role, you’ve pretty much covered it. You will work with an Art Director who establishes the parameters of the high-level vision and your job is to distill that vision into illustrations so the 3-D modelers have material to work from. Characters, props, environments, game play maps and ideas, weapons, icons – you can expect a mixed bag of tasks.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: What’s your advice to rookies in this field or aspiring concept artists?<br />CB: </strong>Early on, you need to be willing to try anything, draw anything, in any style as best you can. There are a million great illustrators out there, but concept art is more about design and communication than it is about polished and refined art. Great written and verbal communication skills are important too.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: What kind of skills do you use on the job – are you working primarily with 3-D modeling materials, computer programs, or traditional mediums?</strong><br /><strong>CB:</strong> I work primarily with Photoshop for all my digital paintings. Other concept artists here use Maya and/or Google Sketchup to create base geometry on which to paint.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: What are some of the highs and lows in the life of a concept artist?</strong><br /><strong>CB: </strong>You get to work with other talented artists, be a part of something bigger than you alone could have made. You get to see your characters and environments realized in 3-D, with lighting, voices, animation – that’s my favorite part of the job, hands down.<br /><br />Deadlines are ever-present and usually quite tight. You have to get comfortable working under a certain amount of pressure. There hundreds of last minute requests and tasks that pop up out of nowhere and that can be hard to juggle.<br /><br />In this industry, it’s never a good idea to get too attached to a painting. In game production, we don’t paint art, we paint ideas. An image will be changed, thrown out, reused, edited, cropped, color corrected – you name it. You may get feedback you hate, or you may be asked to dramatically change what you think is a good image. Concept art exists to explore different directions and, sadly, many of the directions are dead ends.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: How did you get started?</strong><br /><strong>CB:</strong> I did a BA in Sociology, then came out to Vancouver because I wanted to get into art for TV or games and did a 16-month digital animation diploma program. Even with classes, I had to work really hard on my own to bring my animation demo reel up to snuff. But employment in this field is determined by three things: the quality of your work, how well you interview, and who you know. The portfolio is particularly important.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: Any general tips about preparing a portfolio for concept art?<br />CB: </strong>Adaptability is critical. Specifically in concept art, a portfolio needs to show some variations/iterations. For example, draw an orc in a loincloth, copy it 9 times and do 9 different costumes. This shows that you can provide an art director with options. Indecisive art directors love options. When you get a job, you aren’t working for yourself, so no matter how much you may love dragons, a portfolio full of them isn’t going to get you far.<br /><br />You will rarely get the time to do a finished, polished piece as a concept artist, so being able to show solid, dynamic medium polish images with a few supporting sketches is a must, in my opinion. New hires need to demonstrate a good range of skills, read: don’t draw just spaceships.<br /><br /><strong>AYAW: Any last words of wisdom?</strong><br /><strong>CB: </strong>The most important thing I can say is, if you want a job drawing, then you have to draw. Carry a sketchbook everywhere, go to life drawing, read about art. Think critically about what areas in your skill set you need to improve. Contrary to popular belief, being a good artist is 90% practice and only 10% talent.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image Credit: Character Designs for Online Video Game. Copyright: Chris Bourassa.</span> </span>Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233442308091746110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-78858260736883816952010-09-28T10:45:00.004-04:002010-09-28T16:38:24.791-04:00When Our Regional Programs Manager, Raf Torres was in High School...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Wu4kngrTkKvDLyhQRr-VZUVrpOm-3VHeRU9f3qHQ4-ZmKpL2QkfMXaXf0fKPOqOTX9V2jPMc25P834Fee_DK-whxd_ULoc_wE5Bk3bxkxdaoxC1ugwcCFNi9uvZ4g71HThELRxC1Z3hg/s1600/10309371.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522059987362301890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 286px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Wu4kngrTkKvDLyhQRr-VZUVrpOm-3VHeRU9f3qHQ4-ZmKpL2QkfMXaXf0fKPOqOTX9V2jPMc25P834Fee_DK-whxd_ULoc_wE5Bk3bxkxdaoxC1ugwcCFNi9uvZ4g71HThELRxC1Z3hg/s400/10309371.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Like many of the impressive Scholastic Award winners out there, I took part in the program as a senior in high school and won a Gold Key in my region. This in turn resulted in a $1,000 merit scholarship from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. While I worked hard on my submission to the Scholastic Awards, part of the credit belongs to my high school studio art teacher, Ms. Mears. She often stayed late after school to provide feedback to students and help us prepare work for arts competitions, sometimes even driving us home if we didn’t have a ride.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The positive relationship I had with Ms. Mears had an enormous impact on my life, and I wanted to do similar work in the arts. Both my Award and teacher inspired me to go to art school, and even get a Master’s degree in nonprofit arts administration. When I was hired to fill the position for Manager, Regional Programs at the Alliance, my goal to help teens reach their artistic dreams became a reality. I now get to work with more than 100 affiliate partners who manage the Awards in their regions. Affiliates are a driving force of the program: they inform, encourage and support teachers and students who are part of this great opportunity.<br /><br />The 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards have recently opened and I can’t wait to see what students will submit. I remember how hard I worked to win my Award, and I also remember how exciting the process of creating my painting was. Making art is one big experiment: you start with an idea but can’t always predict what it will be. I think the surprise and what you learn are part of what makes the creative process so rewarding, even if you don’t always win for it.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image credit: <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Jars.</span> Katherine Gorman, Grade 12. 2010 Silver Medal, Drawing Portfolio.</span><br /><br /><br /></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-78637911490558786152010-09-27T15:30:00.014-04:002010-09-27T17:07:13.883-04:00Do writers choose the actors starring in movies based on their lives?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmP5LTyKb4dInrAr151637kKTRX-Ru6zGmdlRfoqIJ-xazWg7ILzkzu_0gJEChNVhZTyKIu_2z5QZAWsKS2TzjvexwXy2eK-nmCu_WngPg1QKkz3xEsXAsy42BoyQKovGTJ6eamVUXsiD/s1600/9-27-2010AskNed.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmP5LTyKb4dInrAr151637kKTRX-Ru6zGmdlRfoqIJ-xazWg7ILzkzu_0gJEChNVhZTyKIu_2z5QZAWsKS2TzjvexwXy2eK-nmCu_WngPg1QKkz3xEsXAsy42BoyQKovGTJ6eamVUXsiD/s400/9-27-2010AskNed.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5521698334005833586" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost"><span>Author and Scholastic Writing Award alumnus Ned Vizzini's first novel, </span><span style="font-style: italic;">It's Kind of a Funny Story,</span><span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>is being adapted into a movie by Focus Features and will be released this October. The story is inspired by events in the author's own life. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ONE READER ASKED: </span>Can writers choose the actors who appear in movies about their books? Did you get to choose the actor who plays you in your movie?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">NED SAID: </span>No, writers do not get to choose the actors who appear in films based on their books. Those decisions are made by a casting director, whose name you see in the credits of the film -- and that's okay! It's the writer's job to write a good book. It's the casting director's job to pick the best cast.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />So, in my case, I did not pick Keir Gilchrist to play Craig Gilner in <span style="font-style: italic;">It's Kind of a Funny Story</span>. (And just to clarify -- Keir plays Craig Gilner, not me! Craig Gilner is based on me but he's fictional.) But I am thrilled that he was chosen because I think he does a great job.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">If you have questions about the writing world, just ask! E-mail us at <a href="mailto:askned@artandwriting.org">askned@artandwriting.org</a>.</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Photo credit: </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:78%;" >It's Kind of a Funny Story.</span><span style="font-size:78%;"> K.C. Bailey - 2010, Focus Features.</span><br /><br /></span></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-47606294735950751852010-09-24T10:15:00.009-04:002010-09-24T11:15:56.813-04:00Experimental Filmmaker Haunts Archives of Scholastic Art & Writing Awards<div style="text-align: center;"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdKsPsg_AX4?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hdKsPsg_AX4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Last year, we <a href="http://allianceforyoungartistsandwriters.blogspot.com/2009/08/wikipedia-calls-stanley-brakhage-o-ne.html" target="_blank">discovered the 1951 Scholastic Award-winning short story</a> of experimental filmmaker Stan Brakhage. Around the same time this year, while processing our archival collection, Fate (or the spirit of Stan Brakhage!) dropped a new piece of his story into our laps— a short autobiographical passage, plus a yearbook photo from his senior year. Score!<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Stan Brakhage attended high school at South High School near Denver, CO. He would later become the “Father of Experimental Film,” and even “film teacher” to noted<span style="font-style: italic;"> South Park</span> creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. It seems like Stan Brakhage did everything as a kid—from singing soprano on radio to heading the drama and literary clubs of his high school. In 1951, his story won First Award in the Scholastic Awards’ Short Story category, and was also selected for the Ernestine Taggard Memorial Award and a $50 cash prize (worth over $400 in today’s economy!). The Ernestine Taggard Memorial Award was offered in memory of one of Scholastic Magazine’s notable literary editors and presented to a student who, according to the 1951 edition of Senior Scholastic, “displays special talent and versatility in creative writing.” The magazine goes on to say that Stan “hopes to make a career of writing, utilizing perhaps, both his literary and dramatic experience in creative work.” In addition to his honors in 1951, Brakhage also won Scholastic Awards in 1949 and 1950.</span><span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Brakhage’s writing and dramatic experience would indeed come in handy. Brakhage described his films as </span>"moving visual thinking" and he often created work by manipulating the film emulsion directly with paint or collage techniques. <span class="fullpost">Music and poetry remained important influences in his work, and he’s celebrated as one of the most influential American avant-garde filmmakers of the 20th century. <a href="http://www.logosjournal.com/brakhage_mekas.htm" target="_blank">In a conversation between Lithuanian filmmaker Jonas Mekas and Stan Brakhage</a> in November 2000, Mekas remarked: “I think the work [of avant garde filmmakers] is universal, because poetry is universal. There is no difference between reading a volume of Sylvia Plath and seeing a film by Stan Brakhage…”<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Film: </span></span><span class="fullpost" style="font-size:78%;">Stan Brakhage: </span><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Glaze of Cathexis. </span>(1990). </span><br /></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-24316167454942492752010-09-20T10:16:00.005-04:002010-09-20T10:45:57.703-04:00Emerging Animator Seth Boyden Plays Music, Makes Monsters<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzg0TXTTMZmfBVom9aiTjz5A6iyhU6oxzEi7muWkBY1Lkc-espCRBofxHZtG7K8tyDdf7t5O2-ZLyPqK-8u4tOvFkGjIP8Xc9luPRL17GYmMHDLFRatCqDJr4Vw555loExhhWGN7Doj3e/s1600/August+2009+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtzg0TXTTMZmfBVom9aiTjz5A6iyhU6oxzEi7muWkBY1Lkc-espCRBofxHZtG7K8tyDdf7t5O2-ZLyPqK-8u4tOvFkGjIP8Xc9luPRL17GYmMHDLFRatCqDJr4Vw555loExhhWGN7Doj3e/s400/August+2009+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519001087751489986" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Seth Boyden started animating clay models in his parents’ basement in sixth grade. Over five years later, Seth Boyden is an emerging filmmaker who has won three national medals (a Gold Medal, a Silver Medal and an American Visions Medal) from The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. He not only creates his own Flash and stop-motion animation films, but also designs characters and collaborates with friends and family to compose original music. Seth has even begun drawing international attention. This year, Oxford University Press selected <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQ16Go3ZhK0" target="_blank">one of his adapted films</a> to be part of an online textbook for language arts.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">We recently caught up with Seth to learn more about his craft, his plans for the future and to collect some monster-making tips!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AYAW: How did you get into animation?</span><br /><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SB: </span></span>My interest in animation began when I was in the sixth grade. Like other young animators, I used my family's camera to animate modeling clay in the basement. Over the years, I have taught myself the techniques of animation and now I have begun to focus on the storytelling and artistic potential that animation has to offer.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AYAW:</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">How do you plan the story?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SB:</span> Of course, the most important element in any film or animation is the story. The stories I come up with are always inspired by a centralized message I want to express. From there, ideas and thematic elements sort of pool together as I organize the story into the form of a script or storyboard thumbnails. Sometimes, the time it takes to polish the story is longer than the time it takes to actually animate the film.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AYAW: What are your inspirations? </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SB: </span>I feel that my animations are mainly inspired by things that I have a particular interest in, and like many art students, my interests are always changing. For example, I come from a musical family, so I play piano and saxophone along with my friends to create original music for the animated films. I'm always inspired by jazz improv, and I take any opportunity I can to incorporate it into animation. When it comes to making films, I usually try something I've never done before, which makes each film a different challenge from the last. Whether it is animating cloud layers, or creating retro-1950 characters on a computer, mixing it up keeps me thinking.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="fullpost"><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D7Jmb9ZN258?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D7Jmb9ZN258?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object></span><br /></div><span class="fullpost"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AYAW: How do you create the characters and animate them?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SB: </span>No matter what method of animation is being used, I always make sure a character is set in pen and paper before it appears anywhere on a screen. This way, the character develops visually with every drawing and redrawing to better accentuate characteristics I think the audience should know about.<br /><br />When the final concept drawing of the character is completed, they are recreated either in plasticine for a stop-action animation or created digitally in computer animation software, depending on the chosen medium.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AYAW: What tools did you use?</span><br /></span><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SB: </span></span><span class="fullpost">For my stop-motion animation, a process that requires taking hundreds of pictures to form a sequence, I use a digital camera that's attached to a computer. This way, captured photos are immediately converted into frames in a movie, which are much easier to collect and edit. To be specific,I use Apple's iStopmotion software and then edit the collected scenes in a video editing program.<br /><br />For special effect shots and computer-generated character animation, I create the material for the sequence in a photo editing program (Adobe Photoshop) and then transfer them to a two-dimensional animation software (Adobe Flash) to be animated, one scene at a time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">AYAW: Do you plan to go to school for film/animation?</span><br /></span><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SB: </span></span><span class="fullpost">That's the plan. I hope to some day join the animation industry, and I've already started visiting various art schools around the country to get a better picture how to build up my portfolio. I love what I do and have fun along the way, so I guess that’s really what it’s all about.<br /><br />Just like any artist, there's never a finish line where you can say, "I've finished knowing all there is." As far as I'm concerned, I’ve barely left the starting gate!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Photo Credits (above): Concept sketch for <span style="font-style: italic;">Chroma. </span>Seth Boyden. 2010 Gold Medal, Film & Animation.</span><br /><br /><div id="PictoBrowser100920103920">Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer</div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser/swfobject.js"></script><script type="text/javascript">var so = new SWFObject("http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf", "PictoBrowser", "500", "500", "8", "#DDDDDD"); so.addParam("quality", "low"); so.addParam("scale", "noscale"); so.addParam("align", "mid"); so.addVariable("ids", "72157624871961651"); so.addVariable("names", "Seth Boyden Concept Sketches"); so.addVariable("userName", "scholasticgoldkey"); so.addVariable("userId", "39608915@N06"); so.addVariable("source", "sets"); so.write("PictoBrowser100920103920"); </script><br /><br /></span>Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233442308091746110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-86833365523945393822010-09-16T15:59:00.007-04:002010-09-20T09:52:00.897-04:00Taehyun Kang, Founder and Art Director, WOW Art Studio<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKW0fRT6WGA8IWBmeWTOtNfDvyVve7WkjPcGXSBJ4MBpt-9LPlmiMoKc4qotzdx36-eEN-7Tq6GHNUvtmnGQTZVgoY1SXMCRW6rQBhn72MWL6bQa-KxWCoX0geeYl7NTZnMRwobOqKVSUL/s1600/9-16-2010+TaehyunKang.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5518992766402737074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 145px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 127px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKW0fRT6WGA8IWBmeWTOtNfDvyVve7WkjPcGXSBJ4MBpt-9LPlmiMoKc4qotzdx36-eEN-7Tq6GHNUvtmnGQTZVgoY1SXMCRW6rQBhn72MWL6bQa-KxWCoX0geeYl7NTZnMRwobOqKVSUL/s400/9-16-2010+TaehyunKang.png" border="0" /></a> <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8PTB37JukVbR724fLswWaLn06dBUlu44dWOnw2P6Zt6Ixy7CKfu6YDOw0GJdnPmDQPS3Xyx1ZlZzII9rXg1ck3djh6z0w_1kEZar4o9K9y9Rvf9vE5K3eEDgF60ib5Da2bHqybr-zDLk/s1600/9-16-2010+TaehyunKang.png"></a><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">It’s been 12 years since Art Director Taehyun Kang founded <a href="http://www.wowartstudio.com/index.php?lang=kor">WOW</a>, an afterschool and weekend art studio for teenagers. Since 1998, he’s trained and mentored not only hundreds of young artists, but 3 Portfolio Gold Awards winners as well! He also earned the distinction of <a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/Awards/WhatYouCanWin">Gold Apple Teacher of Art</a>, and its $1,000 award, for a second time in five years. Under his leadership, WOW Art students have submitted the greatest number of outstanding artworks in 2010. We asked Kang to explain why he and his students take part in the Awards.</span><br /><br />I have always wanted my students to have a broader range of experiences and this includes art competitions such as the Awards. They provide a great incentive to students to work hard and put their best foot forward.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards stand out because a specific theme, style or medium is not required. It is a tremendous opportunity for students to realize their visions with a sense of freedom. The pride and accomplishment that my students feel in earning an Award is unparalleled.<br /><br />In the WOW studio, I respect each student’s individuality and their personal potential. During class, I don’t give them any specific methodology for making art, but allow them to experiment with whatever they wish to try. I guide them in developing their own concepts so that they may realize their ideas. This is due to my firm belief that each student has a unique artistic voice within them—whether they are exceptionally technical, expressive, even colorblind or have special needs.<br /><br />It’s not very often that students or teachers get an opportunity for self-examination. How are we to evaluate our progress? Taking part in the Awards gives me this chance and I am thoroughly encouraged to continue to try my best for each student.<br /><br />As a teacher, my mission is to provide many means for students to get out there and gain experience beyond the classroom, regardless of results. Students connect with their work and they should have a chance to see other people’s reactions as well. The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards is one of the largest and most prestigious communities in which young artists can share, learn, and evaluate themselves in a real-world context.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBL_SAjiy8N9MEdJzEj5QUXszHdHncXS6BZZO0NEPzIu-BqcnkNBpY9rUlOOrwSwo5obaoHMDfTAwy86VjpKAZGe1b-MlMVBHE8Yol4Y4dT5PSkco9uTFQp_swcOLowQtc597Alyox4Xg/s1600/9-16-2010+about_wow_img_03.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517613522865385586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 97px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrBL_SAjiy8N9MEdJzEj5QUXszHdHncXS6BZZO0NEPzIu-BqcnkNBpY9rUlOOrwSwo5obaoHMDfTAwy86VjpKAZGe1b-MlMVBHE8Yol4Y4dT5PSkco9uTFQp_swcOLowQtc597Alyox4Xg/s400/9-16-2010+about_wow_img_03.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Ovation Inspired Teaching Awards: Special awards presented to two teachers whose exemplary dedication to their students is commendable.</span> </span><br /></span></div>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-71409343241337015262010-09-14T17:23:00.009-04:002010-09-14T17:44:32.663-04:00To Mystify and Entertain: Scholastic Award-winning Animation from Jack Kavanagh<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/p/B5361F01BF1BC282?hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/p/B5361F01BF1BC282?hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />In lieu of a written piece this month, we present you with the film and animation portfolio of 2010 Art Portfolio Gold Medalist Jack Kavanagh. <span class="fullpost">Portfolio Gold Medals are awarded to seniors for an outstanding body of artistic or literary work and include a $10,000 award. Jack’s Art Portfolio was the first animation portfolio in the history of The Awards to win this great honor. According to Jack: "My dream has always been to use art to challenge and entertain audiences. I love the idea of leaving an audience satisfied but somewhat puzzled."<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7P0uU3-sA7Q18GzvOEWHSSiNfPKvkIMKhcpHlk8zqoeW6QS8oaeogDnVJ1YE-WS9nzpOqavkTRUtdfT5iQmf4lD1iks1ioLbTw5WAO4qTe2nmhfJDUafMxwWLxJsr-BW-sonn2IgkTx2W/s1600/Ink.bmp"><br /></a><span class="fullpost">You can view more teen-produced, Scholastic Award-winning film and animation on our Youtube Channel, the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/scholasticgoldkey" target="_blank">Scholastic Gold Key</a>. Enjoy!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7P0uU3-sA7Q18GzvOEWHSSiNfPKvkIMKhcpHlk8zqoeW6QS8oaeogDnVJ1YE-WS9nzpOqavkTRUtdfT5iQmf4lD1iks1ioLbTw5WAO4qTe2nmhfJDUafMxwWLxJsr-BW-sonn2IgkTx2W/s1600/Ink.bmp"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7P0uU3-sA7Q18GzvOEWHSSiNfPKvkIMKhcpHlk8zqoeW6QS8oaeogDnVJ1YE-WS9nzpOqavkTRUtdfT5iQmf4lD1iks1ioLbTw5WAO4qTe2nmhfJDUafMxwWLxJsr-BW-sonn2IgkTx2W/s400/Ink.bmp" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5516887930667802466" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image still: <span style="font-style: italic;">Ink.</span> Jack Kavanagh, Grade 12. 2010 Portfolio Gold Award.</span><br /><br /></span>Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233442308091746110noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-15615314718076385442010-09-10T09:58:00.006-04:002010-09-10T10:13:05.261-04:00Healing Through Creativity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-CkudclzwvMJn6HcodJ7di0jwviX5CSohvVIqK9Yx6o_9lUCS9a8UBw5HXvxG2Pc0qp2FvPe5ZqKGUD1rBs4Opqmm1loC9dCTA6OpIa4EiepteWwIW6sx5jZkIhE7-qTk7VjUU97ZeX2/s1600/9-10-2010+10281256.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 289px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-CkudclzwvMJn6HcodJ7di0jwviX5CSohvVIqK9Yx6o_9lUCS9a8UBw5HXvxG2Pc0qp2FvPe5ZqKGUD1rBs4Opqmm1loC9dCTA6OpIa4EiepteWwIW6sx5jZkIhE7-qTk7VjUU97ZeX2/s400/9-10-2010+10281256.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5515285720571199442" border="0" /></a><br />Every year the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers is fortunate to witness the incredible talent of creative teens from across the country who submit their work to the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. The words we read and the artwork we view tell a multitude of stories about the experiences of teenagers from all walks of life. On September 15 we will once again open registration for students in grades 7 through 12 to submit their work in 30 categories of art and writing. We know that we’ll see a breadth of imagination and a depth of emotion. And now, thanks to a sponsorship by the <a href="http://www.newyorklife.com/foundation" target="_blank">New York Life Foundation</a>, we will also be able to encourage students who are dealing with issues of loss and bereavement by offering six very special scholarships to select award winners.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The issue of loss is a common theme in the Scholastic Awards as teens use their creativity to deal with the bereavement process. 2009 Scholastic Award winner <a href="http://ypwr.blogs.cnn.com/2009/08/11/chelsey-shannon/" target="_blank">Chelsey Shannon </a> used her creative writing skills to help deal with the untimely death of her father, comedian Blair Shannon. Chelsey, who also lost her mother at age 6, says of her father’s death, “Right after I learned he died, all I could do was write letters to him, just so I’d have some sort of connection.” Chelsey was one of more than a thousand teens honored at Carnegie Hall by the Alliance. She has since published a <a href="http://www.louderthanwordsbooks.com/chelsey/" target="_blank">book</a> and continues to receive accolades for her writing.<br /><br />There are many others like Chelsey out there, and we are grateful to the New York Life Foundation for providing us the opportunity to encourage them to use their artistic and literary talents to help them heal. Please spread the word by encouraging every teen you know in grades 7 through 12 to submit their works of art and writing that deal with loss and bereavement to the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. Six students will be selected to earn $1,000 scholarships. Click <a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/awards" target="_blank">here</a> for information on how to apply.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image credit: <em>Claire, Galvestion.</em> Alex Goss, Grade 12. 2010 Silver Medal, Photography Portfolio.</span><br /><br /><br /></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-56001150860206645062010-09-08T15:28:00.019-04:002010-09-08T16:55:24.782-04:00Get Ready....Set....Paint!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkVoF1iLkcekEpM1rod-2srpZOC23Wqzd_m5aM5HyuaD60EvK506lbFVUF5cG9NZA-xoejyVSr5Oe9K5RGRTH3JWj1yVr9FsO9ofl0KcVvurOGBy96cY6Y29hqblW9qr-4_SNvb7glbfe/s1600/9-8-2010_41_Murillo_T_Painting_Bukett.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkVoF1iLkcekEpM1rod-2srpZOC23Wqzd_m5aM5HyuaD60EvK506lbFVUF5cG9NZA-xoejyVSr5Oe9K5RGRTH3JWj1yVr9FsO9ofl0KcVvurOGBy96cY6Y29hqblW9qr-4_SNvb7glbfe/s400/9-8-2010_41_Murillo_T_Painting_Bukett.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514637290114255282" border="0" /></a><br />Registration for the 2010-2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards opens September 15th!<br /><br />Last year, we received over 165,000 creative works from students across the country and in U.S. schools abroad. This year, we hope you’ll encourage every creative teen you know to participate. There are even three special awards this year for both artists and writers.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br /><strong>CREATIVITY & CITIZENSHIP: ART FOR SOCIAL CHANGE AWARD</strong><br />From the women's suffrage movement to the civil rights movement to saving the environment, Americans have used the arts to create an awareness of history and promote social change. Teens are encouraged to submit their works of art and writing that address contemporary social issues important to them. Three winners will be selected to receive $1,000 scholarships. This special award is presented in collaboration with the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia.<br /><br /><strong>NEW YORK LIFE AWARD</strong><br />Creative expression can be a powerful way to manage the grieving process. Teens are encouraged to submit their works of art and writing that deal with loss and bereavement for the opportunity to earn recognition as part of a special New York Life Award. Six winners will be selected to receive $1,000 scholarships.<br /><br /><strong>B.I.G. AWARDS (Best in Grade)</strong><br />The Alliance will provide $500 scholarships to 2 artists and 2 writers in each grade of The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. These Best in Grade scholarships will be chosen from the Gold Medals across all categories (with the exception of Portfolios).<br /><br />If you’re stuck on what to submit, don’t worry. You can view some of the 2010 national winning work on our <a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/ORGGalleries" target="_blank">Online Gallery</a> or read it in <em><a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/ORGPrograms/Show/5" target="_blank">Best Teen Writing</a> </em>, <em><a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/ORGPrograms/Show/12" target="_blank">Spark</a> </em> and our <em><a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/ORGPrograms/Show/4" target="_blank">National Catalog</a></em>. You can also learn more about our other <a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/Awards/Categories" target="_blank">categories</a>.<br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><br />Image Credit: <em>Buckett.</em> Thomas Murillo, Grade 12. Painting. 2010 Creativity & Citizenship Medal.</span><br /></span><br /><span class="fullpost"><br /></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-15314901187222421762010-08-31T13:02:00.010-04:002010-09-03T10:16:54.664-04:00Ask a Writer: How Do I Submit My First Book to a Publisher?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YWuBYqYkmQZVGENSvv_X_6UWn5j8Bv5RJNupNJg10fbh3dsrY0yjpZpSm8vs_ch3RS4lZYp2_Zsr0YMJqMDtMQCBqEhg-Y90NaWQmCXnapcwae-yr1agtcBKzdivJW9pNK2_sNC4Zu_A/s1600/10309376.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511633703051390834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 227px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 288px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YWuBYqYkmQZVGENSvv_X_6UWn5j8Bv5RJNupNJg10fbh3dsrY0yjpZpSm8vs_ch3RS4lZYp2_Zsr0YMJqMDtMQCBqEhg-Y90NaWQmCXnapcwae-yr1agtcBKzdivJW9pNK2_sNC4Zu_A/s400/10309376.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I'm a nineteen year old author working on a young adult novel. I've gotten good feedback on it from writing teachers and when I finish with it, I want to submit it for publication. When I am done, what is my first step in figuring out how to market it and submit it to publishers?<br />Thank you,<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Dana</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Ned Said</span>: Dana, if you're a 19-year-old author looking to publish your first young adult novel, you need to decide whether you want to publish with a major publishing house (Random House, HarperCollins, etc.) or an independent house (like <a href="http://www.freespirit.com/" target="_blank">Free Spirit Publishing</a>, who published <a href="http://nedvizzini.com/writing/index.php?neds_books_p=2#teenangsttrade" target="_blank">my first book when I was 19</a>).<br /><br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The reason this is important is that major publishing houses will not look at your manuscript unless you are represented by an agent. Independent publishing houses, in general, will.<br /><br />The question over whether to publish with an independent or major house has always been divisive and is still complicated today. Although major publishing houses usually have more resources at their disposal to pay you, the indie book world has been full of success stories over the last 10 years. Authors such as Shane Jones (<a style="FONT-STYLE: italic" href="http://www.amazon.com/Light-Boxes-Shane-Jones/dp/0982081316" target="_blank">Light Boxes</a>) have seen their books move from independent houses to major houses; others like Noah Cicero (<a style="FONT-STYLE: italic" href="http://www.bookslut.com/fiction/2006_11_010308.php" target="_blank">The Condemned</a>) publish exclusively with independent houses or on their own via <a href="http://www.lulu.com/" target="_blank">Lulu</a> to a vibrant and supportive audience. Don't discount the loyal readership you can get in the independent book world.<br /><br />Once you've decided whether you want to publish with an independent or a major, get the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/2011-Writers-Market-Robert-Brewer/dp/1582979480" target="_blank">2011 edition of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Writer's Market</span></a>. This is like a Yellow Pages (remember those?) for writers; it lists agents and publishers, with their addresses, emails, and areas of expertise.<br /><br />Go through Writer's Market and look for someone who will get your stuff. (If you've written a supernatural book about gardening, you should be looking for an agent or independent house that specializes in organic ghost stories.) Make a list of 7 people to submit to and send your book off! At that point, you have to trust that the proof is in the pages. Good luck!<br /><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"><br />Have a question about the writing world? Ask Ned! You can e-mail us at <a href="mailto:askned@artandwriting.org">askned@artandwriting.org</a>, or you can learn more about Ned at <a href="http://www.nedvizzini.com/">www.nedvizzini.com</a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image Credit (above): <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Pizza Place</span>. Katherine Gorman, Grade 12. Painting. 2010 Art Portfolio Silver Medal.</span><br /></span><table style="WIDTH: 1116pt; BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="1487" border="0" str=""><colgroup><col style="WIDTH: 83pt" width="110"><col style="WIDTH: 86pt" width="115"><col style="WIDTH: 83pt" width="110"><col style="WIDTH: 90pt" width="120"><col style="WIDTH: 106pt" width="141"><col style="WIDTH: 83pt" width="111"><col style="WIDTH: 78pt" width="104"><col style="WIDTH: 48pt" span="3" width="64"><col style="WIDTH: 363pt" width="484"><tbody><tr style="HEIGHT: 12.6pt" height="16"><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 83pt; HEIGHT: 12.6pt" width="110" height="16" num="10309376"><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 86pt" width="115"><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 83pt" width="110" num=""><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 90pt" width="120"><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 106pt" width="141"><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 83pt" width="111"><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 78pt" width="104"><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 48pt" width="64"><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 48pt" width="64" num=""><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 48pt" width="64" num=""><br /></td><td class="xl24" style="WIDTH: 363pt" width="484"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span class="fullpost"><br /><br /><br /></span>Arielhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13233442308091746110noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7570845633749334008.post-87345200349693165022010-08-30T10:14:00.006-04:002010-09-08T17:11:38.607-04:00New This Year in the 2010-2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNPrp5T37u9209w9tfzR0tSaxBKs4R0BTWg1t-YXU4wPhyI5x9SmMWk2nHdonZLur_K58-VsoLi98dA2BnFPdAXXcGn4mM4D6Mqgm2e0ooWCxg2RGhXYu4uE4-q2M3axdHDOvSCl9yT9F/s1600/8-30-2010-StaffMsg-10300223.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 216px; height: 288px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoNPrp5T37u9209w9tfzR0tSaxBKs4R0BTWg1t-YXU4wPhyI5x9SmMWk2nHdonZLur_K58-VsoLi98dA2BnFPdAXXcGn4mM4D6Mqgm2e0ooWCxg2RGhXYu4uE4-q2M3axdHDOvSCl9yT9F/s400/8-30-2010-StaffMsg-10300223.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5511206634326303890" border="0" /></a><br />We hope you’re all enjoying the final weeks of summer and that you’ve found some time for beaching, barbecuing and being lazy.<br /><br />Here at the <a href="http://www.artandwriting.org/" target="_blank">Alliance for Young Artists & Writers</a>, summertime means we’re in full swing preparing for the next cycle of the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. This year, we open the registration system on September 15 and we anticipate more than 200,000(!) submissions from talented young visual and literary artists across the country and in U.S. schools abroad.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />In addition to the Awards program, we have some exciting new plans this season. Beginning in October, we’ll be traveling a segment of our 2010 National Teen Exhibition to five states where audiences will get a personal glimpse at the magnificent works of art and writing being created by the country’s top students. We’ll also be holding video game design workshops in key locations between September and November, thanks to the <a href="http://www.amd.com/us/aboutamd/foundation/Pages/information.aspx" target="_blank">AMD Foundation</a> and our buddies at E-line Ventures. Students and teachers will be invited to learn about the elements of game design, the educational value of game play and what tools are available to create games. And last but not least, the Alliance and our partners, the <a href="http://www.poetrysociety.org/psa/" target="_blank">Poetry Society of America</a> and the <a href="http://www.nwp.org/" target="_blank">National Writing Project</a>, will present our first-ever Institute on Teaching Poetry. The Institute will convene middle and high school English teachers and a roster of renowned poets and will focus on craft, classroom and community with a goal to empower teachers to cultivate their personal poetry writing, invigorate curriculum on teaching poetry in classrooms, and generate poetry projects that can be implemented in communities nationwide.<br /><br />We look forward to sharing news with you on all of these projects over the course of the coming year. And, of course, we can’t wait to see what remarkable works of art and writing are submitted to the 2011 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">~From Kerri Schlottman, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers' Director of External Relations</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Image, above: Wish. Grace Lee. Sculpture. 2010 Scholastic Art Awards, Gold Medal.</span><br /><br /></span>The Alliancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17725112824836436613noreply@blogger.com0