Monday, February 11, 2008

February 11, 2008 Valentine's Day is Coming

As Valentine's Day gets closer I am reflecting upon my heart. First I must acknowledge and pay homage to a fellow artist, illustrator and designer the late John Alvin. Only a year older than myself it is humbling to lose one of our own. Those of us who are dedicated full lifetime artists, who have appreciated their corporate commercial clients, know only too well their true creative genius, talent and need to pay bills. His doing so allowed his wife, Andrea, the freedom to create photo realistic paintings. I was not close to him professionally but I am sure we must have past each other in the halls of the Society of Illustrators. Cause of death "Heart Attack".

Was I so ashamed of the fact that I designed a Disney Poster, scarves and licensed art for an industry where you needed a magnifying glass and detailed instructions to find hidden initials or name? The images are not on my web site. You can't buy the posters or scarves since they sold out years ago. Maybe I should put it in the miscellaneous category as a potential cause of impending death of copyrights for artists. I supported the writers strike. As for us traditional pen, brush, or digital pens persons This is just off the wire and open for posting:

FROM THE ILLUSTRATORS' PARTNERSHIP
You are cordially invited to attend an important industry-wide open forum

Protecting Our Rights Collectively
An Evening with Bruce Lehman
Thursday Feb 21 6:00 PM
Society of Illustrators
128 East 63rd Street
Admission will be free
Evening lecture, followed by Q & A
Following the event the Society’s bar will be open

With the Orphan Works Bill due for resurrection, with Getty slashing prices for stock imagery, with millions of dollars of illustrators' reprographic royalties going unaccounted for, six artists groups have banded together as a new organization to take action. Purpose: to create an industry-wide mandate to protect artists rights and to speak as an industry with one voice.

This new organization The American Society of Illustrators Partnership (ASIP) brings together the following groups:

The Society of Illustrators
The Illustrators' Partnership of America
The Association of Medical Illustrators
The American Society of Architectural Illustrators
The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
The San Francisco Society of Illustrators
Six other groups are pending members and other groups are invited to join.

On Feb. 21 ASIP will introduce itself at the Society of Illustrators, hosting An Evening with Bruce Lehman

Mr. Lehman is one of the world’s leading experts on intellectual property: Principal author of the 1976 Copyright Act, principal author of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, former US Commissioner of Patents and Trademarks. In 1997, the National Journal named Lehman one of the 100 most influential men and women in Washington. Mr. Lehman was keynote speaker at the first Illustrators Conference in Santa Fe, 1999. For more about Mr. Lehman, go to http://www.iipi.org/nav_about/boards.asp#Honorable_Bruce_A._Lehman

This event is timed to coincide with the Society of Illustrators Editorial and Book Gala Feb 22. So if you’re planning to attend the opening, please attend this important open meeting the day before. Bring your questions, socialize with your colleagues and learn what steps we need to take next as an industry.


The American Society of Illustrators Partnership is a non-profit organization, incorporated October 25, 2007. Executive Director is Terry Brown. The Board is composed of representatives from each of the six Founding organizations.

If you are a member of one of the above groups, you are automatically eligible for joint membership in this new alliance. If you are not affiliated with any current group you’re welcome to join ASIP independently. There is no membership fee.

For more about this new alliance for protecting artists’ rights, listen to Steven Heller’s interview with Brad Holland:
http://www.core77.com/blog/
broadcasts/core77_broadcast_brad_holland_on_intellectual_property
_interviewed_by_steve_heller_6714.asp

An Evening With Bruce Lehman is sponsored by the Society of Illustrators and the American Society of Illustrators Partnership.

Have a Heart and Happy Valentine's Day,
Roberta