Sarah Baker's Welcome To #SCBWIWinter22

Welcome to #SCBWIWinter22! This opening session featured Sarah Baker, new Executive Director of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, with help from ASL interpreter Lynne Kelly.

Sara thanked Lin Oliver for her many years of service as SCBWI's Executive Director since co-founding the Society. Congrats to Kim Turrisi, the new Director of Programming and Content. Kim is responsible for programming both National Conferences, digital workshop slates and special events. You can find out more about SCBWI staff on their updated "Who We Are" Page.

There are over 2000 of us attending (both live and asynchronously) the virtual SCBWI Winter Conference this year, spread out across the world. 42 different countries are represented!

Sarah says that although the SCBWI is hoping to resume in-person events in 2023, they still promise to continue to have substantial virtual content to help keep the events accessible.

The Golden Kite Gala, usually part of the SCBWI Winter Conference, will be a special separate event on March 15, open to the public. Jason Reynolds will be speaking at the event!

Sarah talked about the exciting upcoming events at the conference, and encouraged all to check out the Conference Portfolio Showcase, where over 200 members' artwork is on display.

Next up is the first keynote of the day, with New York Times best-selling and award-winning author, Kelly Yang!

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For those who want to know more about SCBWI's new Executive Director:

Sarah Baker is the Executive Director of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She joined the SCBWI staff in 2011, and most recently held the position of Associate Executive Director. Her career in children’s book publishing began at Penguin Young Readers Group, where she designed children’s books for six years. Sarah leads the SCBWI staff and works closely with the Board of Directors, the Advisory Council, and the official SCBWI volunteers. She graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara with a major in Studio Art and is a children’s book illustrator and ceramicist. Her favorite part of working for SCBWI is seeing the community flourish and the members thrive as artistic creators.

You can also find more about Sarah Baker here:

Sarah Baker's website: SarahLynnBaker.com

On Instagram: @sarahlynnbaker

On Twitter: @sarahlynnbaker

SCBWI Winter Conference Portfolio Showcase: Behind The Scenes (with input from Priscilla Burris and Sarah Baker)

The SCBWI Winter Conference Portfolio Showcase is now open for viewing! Even if you're not an illustrator, I encourage you to go browse some of the amazing art. You can also show your support for your fellow creators by helping to promote this showcase in your social media! Be sure to use the conference hashtag #scbwiWinter22. Gentle reminder: Never share an illustrator's art online unless you have their permission, especially if the image you're sharing does not have their info included.

And speaking of illustrators, isn't Claudia Ravalli's art for the conference header fabulous?

If you're participating in this year's Showcase: CONGRATS for putting yourself out there, whether or not you end up winning a prize. Putting together a portfolio can be a valuable learning experience. Find inspiration from other creatives as you browse portfolios. Many, MANY publishing professionals will be seeing your work. Also, Sarah Baker keeps a record of the illustrators who participate in Showcases and refers to the list throughout the year when she's looking for members to do SCBWI-commissioned work.

As much as we all miss seeing each other in person, there are silver linings of a virtual Portfolio Showcase, including:

-  More illustrators have been able to participate from around the globe. 15 countries are represented in the Showcase this year, with 241 portfolios!

- One of the silver linings of a virtual conference: more time to browse attendee art between sessions! Agents, art directors and editors are already doing this, but I also encourage the rest of you to check out the fantastic art in the SCBWI Virtual Portfolio Showcase.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Curious about what goes on behind the scenes at the Portfolio Showcase? I recently found out more from Priscilla Burris, who is SCBWI's Illustrator Programs Consultant, Portfolio Showcase Director, and Advisory Council Member, and Sarah Baker, SCBWI Executive Director.

Q. Who are the people behind the Portfolio Showcase?

Priscilla Burris told me she is just one of several who work on the Portfolio Showcase. From Priscilla: "My role is to invite/gather the Portfolio Judges, and once they are confirmed, there is the process of providing time for them to privately view the portfolios in the showcase.  Virtually, Sarah [Baker] and I meet with the Judges as they discuss and select the Award Winners." 

From Sarah Baker: "I’m involved with planning and decision making with Priscilla. Kim Turrisi is involved as Director of Programming, and Laurie Miller with logistics as Conference Coordinator. Josh Smith does the programming, Avery Silverberg, our new Social Media Manager, promotes the showcase online, and Chelsea Kimiko Hall answers lots of questions! It’s a team effort!"

Priscilla adds, “In-person Portfolio Showcases involve many to help with all the physical prepping, setting up, overseeing, and post-Showcase responsibilities. Our hard-working Regional Team members fill these vital roles.”

"Every Portfolio Showcase sees a different group of diverse judges, never the same group. This provides a variety of perspectives and experiences."

Photo above, from 2011 - Front: Sarah Baker and Chelsea Mooser. L to R behind them: Names and Regions (all roles have changed since this pic!) Dawn Dixon (AZ), Michelle Parker-Rock (AZ), Priscilla Burris (CA), Teresa Fanin (NC), Patricia Wiles (KY), Cherie Stihler (AK). Photo courtesy Priscilla Burris.

Comment from Sarah Baker about the photo above: "My children’s book education started years before that photo when I started coming to conferences and helping Priscilla and the RTs set up the portfolio showcase. Then in 2011 I actually started working for SCBWI, and it was incredible to feel so welcomed by everyone. Getting to work with Priscilla on the showcases is one of the absolutely most fun and rewarding parts of working at SCBWI."

Q. What is the history behind the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase? 

Photo from 2005 - Portfolio judges Arthur Levine, Hudson Talbott, Barbara Bottner, Robert Sabuda. Photo courtesy Priscilla Burris.

Once known as the Portfolio Display (early 1990s) held at the annual Summer Conference, it looked quite different than what the Portfolio Showcase is today.  Back then, participating illustrators set up their own portfolios on provided tables and were present during the event. 

Having the illustrators there in person during the viewing, though, often made it awkward for those browsing portfolios. With the goal of showcasing portfolios to the intended audience (editors, art directors, book designers, and agents), Priscilla and other organizers adopted a new strategy by providing a distinctively professional, private setting. "Specific guidelines and directions were created which included dropping off portfolios, which were then set up for a private viewing, without illustrators having to be present. This change was highly beneficial for both our illustrator members as well as publishing professionals seeking new talent."

Priscilla is grateful to both Frieda Gates (NYC) and Francesca Rusackas (RAE SoCal) for the part they each played in helping with this transformation.

Photo above: This was the Portfolio Showcase where Simon & Schuster editor and publisher Justin Chanda saw my portfolio (Debbie Ridpath Ohi) and gave me my very first children's book illustration contract! You can see Justin at the front table. 

Q. How are portfolios judged?

From Priscilla Burris: "Portfolios are judged as a whole and overall for content appropriate for children’s books, and each Portfolio Showcase brings in different Portfolio Judges with a wide range of perspectives which creates interesting discussions when making the Award decisions. That being said, all are looking for fresh artistic voices, authentic and unique characters, narrative quality and storytelling strengths, consistency throughout, great expressions and emotions, compelling and impactful compositions, well thought out details, sometimes hidden elements, and often to consider how the illustrator self-edits each image."

Looking for more tips about SCBWI Portfolio Showcases? See KidLitArtists, an unofficial blog put together by some of SCBWI Illustration Mentees (past and present) which includes portfolio advice from past Showcase winners.

Q. Any final words for those who participate in the SCBWI Portfolio Showcase?

From Priscilla Burris: "Each participant is to be congratulated for taking this professional step forward in their career.  While each group of Portfolio Judges’ task is to select the Award Winning Portfolios, the best part of all is that each and every image in each portfolio is seen by professionals in the children’s book industry."

"The Portfolio Showcase has become the launching pad for many illustrator careers. There have been marvelous successes soon following the Award Winners being announced, as well as new talents discovered at the same event.  Then, there are exciting successes we hear about that have happened months and sometimes years later. Our Portfolio Showcase ‘audience’ takes note of specific portfolio interests purposefully, and when a particular project comes up that is a great match for an illustrator of interest, well, as the saying goes, the rest is history."

"So, whether at an in-person or a virtual conference, having your illustrations showcased in this manner is one of the best ways to progress in your career as a children’s book illustrator."

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Thanks to Priscilla Burris and Sarah Baker for their help with this post.