Congratulations to the 2017 SCBWI Portfolio Honorees! #LA17SCBWI

Bologna Members' Choice Award

Billy Goats Gruff

Nicola Robinson

Future Bologna opportunities at bologna.scbwi.org

Summer Student Illustrator Scholarship

Irena Freitas

Julie Kwon

Each year, the SCBWI sponsors four conference scholarships for full-time graduate or undergraduate students studying illustration. (Two for the New York conference, two for the Los Angeles conference)

Many of our SIS winners have gone on to be represented by agents, get illustration work, publish books and win awards.

Julie Kwon and Irena Freitas pictured here with Director of Illustration and Artist Programs, Sarah Baker

2017 Illustrator Mentorship

Amber Alvarez

Irena Freitas

Diandra Mae

Shannon McNeill

Alexandra Thompson

Heidi Woodward Sheffield

The goal of the mentorship award is to identify, develop, and nurture illustrators whose work shows potential and may benefit from mentorship.

Portfolio Showcase Honors

Irena Freitas

Andy Musser

Shannon McNeill

Grand Prize

Ashlyn Anstee

Many, many thanks to the incredible Priscilla Burris and Sarah Baker who work so hard on these incredible opportunities for illustrators, and to the Illustration Committee and judges.

Portfolio Showcase Winners

An esteemed panel of judges (possessing much expertise and very good taste) pored over portfolios yesterday to choose winners for the SCBWI Portfolio Showase! Laurent Linn, Steven Malk, Richard Jesse Watson, Nancy Conescu and Jamie Weiss Chilton chose a portfolio grand prize winner and three honor winners, and the Illustrator Committee chose several illustrators to participate in SCBWI's illustrator mentorship program.

Note that mentorship recipient Julianna Brion won an SCBWI student scholarship (one of three winners), awarded this year for the first time. And she's the recipient of both a portfolio honor and mentorship. Also note that honor winner Joen Deininger was a mentorship winner last year. (The wonderful SCBWI Illustrator Committee programs yield results!)

Here are the recipients...

Grand Prize Winner: ELIZA WHEELER

Portfolio Honor: GREG PIZZOLI

Portfolio Honor & Mentorship Recipient: JULIANNA BRION

Portfolio Honor: JOHN DEININGER

Mentorship Recipient: ANDREA ZUILL

Mentorship Recipient: JUANA MARTINEZ

Mentorship Recipeint: CHRISTINA FORSHAY

Mentorship Recipient: JESSICA LANAN

Golden Kite Luncheon - Illustrator Mentorship Awards

Really, if you're an illustrator and you're NOT an SCBWI member or attending the LA or NY conference, you are a monkey's uncle. Here's an amazing new opportunity magicked up by the SCBWI Board Illustrator Committee:

The Mentorship Award is presented to a select group of six illustrators participating in the annual Portfolio Showcase, whose publishable work shows great promise and potential. The purpose goes beyond just the selection, in that the Mentorship Program is an intense advance-level portfolio critique that includes both individual reviews with each Mentor, and a culminating critique peer meeting with all Mentors and Mentees. This all will take place during the conference hours.

Mentors this year include: Cecilia Yung, Art Director and VP at Penguin Young Readers; Pat Cummings, Illustrator, Writer, and Instructor at Parsons; Priscilla Burris, National Illustrator Coordinator; David Diaz, Award Winning Illustrator; Bridget Strevens-Marzo, International Illustrator Liason; and Rubin Pfeffer, Agent at East/West Literary Agency.

This year's Mentees are:

Ashley Mims
John Deininger
Andrea Offermann
Debbie Ridpath Ohi
Eliza Wheeler
Kimberly Gee

Let's call this idea FANFREAKINGTASTIC!