ILLUSTRATION STUDENT GROUP

Columbia’s Illustration Student Group (ISG for short) is an amazing group of student illustrators and artists who have a well established presence on campus. Covering many different styles and influences, ISG offers a broad range of benefits to those active in their community. In The Loop had the opportunity to do a Q & A with ISG President Jade Rector to answer questions about everything ISG offers and is involved with. Jade is an Illustration BFA and Education minor from New Lenox, IL.

ITL: How would you describe ISG?

ISG: ISG is a group of predominantly illustration majors that collaborate to hold large-scale fundraising events, create publications and gallery shows, and to share new concepts and techniques of illustration. ISG’s general goal is to connect illustrators within our department, to seek out cool opportunities for art events, jobs, and internships throughout Chicago, and to collaborate with each other in the form of art publications and gallery shows.

ITL: How many members do you have?

ISG: We have around 85 current members, but many alumni have come back to participate in our meetings and events as well.

ITL: What type of artists form ISG?

ISG: Traditional artists, digital artists, tradigital artists — we have artists from every medium and technique imaginable in our group (including a few creative writers and actors). It makes for wonderful collaborations and opens the door to many neat technique-sharing opportunities!

ITL: Why is illustration important in today’s world?

ISG: Illustration is important because it allows us to utilize a visual medium to demonstrate opinions and emotions. We are able to use illustration as a voice against adversity, as well as to amplify the voices of others that need to be heard. The ability to fabricate entire worlds through our work gives us more freedom to push boundaries and explore various methods of representation.

ITL: What do you personally like about illustration?

ISG: The act of illustrating is solving a problem. We are given a brief, and are asked to create the best possible solution. I love puzzles, and illustration, at its core, is a huge, complicated, wonderful puzzle. Illustration is the answer.

ITL: Are you hosting any special events this semester?

ISG: Art Harvest is Columbia’s very first illustration-driven convention! It is essentially a farmer’s market-like festival to celebrate fall, the beginning of another school year, and the art and craft of our students. At Art Harvest, you can buy prints, stickers, buttons, and other various merchandise from some of Columbia’s most talented illustrators and take a look at how tabling at cons function in the illustration world. We will be hosting 15-20 artists (both current and alumni) in HAUS where they will sell their merch for 100% artist profit. We want it to function as practice for bigger and more intimidating cons, as well as a good way for our illustrators to start getting their stuff out to the public.

We also host seasonal card sales! Our next one is Halloween themed and will be on October 30th and October 31st from 11AM-6PM in the lobbies of 623 S. Wabash and 33 E. Congress. We will be selling spooky prints, cards, buttons, stickers, and other merch created by our illustrators to celebrate the season.

ITL: What are your weekly meetings like?

ISG: Each meeting starts with a quick brief from the executive board regarding upcoming events, cool opportunities, skillshares, and submission deadlines. It then goes one of two ways- some days we host a skillshare, where one of our members demonstrates a technique or practice they know well. Otherwise, we have a “sketchup”, which involves hanging out, drawing together, and sharing ideas with fellow illustrators.

ITL: What are some highlights Illustration Student Group has experienced event wise?

ISG: Our most successful events are our card sales, which allow our artists to practice and profit off of surface design. One of our most fun events is Cutthroat Illustration (based off of Cutthroat Kitchen), which involves sabotaging other illustrators under a time limit. We will be hosting it for the fourth time at Columbia Weekend this year— it is an absolute blast!

ITL: How can someone get involved?

ISG: Anyone can join ISG! While our group is predominantly composed of Illustration majors, we are open to anyone who has an interest in creating or appreciating visual art. We have members from Creative Writing to Acting to Comedy— all are welcome!

ITL: Any last thoughts?

ISG: We are open to anyone that…