THE GALLERY DELLA-PIANA

Kristen Uroda

About 38 students graduating in Illustration were reviewed by 15? professionals...including Designers, Illustrators, Publishers, My former Agent Sharon Kurlansky who reps 'Laughing Stock', and myself on May 2nd in Boston. It's always a great challenge to be very professionally Honest with your evaluations and advice, and not go the way of some AD's and Editors by being too dismissive or harsh. Among we former students from the '50's and 60's...we really knew what 'harsh' was and were often 'dismissed' as women! Mass Art's class of 2012 was about 90% women (a current trend in art schools), and the COMPETITION is only getting sharper every year. 

Sharon and I sat next to each other and shared some super talents with a double crit. We highlighted a sensational illustrator, KRISTEN URODA, and a terrific illustrator of rather romantic, retro storytelling, ELLIE GILL. Impossible to see everyone, of course, but very worthy works from KARLA MAE, and attention-getting imagery from KIM FOLEY. What the really good ones all had...for me...was GOOD DRAWING! I advised almost every one to ADD TYPOGRAPHY to 'tell' that story , as it's weak to hope that ADs and EDITORS will guess your meaning. Once students are away from their teachers and their peers who had identical assignments, no one knows if the work is appropriate or clear in its message. 

Kudos for good work to build on, also go to: KYLE ENSOR, KELSEY MARR, NICOLE COOGAN, MOLLY ATRYZEK, LAUREN MAY, MELISSA WOOD.