Tomie de Paola Award: deadline Dec 1!

It's coming: by DECEMBER 1, 2015, you should submit your work for the annual Tomie de Paola Illustrator Award, given annually to an illustrator of promise chosen by the master himself. The lucky winner will receive a fully paid trip to the NYC Conference in February 2016, as well as accommodations. And, you'll be featured in the Portfolio Showcase.

For this year's PROMPT, click here.

For all the REST OF THE DETAILS, click here.

League of mentors wanted!

The League of Exceptional Writers is a free mentoring program sponsored by the Oregon SCBWI and Powells. Our goal is to help avid young writers and illustrators find their fellow book people and learn about the craft and business of making books. Our past mentors have included authors, illustrators, poets, comic book and graphic novel artists, editors and literary agents. They’ve presented League meetings on everything from how book cover art is chosen to how to write a hilarious scene or a drop dead scary one. 

As the Oregon’s Youth Outreach Coordinator, Rosanne Parry is looking for next year's League Mentors. Every participating mentor will appear on a flyer sent out to schools and libraries all over the region. They will be put on Powells on line calendar and Powells will order in copies of your book to feature during the presentation. For this reason mentors need to have a book in print in a format that Powells is able to sell. The exception would be editors, agents and art directors who would speak to the book-making profession. The Oregon SCBWI offers a modest honorarium for each mentor. Our league members especially love it when 2 writers present together so you are very welcome to propose a team presentation. Please email me with a proposed session topic and information about you and your books. 

WHEN: Second Saturdays from October to May from 2-3pm

WHERE: The Cedar Hills Crossing Powells (3415 SW Cedar Hills Blvd, Beaverton, OR)

WHO: Avid writers between the ages of 8 and 18 are invited. (Most of them are between the ages of 10 and 16.)

The calendar for the 2015-16 school year will be:

Oct 10    

Nov 14     

Dec 12    

Jan 9 

Feb 13

Mar 12

April 9   

May 14

The perks of being a writer/illustrator....

Writers and Illustrators: 

Apply for a retreat at Centrum!

Spots are available in February and March, as well as through June, for Artist and Writer Residencies at Centrum in Port Townsend. Residents are given an apartment and access to the grounds and beach. The fee is $400 for the week. This is a marvelous opportunity to get away and work in a beautiful environment, near to the beach and woods. To apply contact Martha Worthley or apply online. 

For more information: http://centrum.org/residency-faq/

PS: If you and a buddy want to share a space and split the cost, that's okay!

PPS: What are YOU waiting for?

Apply for a 4Culture Project Grant

Two 4Culture grants to individuals are currently open for submission. 

4Culture is the cultural arts organization for King County and their grants benefit King County residents. For creative artists and heritage-related projects by individuals, money for Art Projects and Heritage Projects is available. Both grants require a project proposal and other submission materials.Though these annual programs are competitive, staff workshops help prospective applicants craft compelling applications. SCBWI writers and illustrators living in King County are eligible and we urge you to apply for support of specific projects you may have underway, need to research or are in development. 

 

Image credit: Garreth Schuh, Absolution Muckup, Oil on Plywood, 32”x40” © 2013 

Courtesy of No Boundaries 2014: Peripheral Visions Project Director, Shariana Mundi

Check out the 4Culture website for details and a workshop schedule. Click through to the program page. Look at who has been funded in the past, attend a workshop, and apply! 

The Heritage Projects deadline: February 25, 2015
The Art Projects deadline: March 4, 2015

Picture book/agent opportunity!

Opportunity comes knocking: One of our roundtable critique faculty, for the upcoming April conference, might be looking for you. Here's what she has in mind...

I'm Clelia Gore, literary agent specializing in children's books at the Mercer Island-based Martin Literary Management. I recently realized that the Kraken, the mythical sea beast that has been having a bit of a pop culture moment in the last few years, would make for a great picture book protagonist. As far as I know, there aren't really any Kraken picture books in the current marketplace, and I think the right book would be an easy sell to publishers. I have already received some editorial interest for this idea. I am looking for a modern, humorous, quirky, and beautifully illustrated picture book. Perhaps someone has a manuscript that already exists, in which case, I would love to see it. If not, I'd like some author/illustrators to take a "krack" at writing a Kraken picture book and send me manuscripts and some sample artwork (i.e. a mock up of a spread). I'd love to see samples by February 15th. They can send their submission to me at Clelia@martinliterarymanagement.com. Please indicate "Kraken submission" in the subject line.

As always, please do your homework about any offers you receive, as SCBWI is not responsible for the content of any opportunities we post in the Chinook.

Tick-tick-tick...

And.... time's about up!

Illustrators — submissions for the SCBWI WWA Illustrator Exhibit this October in Tacoma are due by the end of the day this Friday. And there's still room for yours. Do it now!

While the entire scope of Washington’s state history is fair game for your artwork, contemporary life can be inspiration too, as well as the remarkable beauty of the landscape and cityscapes we live in. So bring it on! Submission details are here.

Last chance to submit!

There are only about ten days until the submission deadline to have your art considered for the SCBWI Western Washington winter exhibit at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma.

Submission deadline: Friday, August 29, 2014.

• Submitted artwork, whether existing work or created specifically for the exhibit, must be inspired by the events, myths, landscape, and history of Washington State. 
• Artwork in all media will be considered. 
• Exhibiting artists must be SCBWI members and live in the Western Washington region.  

Remember, your illustrations must be inspired by Washington State history, myth, lore and place. Imagination and storytelling are definitely in order. Bring it on!

Find more details and submission instructions on our website.

Still plenty of time to go down in history

Artists, you wanna be part of SCBWI Western Washington's winter exhibit at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma this year, dontcha? Good thing you've still got plenty of time to submit your art for consideration!

Submission deadline: Friday, August 29, 2014.
 
The show will be held November 2014 through January 2015, and the exhibit space is adjacent to the museum store and open to the public free of charge. So who knows how famous you could become! Here's what — and who — is eligible for this glory:

• Submitted artwork, whether existing work or created specifically for the exhibit, must be inspired by the events, myths, landscape, and history of Washington State. 
• Artwork in all media will be considered. 
• Exhibiting artists must be SCBWI members and live in the Western Washington region.  

Find more details and submission instructions on our website. Thanks to member Craig Orback for his Wagon Train illustration above. (See how this fame thing works?)

Illustrators: SI call for entries

Applications are now open for The Society of Illustrators Original Art Show 2014. Printed books or F&Gs for books published in 2013/2014 are eligible for this prestigious show; publishers often enter but illustrators can enter themselves, too (although self-published titles are not eligible). A few details:

Exhibition dates: October 22 - December 20, 2014
Application deadline: Friday, July 18, 2014
Entry fee: $30 per title, or $20 for SI members submitting their own work
Jury: David Gordon, Bagram Ibatoulline, Donna Mark, Kelly Murphy, Elizabeth Sayles, Yuko Shimizu, and Paula Wiseman

Get full details, eligibility requirements, and entry instructions.
 

Hey you, Washington artists!

SCBWI Western Washington will take part in a winter exhibit at the Washington State History Museum in Tacoma this year, and you're invited to submit art for consideration. The show will be held November 2014 through January 2015, and the exhibit space is adjacent to the museum store and open to the public free of charge.

Eligibility

• Submitted artwork, whether existing work or created specifically for the exhibit, must be inspired by the events, myths, landscape, and history of Washington State. 
• Artwork in all media will be considered. 
• Exhibiting artists must be SCBWI members and live in the Western Washington region.  

Submission deadline: Friday, August 29, 2014.

Find more details and submission instructions on our website. Thanks to member Craig Orback for his Wagon Train illustration above. Now get arting!

Illustrator wanted

Lee Pasquarella has written five bedtime stories for grandchildren and would like to talk with an illustrator about obtaining art for them. As always, anyone interested should get clear information and agree about payment, expectations, rights, timing, and other contractual details (including a written contract) in advance. If you're interested in building your portfolio this way, contact Lee at ltp@msn.com or 206-369-0245.

SCBWI Oregon's Great Critque and more down south

Happy New Year from your neighbors to the south! If you live in the southern part of the state or want an excuse to visit Portland (food- cart phenomenon!), SCBWI Oregon has two events that might be of interest to you.

Can't make The Great Critique in Seattle? Oregon has taken a leaf out of WWA's book and is doing a similar event.
 
January 19, 2013 - The Great Critique - a writer's critique event. (Sorry, early-bird registration ended on January 1.)


February 23, 2013 - Wearing Two Hats - an event for illustrators who write, featuring Kristine Brogno, Design Director at Chronicle Books and author/illustrator Caroline Conahan. 
(You're in luck: Early-bird registration ends on January 15.)

For complete information on both of these events go to scbwior.com and click on the EVENTS tab.

Questions? Need more info? Contact Sue Ford, SCBWI Oregon, Co-Regional Advisor and Newsletter Editor

Call for Conference Presenters

Jody Ashton (from Rochester, Washington) is the Gifted Teacher at Grand Mound Elementary and in charge of their annual Young Authors' Conference. She's looking for authors and/or illustrators and storytellers to come be presenters at the conference in March 2012. The audience is kindergarten to fifth grade. Her budget is very small but can pay you something for the half day conference.

If you are interested in being a presenter please contact her at jashton@rochester.wednet.edu

Light Up the Library Auction

Jean Reidy's third picture book LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, comes out this month! We received this email from Jean:

What you probably don't know is that the story - while visibly very American - was inspired by the children of Uganda, many of whom are orphaned by AIDS while others have been displaced due to past civil war. My family has developed strong connections to that country and its children over the past 6 years.

To celebrate the release of my book and those beautiful children, I'm holding an online auction this November to benefit literacy in Africa and a library at Musana Children's Home in Iganga, Uganda where I worked last summer. The auction is called LIGHT UP THE LIBRARY.

I'm coordinating this with the volunteers for an amazing Peace Corps project called Libraries for Life - which is providing books for libraries in designated Ugandan schools. The project is being administered by, not only the Peace Corps, but also the Books for Africa organization. And Musana has been designated as one of the recipient libraries.

Please know that each and every day I continue to support public libraries, school libraries and literacy programs here in the U.S. But this auction will reach beyond our borders to benefit efforts abroad.

I know all of you, as caring and generous as you are, have your own special passions and causes. So I don't want you to feel any pressure here, especially during such difficult economic times. But if, by chance, this project of mine touches you in any way, and if you have something you might like to donate to the auction, please let me know via my online form. Here's the link:

Light Up the Library Auction Donation Form.

I'm open to any and all possibilities. Some of the items on my wish
list include:

Manuscript critiques
Writing mentorships
Autographed books
Author Twitter Chats
School visits
Author Skype Visits
Marketing Consultations
Social Networking Consultations
Book trailers
Blog designs
Blog header designs
Web designs
Personalized Sketches, Caricatures or Watercolors for Blogs or Websites
Business Card Designs
Real Estate Sales Consultations
Home Staging or Design Consultations
Night Time Baby Items or Crib Items
Baby Afghans
Baby Quilts
Telescopes
Original artwork
Handy Man Services
Hand-crafted Jewelry and Bags
Sports Memorabilia
Other Services such as Massages, Manicures, Etc.

Thanks so much for considering my request. Please feel free to pass this info to friends who may be interested.

For more information on Jean, and her work, visit her website.