michael glenwood gibbs    www.mglenwood.com    703.502.3400    email

"Museum Piece" was just accepted into the 2018 Communication Arts Illustration Annual. As I labored over it last Spring, I got to thinking about how one illustration sometimes manages to turn into six. "Museum Piece" wasn't the first time it's happened. Here's a look at two examples.

"Museum Piece" in the 2018 CA Illustration Annual

Museum Piece—an illustration created for the Los Angeles Times about a new approach to curating museum shows that focuses on eclectic themes rather than traditional themes—for example a show that focuses on the color red, rather than a specific period or school of art; as well as the idea of "impermanence"—a quick turnover of short-run exhibits.

It seemed simple enough. As the sketch shows, it's just three guys in a museum. And art on the walls. But the devil—as always—is in the details.

It turns out, that art on the walls has to actually look like art on the walls. After all, the story specifically discussed traditional art exhibitions, comparing their curation to new ideas about curation.

Which got me thinking about... "The Sharing Economy"

"The Sharing Economy," by sheer coincidence, was also done for the LA Times a couple of years back. It accompanied a story about travelers participating in the then-nascent sharing economy that's so familiar nowadays. Think Airbnb, Uber and bikeshare.

Once again, I needed to create five pieces of art within the illlustration. This time, rather than museum paintings, they were travel stickers.

Speaking of six illustrations...

The first round of jurying for the Communication Arts Illustration Annual determines a set of finalists before selecting those that are published in the Annual. In addition to Museum Piece above, the following five illustrations were shortlisted as finalists.

Ivy League Antisemitism, for Dartmouth University, about creeping antisemitism on some Ivy League campuses.

Leadership and Partnership, for a major brokerage firm, about teamwork and leadership.

Chain Gang, for the National Labor Federation, about the commodification of prison labor—a form of modern slavery which is invisible behind prison walls.

Religious Freedom, for the Church of the LDS, on how religious freedom —freedom to worship, free of persecution—leads to peace and other beneficial outcomes.

Tracking Trains, for the Boston Consulting Group, on measuring the progress of the European railway industry.