Meet Our Judges: Len Small, AD

Len Small is the art director for Columbia Magazine. He was the founding art director at Nautilus magazine and previously was the art director at Tablet Magazine, a Jewish news website. In 2018 he served as co-president of ICON10: The Illustration Conference.

He recently received the prestigious 2019 Richard Gangel Award from the Society of Illustrators. Established in 2005, the Richard Gangel Art Director Award honors art directors currently working in the field who have supported and advanced the art of illustration. This award is named in honor of Richard Gangel (1918–2002), the influential art director at Sports Illustrated from 1960 to 1981.

Small earned his his BFA in Fine Arts from Washington University in St Louis and MFA in Design from the School of Visual Arts.

He grew up in Moline, Illinois, his mother is a librarian and his father,  a newspaper man, so there was always plenty of reading material around, and “we were encouraged and rewarded for enjoying books”. 

Small’s first break came in 1997 by cold-calling the art director of Matador Records, Mark Ohe, who gave him a job. “I spent my first decade in design on the agency and commercial side, with pockets of freelancing until I decided that I wanted to be part of the making of stories, not just building a better website to sell a product”.

Small originally planned to be an illustrator, but quickly found that he was more interested in what was happening on the other side of the conversation. His approach to editorial illustration: “will it advance the article’s premise without being too literal?” As a big advocate for illustration he realizes that illustrations can bring the connection and wonder that you can’t always find in photography.

His work has been recognized by Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, Society of Publication Designers, The Webbys, ASME, Society for News Design, and Communication Arts.

www.lensmallisanartdirector.com

3x3 International Illustration Awards Show No. 16
Deadline: March 22, 2019 (late deadline is March 29)
Show Chair: Melinda Beck

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Meet Our Judges: Alissa Levin, CD

Alissa Levin is founder and creative director of Point Five, a New York City-based design studio. Alissa is from Cleveland, Ohio and graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She began her career in Los Angeles at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. In 1997, Alissa moved to New York to launch Point Five.

For twenty-one years, Levin has art directed award-winning independent and academic publications for both print and screen, with a focus on politics, religion, and science.

One of the studio’s first clients was Lingua Franca, a magazine that took a witty, irreverent approach to covering the world of ideas. That project brought into focus the core mission of Point Five: To create engaging and provocative design that puts idea-driven content at the center. The studio went on to work with a variety of other magazines, non-profits, academic institutions and entrepreneurs, who shared Point Five’s passion for inspiring ideas and smart design.

Clients include Columbia Journalism Review, The Paris Review, Harvard Divinity School, Nautilus, and The Rockefeller University to name a few.


The studio’s work has been recognized by American Illustration, The American Society of Magazine Editors, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Folio Magazine, Graphic Design USA, Print Magazine, The Society of Publication Designers, Society of News Design, Society of Illustrators, The Webby Awards and W3 Awards.

www.point5.com

3x3 International Illustration Awards Show No. 16
Deadline: March 22, 2019 (late deadline is March 29)
Show Chair: Melinda Beck


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Meet Our Judges: Sheri Gee, AD

Sheri Gee is an award-winning Art Director with over twenty years’ experience in book publishing and design.

Graduating from The Kent Institute of Art and Design Maidstone (now University for the Creative Arts) with a degree in Illustration, Sheri shortly afterwards became Production Assistant with The Folio Society, illustrating and painting in her spare time.

The Folio Society, based in London, is renowned for publishing carefully crafted editions of the world’s finest literature. During the course of her 20 years with the company, Sheri has learned about all aspects of fine book production and was made Art Director in 2010.

She has had essays published in books on Illustration, juried  national and international illustration competitions and spoken internationally about illustration. She has won numerous awards for her art direction.

In her spare time one of her greatest joys in life comes from painting people, whether in a portrait or a more scenic piece. Click on her link below to see her work.

In 2018 she was selected as one of 21 finalists in the Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Prize and also had a piece selected for the Society of Women Artists 157th Annual Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. She has had over thirty group and solo exhibits.

www.foliosociety.com
www.sherigee.com

3x3 International Illustration Awards Show No. 16
Deadline: March 22, 2019 (late deadline is March 29)
Show Chair: Melinda Beck

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Meet Our Judges: Stephen Petch, AD

Stephen Petch is an award-winning art director and graphic design based in London.

He has extensive experience within the editorial and publishing industries working for publications such as i-D, Time Out, The Independent, The Times (of London), The Guardian, Grazia, Creative Review and most recently The Economist.

His work has gained him recognition and awards including a Silver Medal and Award of Excellence (Best Overall Design) from the Society of News Design Awards; a three-time winner with Award of Excellence from the European Newspaper Awards and the Winner for Best Editorial Redesign from Design Week Awards.

Hear how Stephen helped in the recent re-design of The Economist. Part of the redesign includes using Illustrator Noma Barr for covers and some of the inside illustrations as well.

www.stephenpetch.co.uk

3x3 International Illustration Awards Show No. 16
Deadline: March 22, 2019 (late deadline is March 29)
Show Chair: Melinda Beck

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