Allison writes:
“Seeing as it’s a good time of year to stock up on nice warm socks, you might want to check out my Toe & Arrow design for Sock It To Me! It was super fun to get this package in the mail and see my design on knit fabric.”

Monday: My crazy tabletop styling

BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE ARTS:

Dear Colleagues, Funders and Partners of the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative:

We are delighted to share with you details of an exciting new position within the Boston Public Schools: Executive Director for the Arts. Please circulate the attached posting within your networks and encourage strong candidates to apply! Please excuse any duplicate messages/postings.

The BPS seeks an Executive Director for the Arts to provide internal and external district-wide leadership for Pre-K-12 arts programs, in keeping with the goals of both the Acceleration Agenda and the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative to provide access, increase equity and ensure quality arts learning experiences for all BPS students. This position is charged with linking the district with the larger arts community, expanding school-based arts programming, and creating stronger connections across schools (art specialists, teachers, and school leaders) to share best practices. The Executive Director is responsible for building stronger systems, improving coordination between and among schools and external partners, and raising the visibility of the BPS commitment to the arts as part of an excellent education for all BPS students. The Executive Director provides overall strategic leadership for Pre-K-12 arts programs and oversees all functions of the BPS Arts Department, working with a team that includes the Senior Program Director for the Arts, an Arts Technician, and an Instrument Specialist, and also working collaboratively with other BPS departments. The Executive Director for the Arts will report directly to the Chief Academic Officer and work closely with the Superintendent as well as external partners and leaders of the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative.

We believe that this new position will help to meet one of the central goals of the Arts Expansion Initiative: to build district capacity to expand and sustain high quality arts instruction across the district and to strengthen and coordinate partnerships between BPS and Boston arts, cultural and higher education institutions in support of high-quality arts education for all students.

We are eager to cast a broad net in our search for the candidate with strong organizational, strategic and leadership skills to advance the Superintendent’s agenda to expand access, equity and quality of arts learning opportunities for BPS students.

Interested candidates can apply directly via the Boston Public Schools/City of Boston web site: Click on “Careers” and then “Apply for Job” to search listings. The listing is also posted on www.bridgestar.org. Candidates seeking more information may also contact Laura Perille, as one of the Co-Chairs of the BPS Arts Expansion Initiative Working Committee at perille@edvestors.org or 617-585-5741. Thank you for helping us with this outreach effort!

Friday: Allison’s fun sock design for Sock it to Me

Trina writes:

“One morning a few weeks ago while on the island of Skye we went to an otter haven. To get there it was several miles on a single-track road with breathtaking views across to the Scottish mainland. It was just across this stretch of water that Gavin Maxwell, the naturalist and author, lived during the 1950s and where he wrote his famous book about otters, “Ring of Bright Water”.

There was a wooden hut on a hillside overlooking the sea with big windows, seats and binoculars. We waited and waited and waited, looking and scanning the sea and the beach. I so wanted to see one I started to think I did – every ripple on the water or long bit of seaweed on the beach. The closest I came to an otter was the beautiful carved wooden one in the hut!

Eventually we gave up and as we walked back through the forest to the car I imagined what it might be like to meet a standing up clothed one possibly offering us hot chocolate from small cups. This drawing came from that wishful hope!

I think I sort of like otters all the more for being so reclusive and elusive.”

Friday: Allison’s fun sock design for Sock it to Me

Wow! Look what Lisa Congdon is up to! How cool: she did this exciting blog idea and got a book deal out of it.

A Collection a Day (book from Uppercase by Lisa Congdon)

“Ever since she was a young girl, artist and illustrator Lisa Congdon has been obsessed with collecting. Having amassed a curious collection of objects, on January 1, 2010, she embarked on a year-long project: a daily documentation of arrangements of these items, posted online. ‘Most of the collections are real and exist in my home or studio; those I will photograph. Some are imagined; those I will draw or (occasionally) paint.’”

Pre-order it here.

Wednesday: Trina Dalziel’s Otter Drawing

See more of Helen’s work here.

Monday: Lisa Congdon’s Book: A Collection a Day

Sarajo writes:

“Hi all,
The Exquisite Book—100 Artists Play a Collaborative Game by Julia Rothman, Jenny Volvovski and Matt Lamothe with a foreword by Dave Eggers is now available. There will be an exhibit of prints of the work in New York/Brooklyn on October 22, as well as a one month online sale. There are several LRS artists featured in the book: Lisa Congdon, Mike Lowery, Matte Stephens and myself.

From The Exquisite Book website: ‘there are ten groups of ten artists who participated in the process. Each artist contributed one page to the book. The first artist was given a few words to inspire their drawing. Each of the following artists only saw the page that immediately preceded their own. Each artist used images (and optionally, words) to create the continuation to the story, and the inspiration for the next artist in line.’

Click here to see a fun video by Also (designers of the Lilla Rogers Studio website!).”

My contribution:

Lisa Congdon’s piece:

The Exquisite Book cover:


Friday: The latest and greatest patterns by Helen Dardik

Magic Murals is now selling some of our work for wallpaper murals; how cool is this? You can get this easy to apply wallpaper or removable wallpaper. For example, you can get this piece by Hsinping Pan at 4 feet by 4 feet for just $128! And that’s the small size. They come in three sizes. I love it.

See the whole Lilla Rogers Studio collection here.

Stick this up on your wall and have the coolest baby room or play room or toy store.

By Silvia Dekker

Freshen up your sun room or your sewing room or your bedroom. Or your craft shop.
Carolyn Gavin

How about this for your den or art room? Or your cafe, bar or shop?

Sarajo Frieden

Lisa Congdon’s green birch forest can now be yours. How about this eight feet wide in your breakfast nook? Sip your coffee in Lisa Land.

Give your dining room or restaurant some panache. Lovely piece by Karen Tusinski.

If you buy a mural, will you send us a photo? We’d love to blog it and link to you!
Lilla

Wednesday: The Exquisite Book: 100 Artists Play a Collaborative Game

Lesley Withrow writes:

“Hi Lilla,

I met you at your house this past Spring when you gave a talk to the NE SCBWI Group. I was very inspired and especially enjoyed hearing you talk about women and art.

I thought that you and your agents would be interested in attending the Premier Harvard screening of my husband’s film about children’s books, called Library of the Early Mind. The film has some amazing children’s professionals in it such as: Chris Van Allsburg, Daniel Handler (aka “Lemony Snicket”), Jane Yolen, Jeff Kinney, Lois Lowry, Jerry Pinkney, David Small, Jack Gantos and Mo Willems.

The Harvard screening on October 19th is sponsored by The Horn Book and will have a panel discussion afterward with my husband, Steven Withrow (co-producer), Ted Delaney (director, co-producer), Lois Lowry, Jerry Pinkney, Roger Sutton, Leslea Newman, and Padma Venkatreman.

Library of the Early Mind – Film Trailer

It would be wonderful to see you there!”

Monday: Magic Murals site

John Coulter writes:

“Hi Lilla,
Attached are jpegs of my most recent illustration for Seattle Met Magazine. It was for an article about people keeping roosters and chickens in the city.
Thanks
John”

Friday: Suzy U – Open for Business (ETSY & more)

See more of Carolyn’s work here.

Wednesday: New Work by John Coulter for Seattle Met Magazine