History of the Sequential Artists Workshop, 2012

The IRS is requiring a list of our events and history, so we thought we'd share it here: Narrative Description of our Activities.

We have supported our mission of nurturing and educating sequential artists and promoted sequential art and sequential art literacy in our culture in the following ways:

2011

• Published Seriously Comics and Isra, two single-issue newspapers in advance of SAW official Florida opening.
• Promoted via the internet and traveling to shows. Held/promoted two free comics-readings in New York City.
• Solicited donations through Fractured Atlas, our Fiscal Sponsor.

January 2012

• Opened up school/gallery space in Gainesville, FL. Space is located at 433 SE Main St, Suite #2, Gainesville, FL 32601
• Held first adult classes through February 2012. These classes ran for 2 ½ hours on Thursday evenings for 5 weeks and were taught by Executive Director Tom Hart.  All subsequent classes are taught by Tom Hart unless otherwise noted.
• Partnered with The Doris Arts Center in Gainesville, FL to run sequential arts classes for teenagers, taught by Tom Hart.
• Held an art show/book release party for local sequential artist Derek Ballard. This event and all events funded by donations and remain free to the public unless otherwise mentioned.
• Began informal partnership with E-Line Media through to develop curricula for online web portal potentially serving veterans and service-members. This partnership is informal. Executive Director Tom Hart is developing curricula to be utilized by online web-portal and to eventually be featured as part of the SAW curriculum.

February 2012

• Held art show for printmaker and sequential artist Caroline Paquita.
• Held art show for Rochester, NY sequential artist Tom Galambos
• Won a $500 grant from Satchel’s Pizza in Gainesville, FL for studio furniture. Satchel’s is a community organization dedicated supporting to the local community.

March 2012

• Held intensive week-long workshop with guest instructor John Porcellino. This was a week-long class. Students were taught from 10-6 every day, Monday- Friday. The final day culminated in a an event showcasing the students’ artwork.
• Held show of artwork produced during John Porcellino workshop
• Held show/book release for local artist Andre Frattino
• Showcased at the Harn Museuem, Gainesville, FL for their Arts Organizations evening.
• Held show/book release party for local artist and faculty member Leela Corman
• Announced our year-long series of classes beginning in August 2012.

April 2012

• Began second series of adult classes in sequential art.
• Held second round of beginner series of adult sequential art classes
• Partnered again with Doris Arts Center in Gainesville, FL to run sequential arts classes for teenagers.
• Held first pre-teen class in comics and sequential art, 5 weeks.
• Partnered with University of Florida to provide workshop for their Comics Image/Text Symposium
• Held show/book release party for Womanthology, a large-scale anthology of female sequential artists.
• Offered single-night drawing services to American Cancer Society Benefit in Alachua, FL

May 2012

• Held talk/show of image/text artist UF alum Krissy Wilson
• Held first Professional Inking and Drawing Class for Sequential Art taught by Justine Mara Andersen.
• Announced Summer 2012 teen intensive, June 18-June 29
• Held gallery show for Boston narrative artist Corazon Higgins.

In addition, we continue to lend books of sequential art from our library to members of the community.

In addition, we offer free (at present) studio time for artists working on projects. So far, we have offered substantial studio time to Adrian Pijoan, Justine Andersen, Tom Hart and Leela Corman as well as studio time for enrolled students.

Expected June –August 2012

• Host monthly sequential art shows and run continuous evening and teen classes

Expected August-December 2012

• Begin year long program in sequential art with full-day classes
• Offer continuous teen and adult classes
• Partner with publisher Spit and a Half to publish Sequential Artist Jenny Zervakis retrospective
• Host and offer community workshops by visiting numerous visiting artists including Stefan Gruber and Dean Haspiel, Megan Kelso and Jenny Zervakis.

Expected January 2013 – April 2013

• Completion of first year of full-day classes
• Monthly art shows and book releases
• Partnering with University of Florida, The Doris and other organizations to promote SAW and Sequential Art, and to educate people in sequential art.
• Partner with other publishers to distribute sequential art.
• Publish newspaper, Seriously Comics, Two.