So, we’ve just had culture night here in Dublin. Once a year, a variety of cultural venues, theatres, museums, galleries etc. open doors late into the evening and offer free admission to allow a wider mix of audiences access to “d’culture”. So far, so good – a worthy initiative – eine kleine nachtkultur, if you will – promoting the arts, good for the audience, good for artists etc.

All of which makes me wonder if the related ‘Luas Art competition’ is missing the point somewhat?
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SCAMP recently intercepted a series of communications between, IGI member, Chris Judge and his brother Andrew Judge working at a secret location in County Sligo. The brothers Judge had been collaborating via email on monthly strip called Dystopia for Totally Dublin when they spotted a competition in the Observer calling for artists and writers to come up with a one page story using the dimensions of the paper. They decided to do a one off story with a more complicated script which ended up being called Sudoku city. Cleverly this story can be read top to bottom and right to left. Below you’ll find the transcript of how it all happened…

Chris: Hi Andrew, Did you have a chance to look at the observer story competition?

Andrew: Haven’t had a chance to write anything down yet. I know the deadline is in four weeks, so I’ll have to get stuck in asap. Had you any further thoughts? Should it be one story or 2-3 interlinked?

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31 March to 3 April 2008

The Illustrators Exhibition provides an international overview of the most innovative trends in the world of children’s illustration.

Created by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, since 1967 the Illustrators Exhibition has offered a unique opportunity to artists worldwide to showcase their talent in front of the most prestigious professionals of the trade, who every year attend the leading Fair for the exchange of children’s copyrights in Bologna.

Prestigious, established artists and emerging talents are selected by an influential international jury composed of publishers, artists and museum directors.

They are now looking for 2008 entries, deadline 19 October 2007.
entry form, labels and coupons.

In 2007, the Illustrators Exhibition recorded 2,653 entries from over 58 countries. Of these, the jury selected 85 illustrators. (non of these were from Ireland!!!)
2007 exhibition-fiction

2007 exhibition- non fiction

The ICAD 50 Commemorative Stamp Design Competition launches. Plans are well under way for ICAD’s 50th celebrations and Ireland’s National Post Office, An Post, have agreed to commemorate this milestone with a stamp. ICAD and An Post are running an open competition to design the ICAD 50 commemorative stamp. This is open to all ICAD members from the advertising and design industries in Ireland and is an unprecedented way for a stamp to be commissioned in this country. It is hoped that the winning design will achieve new levels of creative excellence within an old form.

download brief here