A panel discussion on Women in Illustration presented as part of The Great State of Illustration in Maine exhibition will be held from 12-1 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the Danforth Gallery in Jewett Hall on the campus of University of Maine at Augusta.

This free lunch-time event includes pizza and the opportunity for attendees to ask the panelists questions about their work and careers.

Panelists include: 

Jess Esch (https://jessicaesch.com/), a writer and illustrator who uses art, craft, and good humor to spread ideas and build community. Her work has appeared in “The Sketchnote Handbook” by Mike Rohde, ARCADE, and Harvard Graduate of Education’s Ed Magazine. Her book “Online Affects Offline: Learnings from the Field” details how online engagement can build and strengthen relationships online and offline. In 2011, she spearheaded the design and launch of United Way of Greater Portland’s “LUbrary,” the Live United storytelling library of videos and illustrations.

Nancy Gibson-Nash (https://www.nancygibsonnash.com/), a mixed media collage artist and illustrator. Her 3-D pieces include found objects, paint, paper and usually a beach treasure or two. Work created as illustration is supplied to her clients in digital form, artfully photographed by Russell French. Her work has been shown as part of open studios, gallery exhibits and published in magazines, children’s publications, textbooks and for a variety of corporate clients. She is the co-founder and program director of the non-profit Illustration Institute.

Claire Luce Baldwin (https://www.claireloonbaldwin.com/), an illustrator, designer, and storyteller inspired by her experience working as a park ranger and environmental educator. She has worked in Glacier National Park, North Cascades National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and the redwoods of Northern California. In 2018, she created Grand Canyon National Park’s official centennial poster series. Her other creative endeavors include writing and illustrating a Young Adult novel and making mushroom-inspired ceramic sculptures. Her clients include DK Publishing, Down East Magazine, Maine to Mountain, Tallulah Ketubahs, Maine Ocean Farms, Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, The Nature Conservancy of Maine, Shine Creative Industries, and the Maine Audubon Society.

Jamie Hogan (https://www.jamiehogan.com/), an award-winning illustrator, educator, and biker living three miles out to sea. She was an adjunct professor at Maine College of Art in Portland from 2003 to 2018, teaching courses in the BFA Illustration program and Continuing Studies. Her illustrations have appeared in books and magazines and have won merit from the Maine Advertising Club, the 3 x 3 Illustration Annual, American Illustration, PRINT Magazine, Graphis, and the Society of Illustrators. She has illustrated a dozen children’s books and adult titles, including “Rickshaw Girl” by Mitali Perkins, which won the Jane Addams Peace Association Award and was named one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Best Books. “Rickshaw Girl” has also been adapted into a motion picture.

The Great State of Illustration in Maine exhibition — on view through Oct. 18 at the Danforth Gallery — displays the work of more than eighty published Maine illustrators and features media such as watercolor, pen and ink, and woodcuts. The diversity of methods, subjects and artists charge the exhibition with energy, humor and emotion, transforming the space of the Danforth Gallery into a glittering showcase of some of Maine’s most talented and creative artists. The exhibition is organized by the Illustration Institute and sponsored by the UMA Cultural Events Council. The public is welcome to visit the gallery in Jewett Hall. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

The discussion and exhibition are both free and open to the public. For more information, visit uma.edu.