BUSINESS NEWS Local illustrators collectivize BY ANNE SIBLEY O’BRIEN

Schlepping throughout New England to show her portfolio, local professional illustrator Anna Boll found herself wondering, "Why aren’t the art directors coming to Maine? We have an amazing pool of talented illustrators right here." Well, on Saturday, the art buyers did come, when Boll and the other founders of the Maine Illustrators Collective hosted their first-ever Fall Folio Feast, showcasing the work of more than 20 local artists.

The Collective (www.maineillustratorscollective.org) was formed this past January out of the Business of Illustration, a MECA community education course. When the class ended, instructor Letitia Plate and three of her students, Boll, Gabe McPhail, and Justin Alves, wanted to keep the accumulated energy going. Meeting on the last Wednesday of the month at O’Natural’s, the group has grown to include a dozen artists. Members range from students to working professionals, in fields from cartooning (including Mike Gorman of the Phoenix) to editorial, children’s books to the gift industry.

The Fall Folio Feast was their first big initiative. They invited art buyers from across New England to come to Portland for the foliage display, a brunch of locally grown foods, and the impressive portfolios of Maine illustrators (and a few from neighbor states). The goal was, says Boll, "to create a relaxed environment for art buyers and illustrators to build working relationships."

Steady rain, leaves that had hardly begun to turn color, and a smaller-than-hoped-for response from art buyers couldn’t derail the event. Participants splashed through the doors of the Whitney Art Works Gallery on York Street into an elegant space with art on the walls, a lavish and delicious buffet, and tables of portfolios to pour over. Illustrator and designer Scott Nash, currently developing an animation studio in Portland, gave a provocative keynote talk. He challenged his listeners to look beyond print media and extolled the opportunities for creative media development right here in Southern Maine. With current technology, local talent, and our need for jobs, "we’re in the right place," he said.

Susan Sherman, art director of Charlesbridge Publishing, was impressed with the Collective’s initiative and the quality of work displayed. "It was great to see a broader range of pieces from people whose work I knew, and it was a wonderful atmosphere for getting to know new people," she said.

Look for the Folio Feast to become an annual event.