Art @ Renovation

Science fiction and fantasy art has long been an important part of Worldcon, through the Art Show and Art Program, the Artist Guest of Honor, the Artist Hugos and the Chesley Awards. Renovation will include all of these traditional elements - and much more! We want to raise and exceed expectations for artists and art lovers. We are learning from successes such as IlluXCon, the professional SF&F Art convention which is now in its third year. We want to listen to and engage the art community - the creators and their audience. This is what Art @ Renovation is all about.

What are we going to do? Our current plans include:

• A substantial Art Show with high quality work - supported by a gallery on our website as well as a fully illustrated print publication introducing the exhibiting artists.

• Art exhibits - featuring a special exhibit of work by Guest of Honor Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell, his wife and collaborator. We also hope to have a significant display of historical SF&F art from two major collections.

• "Meet the Artist" hours in the Art Show when we will encourage all attending artists to be available in the show to interact with members and collectors.

• A diverse program with an increased emphasis on live demonstrations and workshops, as well as art-related interviews, panels, presentations and kaffeeklatsches.

• More opportunities to meet and interact with artists, art directors, collectors and fans.

Getting involved is a key part of our vision. We will run artist hours in the Art Show where all attending artists are encouraged to meet fans and talk about their work. Our demonstrations will let fans and aspiring artists get up close and personal with the professionals during their creative process.

Art @ Renovation activities will go on throughout the convention, but we will also have a specially focused Art Night on the second evening of Renovation to celebrate the visual arts in SF & F. For Art Night, events and activities will spread across our Exhibit Hall and program rooms; from late night opening in the Art Show to the Renovation Film Festival; from anime to comics; and from artist demonstrations to participatory craft and maker activities for members. We are working closely with all divisions to make this a convention-wide event. We want to offer something for everyone!

We are working hard to develop these ideas and more. We are listening carefully to the art community, taking their ideas and feedback on board. We are delighted to have the support of a brain trust comprising Lou Anders, Bob Eggleton, Richard Hescox, John Picacio and Jannie Shea. We welcome input (and offers to help!) from everyone.

We will be publishing much more information on our vision and plans for Art @ Renovation over the coming months, and explaining how you can take part. In the meantime, if you have any suggestions, please drop us a line at art@renovationsf.org.

The Art Show

The Worldcon Art Show is quite simply one of the largest and most concentrated collections of original science fiction and fantasy art that you will see anywhere in the world - and most of it is for sale! Any member can enter their art into the show, which features everything from enthusiastic amateurs to Hugo and Chesley Award winning professionals. Prices range from just a few tens of dollars to tens of thousands. Artists pay a hanging fee for the display space they wish to use, plus a commission on the art they actually sell.

Entering the Art Show

Renovation's Art Show Director, Elayne Pelz, invites science fiction and fantasy artists from around the World to take part in our Art Show.

Art Show registration is now open, and although we have substantial space available we expect it to sell out, so please book early. Full details of how to book, along with the complete Art Show Rules, can be found on our Art Show Entry page.