Illustration Institute

10/09/2026

This October, we are so excited to be partnering with our friends at Monson Arts for year 2 of Monson illustration week!
Illustration Institute is returning to Monson for a week of art events for the local community. Workshops and talks will be led by Cofounders Scott Nash and Nancy Gibson-Nash, as well as artists Joe Diggs, William Roth, and Annamay Brown, and hosted at the gorgeous Monson Arts residency.

Thank you so much Monson Arts!🍂🍁

10/09/2026

A week ago our newest show, Illustrasaurus, the dinosaur art show for the eons, opened at the Portland Public Library. Watching visitors enjoy the gallery full of dinosaur illustration - finding old and new favorites from books, comics, and more - was a wonderful experience, and proved to us that though they may be extinct, these ancient creatures endure in the hearts and imaginations of so many. Thank you to everyone who came out!

Illustrasaurus will be open in the Lewis Gallery in the Portland Public Library until December 30. Make sure you visit the dinosaurs! 🦖🦕

Thank you to Heather Wasklewicz for the photography!

10/08/2026

Nest week, join renowned author/illustrator Chris Van Dusen for a presentation on how he designs his characters, namely the plesiosaur Hudson from his book Hattie and Hudson. Chris will show his original unpublished illustrations for Hudson and other characters and talk about his process of writing and illustrating the stories you know and love. Don’t miss this free event in the Portland Public Library’s Rines Auditorium, Thursday, October 15 from 5-7 PM!

This event is part of the programming for our exhibition Illustrasaurus, open until December 30. Don’t forget to check out the illustrated dinosaurs in the library’s Lewis Gallery 🦕🦖

10/01/2026

RABBIT! RABBIT!!

09/27/2026

https://www.portlandlibrary.org/art-culture/lewis-gallery/meet-the-dinosaurs-at-illustrasaurus/

Explore ILLUSTRASAURUS, a dinosaur art exhibition at Portland Public Library featuring paleo art, rare books, beloved illustrations, and dinosaur programs.

09/25/2026

Less than one week away from the opening of ILLUSTRASAURUS: THE DINOSAUR ART SHOW FOR THE EONS!
Thanks to the PPL and M&H Sign for making these graphics we designed a reality.

09/23/2026

🦕🦖We’re bringing something BIG to the Portland Public Library…

Illustration Institute presents ILLUSTRASAURUS, an exhibition of dinosaur illustration! Dinosaurs have been an enduring fascination for humankind since the first giant bones were unearthed from the ground. What did these creatures look like? How did they live? The mysteries left by their extinction have inspired artists for hundreds of years.

This exhibition brings together more than a century’s worth of dinosaur illustration, ranging from the scientific to the fanciful. Featuring seldom-displayed archival work and rare books - Danny and the Dinosaur, Nebula to Man, Calvin and Hobbes - alongside the work of contemporary illustrators - James Gurney, Chris Van Dusen, LeUyen Pham - ILLUSTRASAURUS is a love letter to a form of art that has captured the imaginations of people of all ages.

The 200 million-year-old story of dinosaurs – one that links art, science, and stories for people of all ages – is what illustrasaurus is about.

ILLUSTRASAURUS: The Dinosaur Art Show for the Eons is on view October 2 through December 30, 2026, in the Lewis Gallery at Portland Public Library’s Downtown Branch.

Admission is free.

Bring your curiosity. The dinosaurs are waiting.🦖🦕

09/23/2026

Our friend Susan Webster, is an irrepressible multimedia artist and advocate. She will be offering her art at a silent auction hosted by The LeMont Hall Event Venue at 2 Pleasant Street in Brunswick this Saturday, September 26th from 5:30-7:30 pm. As part of the evenings festivities, Susan will give a talk about how she uses her art to support social and reproductive justice, as well as bring awareness to domestic violence in our communities.
Nancy and I will be there. Come join us!
Click on the QR code for tickets and more information on this event.