Frank Wilcox Exhibit at Cleveland History Center/WRHS

By Janet Dodrill

Frank N. Wilcox, Artist As Historian Exhibit

An exhibit of the work of artist, book author, and historian, Frank Nelson Wilcox (1887-1964) is on display at the Cleveland History Center (known as the Western Reserve Historical Society), through April 30, 2016.

The subject matter included farm life and countryside, cityscapes including the Cleveland Flats, Indians (including book illustrations), Ohio waterways and canal barges, and also fishermen, western pueblos, and rivers and mountains.

Exhibit curator, William G. Scheele, of Kokoon Art Gallery, pulled-together a phenomenal collection of paintings (mainly watercolor), drawings and sketches and regional history, which are masterfully organized and displayed. Incidentally, his father, William E. Scheele (1920-1998), was a nature artist in Cleveland which led him to becoming a director at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History during his career. So, ties to the area art scene during Wilcox’s time may be especially meaningful to him.

Frank Wilcox taught design, drawing, painting and printmaking at the Cleveland School of Art for 44 years starting in 1913, after his graduation there in 1910.

Some of the pieces in the exhibit have never been displayed publicly.

Early family photos and work by his wife, Florence Bard Wilcox (a jewelry designer and maker) are also on display in the hallway leading into the main exhibit.

Resource links:

Frank N. Wilcox: Artist as Historian | Exhibit Opening
http://www.wrhs.org/events/frank-n-wilcox-artist-as-historian-exhibit-opening/

Frank N. Wilcox: Artist as Historian
http://canjournal.org/2015/11/frank-n-wilcox-artist-as-historian/

Frank N. Wilcox, Artist As Historian Exhibit at the Cleveland History Center

Frank Wilcox watercolor painting, Ohio canal barge

Frank Wilcox watercolor character studies

Frank Wilcox watercolor painting, study

Frank Wilcox watercolor paintings of the Cleveland Flats

Frank Wilcox watercolor painting

Frank Wilcox, Creative Techniques display

Frank Wilcox watercolor painting/study and poster

Frank Wilcox watercolor paintings and sketches

Frank Wilcox watercolor paintings

Frank Wilcox, Printmaking & Books display

Frank Wilcox sketches

Frank Wilcox, Travels

Frank Wilcox watercolor painting

Frank Wilcox watercolor painting

Frank Wilcox early photo

Cleveland History Center, Western Reserve Historical Society, courtyard

 

Copyright article and images. All rights reserved. Not to be used without permission.

Joe Pulizzi On Latest Book, Content Inc.

By Janet Dodrill

The Web Association welcomed Joe Pulizzi, Founder and CEO Content Marketing Institute.

Last month, I heard Joe Pulizzi (@CMIContent), Founder and CEO Content Marketing Institute, speak at The Web Association, held at COSE (Council of Smaller Enterprises) in Cleveland, Ohio. He speaks on a regular basis (He noted that ours was his 71st presentation of 2015!), and has authored several books including bestselling Epic Content Marketing.

Joes Pulizzi points out ways to connect and engage on both a personal and professional level.

Joe discussed his newly published book, Content Inc.: How Entrepreneurs Use Content to Build Massive Audiences and Create Radically Successful Businesses, which is sold on Amazon.

Using the Content Inc. model, he reviewed the many forms of engaging through social media: social blogs, wikis, video, rating, social bookmarking, internet forums, pictures, microblogging, weblogs, and podcasts.

It was stated that the importance of communicating through the creation and distribution of your own information to build audiences is key.

A few highlights of his talk included these points:

• Create your mission statement: have a defined audience, deliver, then measure the audience outcome.
• Establish your content type and platform, deliver consistently over a long period of time, i.e. e-newsletter.
• Loyal customers can mean increased product sales and revenue.

He pointed out ways to engage socially on both a personal and business level. Personal avenues include blogs, books and public speaking, whereas business methods could be digital media, print (yes, it still a valued form of communication), and in-person contact.

Takeaways:

-Find a niche and become a leading expert
-Develop your content mission
-Focus on content type, platform and delivery consistently
-Build an audience of opt-in subscribers
-Create an amazing e-newsletter and download
-Audience first, products second
-Be patient!

In his book, Content Inc., Joe breaks down the process to visualize, launch and monetize your own business, based on his own success and failures. This is explained through case studies.

Are you looking for a startup-business strategy? Perhaps kick-off the new year with his business-growing strategy. The Content Marketing Institute website is full of good information, plus there is an email news sign-up and podcast network. Also be sure to watch the 43-minute movie which explains how the marketing of the future is all about brands telling stories, in “The Story of Content: Rise of the New Marketing.”

 

Me with Joe Pulizzi!

Joe Pilluzi’s book, Content Inc. (Joe likes the color orange and orange shoes!).

“Janet, go out and be epic!” – Joe Pulizzi (signed in Joe’s favorite color — orange).

A great feature for your business website is an email signup, like that on the Content Marketing Institute site.

COSE, Council of Smaller Enterprises, a division of the Greater Cleveland Partnership.

New Cuyahoga County Public Library South Euclid-Lyndhurst Branch Opens

By Janet Dodrill

In line to receive limited edition commemorative library card. (Photo: Karen Sandstrom)

The long-awaited new South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, 1876 South Green Road, South Euclid, Ohio, 44121, had its grand opening on Sunday, October 18, 2015.

Prior to construction of the new building, there was much controversy surrounding the sale of the former building, the charming and historic William E. Telling mansion. It is claimed that the a private sale was made by library officials without the consensus of tax payers. The library claimed that the building was too expensive to maintain and did not lend itself for newer technology and accessibility. The Telling mansion was purchased by an individual who will convert the former library building into the American Porcelain Museum, due to open in spring of 2016.

The new 30,000+ square foot library is very impressive and offers state-of-the-art technology not available at the old library.

An expansive and interactive activity children’s area modeled after the book, Journey by author and illustrator Aaron Becker, has over-sized constructions, movable magnets, and hanging displays, all modeled after its book illustrations.

The youth area houses comic books which can be checked-out, a homework assistance center, and has an attached sound studio for audio recording.

South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library.

3-D printers will travel from library to library within the Cuyahoga County Public Libraries.

A much improved larger DVD browsing area with plenty of room to walk through multiple movie racks.

Skylights and a sense of openness in the large main room, which houses the main information desk, books racks and public computer terminals. All computers have been upgraded.

I was personally impressed with the new technology training room which will offer free technology classes, and the computers are open to the public in-between classes.

Two double-sided fireplaces and all new contemporary furniture, coupled with tasteful fixtures from the previous building, like table lamps, add style and atmosphere, with designated quiet areas. A writer’s center, and individual meeting rooms with sizes for small business meetings to larger capacity conference rooms are available for reserve in at least 2-hour increments.

The natural light is wonderful, and there is a real sense of unique spaces there.

Limited edition library card, artwork by Janet Dodrill.

I was honored to provide the artwork for the limited edition library card, available through October 25th.

Despite missing the much-loved and unique former location and historic Telling mansion, I am very impressed with the accommodations, technological updates, and comfort the new library brings. Below are a few recent photos.

—

Resource Links:

Cuyahoga County Public Library

Cuyahoga County Public Library, South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch

3,600 celebrate opening of new South Euclid-Lyndhurst library, Cleveland Jewish News, October 20, 2015

South Euclid-Lyndhurst Library branch opening Sunday draws hundreds, Sun News, October 18, 2015

(Text and photos copyright Janet Dodrill. Not to be used without prior permission.)

 

South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch of Cuyahoga County Public Library, grand opening.

 

New Cuyahoga County Public Library South Euclid-Lyndhurst branch.

 

Library grand opening crowd.

 

Main library lounge area with fireplace.

 

Main library quiet area with fireplace.

 

Kiosk at new library.

 

Library staff Dianne Rose on left. (Photo: Stuart Smith)

 

Library grand opening dedication plaque.

 

Main library area and information desk.

 

Main library area.

 

Reserved parking for fuel efficient vehicles.

 

Writer’s center area.

 

Magnet poem activity in writer’s center.

 

Technology learning center.

 

Sound studio for audio recording.

 

Youth area.

 

Children’s area.

 

“Journey” by Aaron Becker.

 

Children’s area, decorated with inspiration from the book “Journey” by Aaron Becker.

 

Children’s area castle display, based on the book “Journey” by Aaron Becker.

 

Children’s area magnet board activity.

 

Children’s area lounge.

 

Motion sensor activity, children’s area.

 

Free donuts for the grand opening from DonutLab.

 

Free donuts for the grand opening from DonutLab.

The National Gallery Online Art Collection

By Janet Dodrill

The National Gallery (@NationalGallery) tweeted on July 16, 2015 that now images can be downloaded from their collection for personal use! That got me interested in exploring their website www.nationalgallery.org.uk. Here are a few links to good resources, I discovered there, for the art enthusiast!

Online Collection:
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings

Explore the paintings:
Collection overview, 30 ‘must-see’ paintings, paintings room by room, a virtual tour of over 300 paintings, the picture of the month, the latest loans and acquisitions, and more.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/view-the-collection

This month, the picture of the month is Peter Paul Rubens, A Roman Triumph, about 1630, with free downloadable wallpaper:
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/upload/img/wallpaper-rubens-a-roman-triumph-ng278.jpg

Download the iPhone app:
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/learn-about-art

The National Gallery Channel:
Watch video and learn about hidden symbolism in paintings, techniques of the old masters, contemporary artists, impressionism, and more.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/channel

The National Gallery Podcasts:
Listen to information on Cézanne, Manet, Rembrandt, Bruegel, Monet, Millet, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and more.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/podcasts

Caring for the paintings:
www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/caring-for-the-paintings

 

Peter Paul Rubens, A Roman Triumph, about 1630, wallpaper download from the National Gallery website.

Art Apps for iPad, ArtStudio and Inkpad

By Janet Dodrill

ArtStudio for iPad
By Lucky Clan
$4.99
v5.16 (Oct. 2013)
Sylwester Los
(iPhone c.2010; iPad c.2012) iPad Mini, iPod

Offers In-App Purchases:

1. Pack 1 $4.99
2. Watercolors $.99
3. Hair $.99
4. Fur $.99
5. Fire $.99
6. Oils $.99
7. Smoke $.99
8. Grass $.99
9. Markers $.99
10. Trees $.99

Selected Specs/Features:

-Raster-based
-iOS 4.3 or later
-21.5MB
-5 Star Rating
-Export as JPG/PNG/PSD to camera roll, email, clipboard, iTunes
-450 Brushes,150 free
-Sizes (In-App) 1024 x 768 iPad (approx. 14 x 10.5″ at 72ppi, 2.25MB/2.5 x 3.5″ at 300ppi); 2048 x 1536 (approx. 28 x 21″ at 72ppi, 9MB/6.75 x 5″ @ 300ppi); iPad with Retina; Max image size 3264 x 2448 (approx. 45 x 34″ at 72ppi, 23MB/10.75 x 8″ @ 300 ppi), other presets

Resources:

Lucky Clan http://www.luckyclan.com

Twitter http://twitter.com/lucky_clan

Manual http://www.luckyclan.com/artstudio_manual.pdf

Features http://www.luckyclan.com/artstudio/?page=features

Examples of what can be done in ArtStudio (videos) http://www.luckyclan.com/artstudio/?page=videos

ArtStudio Flickr Gallery (iPhone) http://www.flickr.com/groups/artstudioimages/

ArtStudio How to get started digital painting on iPad, David Allen 6:59 (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBfeKFYc5xU

——–
Inkpad
By Taptrix, Inc.
FREE
v1.2 (Mar. 2014)
© Steve Sprang (Creator of Brushes App)
(c.2011)

Selected Specs/Features:

-Vector-based
-iOS 7.0 or later
-5.1MB
-5 Star Rating
-Export as JPEG, PNG, PDF, SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics), SVGZ (Scalable Vector Graphics compressed), Inkpad
-Sizes (In-App) Sizes i.e. Letter, Legal, Tabloid, A4, other standard sizes, or Custom Pixel; Portrait or Landscape options

Resources:

Twitter http://twitter.com/taptrix (No Tweets!)

Inkpad Demo, TaptrixInc 3:05 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU2UFmrDGk4

Apps Tutorial – Inkpad, John Patten 14:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZwrecRbsRo

——–

Note: This material posted in preparation for Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group’s “A Quick Tour of Art Apps for iPad” presentation, March 27, 2014. Featured speakers include Nancy Dinger Aikins, Henry Lee, Janet Dodrill, Marvin Sable.

Bell Street Fall ARTWALK

By Janet Dodrill

The Valley Art Center in Chagrin Falls, Ohio will host more than 20 artists on Friday, November 8, 2013, from 5-9 p.m. at the Bell Street Fall ARTWALK. Surrounding shops will also participate for an evening of unique artwork, demonstrations and light refreshments. Free parking is available behind the VAC.

Valley Art Center, Chagrin Falls, Ohio

I will have an artist table with original prints, art prints and notecards, and other arts & crafts. I invite you to join us for an enjoyable experience.

Discover the Resources at your Local Library

By Janet Dodrill

If there’s something you would like to learn but don’t have the time or money to go to school, try taking a free online course at the Library. Cleveland Public Library offers Ohio residents the opportunity to sign-up for any number of classes in the areas of Accounting and Finance, Business, College Readiness, Computer Applications, Design and Composition, Health Care and Medical, Language and Arts, Law and Legal, Personal Development, Teaching and Education, Technology, Writing and Publishing. Because of my interests, I am drawn to Technology, where there is a category called Graphic and Multimedia Design which includes things like Creating Web Pages, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Flash, and more, at varying levels. The courses run over a 6-weeks period in 2-4 hour increments per week, and are lead by an instructor. An award of completion is given with a passing score.

Obtain a Cleveland Public Library card and have it activated at any CLEVNET library to qualify and enroll at Ed2go.com. See Who May Obtain A Cleveland Public Library Card and How to Apply for a Library Card on CPL’s site. Start dates for this Fall’s classes are Sept. 19, Oct. 17, Nov. 14, and Dec. 12, 2012. Beyond that, check back at the Ed2go.com page. If you’re not in Ohio check with your local library.

Be Your Best in Business

By Janet Dodrill

Are you doing everything you can to grow a successful business? By being self-employed, doing some things could put you in a better position to get work, grow your business, and acquire and retain the right employees. Katherine Miracle of Miracle Resources gave an inspiring presentation tonight to CDPUG members at Virginia Marti College of Art & Design on Cleveland’s west side. Her best advice is to read the book, “The Successful Business Plan”, by Rhonda Abrams.

A few things covered were, that, as business owners, we need: money to start the business, a good networking source, self-confidence, and a role model/mentor. Also, we need an accountant and attorney to stay legal. When selling our company and services, we need to inform what sets us apart from the competition and state how the potential customer could benefit by using us. Do we have an operations plan for the business, in case we are away, so things can run as usual? What criteria do we have for hiring, and are we prepared to resolve internal employee-related problems, as well as client-related problems?

How much profit are we making on projects and are we tracking our income and expenses monthly? Do we have money set aside for a business emergency, and are we always asking for a deposit on projects, and/or receiving progress payments?

It may be a good idea to communicate regularly with your client to give them a project status, even if it is in a short email. Build alliances with other designers in the event of overflow work to subcontract out or accept in.

Review projects well to avoid mistakes and to keep costs in check.

Stay flexible with this economy and be prepared to reinvent yourself and your offerings to stay appealing and relevant. Get opinions and feedback.

Most importantly, be good to yourself and get what you need each day, and each week. This will help you to be the best you can.

Facebook is Ever-Evolving

By Janet Dodrill

It seems like Facebook is always adding features and changing privacy settings. There are personal pages and professional pages. Do you have a, or more than one, professional page? Here are some recent articles and links to teach you more and help stay up-to-speed:

HOW TO: Set Up a Facebook Page
www.mashable.com/2011/05/22/how-to-facebook-page/

HOW TO: Use Social Media During Your Family Vacation
www.mashable.com/2011/05/22/social-media-vacation/

5 Easy Ways to Liven Up Your Facebook Stream
www.mashable.com/2011/05/22/social-media-vacation/

HOW TO: Implement a Social Good Campaign on Facebook
www.mashable.com/2011/02/28/how-to-social-good-facebook/

Facebook Launches Non-Profit Resource Center
www.mashable.com/2011/05/16/facebook-non-profit-page/
and www.facebook.com/nonprofits

Facebook Dislike Button Scam Gets More Sophisticated [WARNING]
www.mashable.com/2011/05/17/facebook-dislike-button-scam/

Avoid Facebook Spams and Scams
www.cleveland.com/consumeraffairs/index.ssf/2011/02/avoid_facebook_spams_and_scams.html

Facebook Changes Mean That You Are Not Seeing Everything That You Should be Seeing
https://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/mark-hull/please-read-facebook-changes-mean-that-you-are-not-seeing-everything-that-you-sh/10150089908123789

Resources: www.mashable.com, www.facebook.com, www.cleveland.com, Facebook Page/Mark Hull

Members’ Stories on Fire by ‘Ignite’ Presentations

By Janet Dodrill

Presenting in the Ignite-style

During our last meeting of Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group (CDPUG), we held our 6th annual CDPUG May Show, where members display their professional work. The group, a non-profit organization dedicated to education and professional development for digital publishers (including graphic designers, web designers, photographers, and writers) in its 23rd year, has a dedicated volunteer staff and board.

This year member presentations left behind tables of printed brochures and portfolios, and laptops running slide shows to a trendy and popular Ignite format (www.igniteshow.com). The website explains the structure of stand-up presentations on a big screen of 20 slides per person with 15 seconds of talking time per slide, for a total of 5 minutes time. Recommended application formats were PowerPoint, Keynote, or Acrobat PDF (for which I created mine using Adobe Bridge, exporting to PDF). There are many interesting videos on the website to view and enjoy, and they were a big help in preparing.

I participated, and rather than giving a standard portfolio show, I presented ‘a year in my life’ which included my basic education and passions, challenges and obstacles overcome with the poor economy, benefits of networking and newly acquired clients for my sole proprietorship freelance graphic and web design business, recent interests and achievements including creating fine art works and displaying and selling it, and current projects I am working on. The time went quickly.

Each individual had an interesting spin to their show, and though the Ignite format was strict, it allowed each member to be creative and tell a story which was entertaining and enlightening. It was a success and I hope we continue to use Ignite in the future.

(Photo by Henry Lee)