Featured Illustrator Program
About the Featured Illustrator Program
The Visual Arts Center of Richmond has been a staple in the Richmond community since our founding in 1963. Every year, VisArts hosts a variety of programs, exhibitions, and special events, but perhaps the things we are known best for are our classes.
VisArts offers more than 1,600 adult and youth art classes annually. Since 2016, we have commissioned custom illustrations for our seasonal class catalogs as a way to celebrate and support artists within our community. Our goal is that these illustrations give each catalog a unique look and identity that excites Richmonders and encourages them to explore their own creativity with VisArts.
Every summer, VisArts selects four artists to participate in our Featured Illustrator Program, in which each Featured Illustrator will illustrate one of VisArts’ four class catalogs and one additional special project.
Past Featured Illustrators
Take a look at past catalog illustrations.
Apply to be a Featured Illustrator
Applications are closed for 2025–2026
Illustrators receive a $1,500 honorarium in addition to standard instructor fees associated with teaching a workshop. For the catalog, they are asked to produce one cover illustration and five spot illustrations. The illustration should touch one or more of VisArts’ 11 creative mediums:
- Clay
- Design
- Digital Arts
- Drawing and Painting
- Fiber
- Glass
- 3D Printing
- Metalwork and Jewelry
- Photography
- Printmaking
- Sculpture, Wood Art + Furniture Making
- Writing
In addition to the catalog, selected featured illustrators will design one additional illustration project from the list below:
- [Work] exhibition illustration
- ArtVenture Summer Camp catalog cover illustration
- Holiday Classes mini catalog cover illustration
- Chili Throwdown poster illustration
Questions?
Please contact the Marketing + Communications team at [email protected] to learn more.