Webcast at the Society of Illustrators

(Photo above: Executive members of GAG stage one of their famed "planned interruptions" of SI event and are photographed as they hustle out the door)

I just got back from NY where I attended an open forum at The Society of Illustrators announcing the formation of a new organization called the ASIP.

This organization, which is being formed with representation of twelve artists groups, will focus solely on bringing accountability to illustrators’ reprographic rights. The event was webcast live and has been archived for rebroadcast. Here is a link: (I'll post link above) This prestigious collection of groups, which is unprecedented in the world of illustration, is forming to strengthens the rights of illustrators.

The following groups form the ASIP:
The Society of Illustrators
The Illustrators’ Partnership of America
The Association of Medical Illustrators
The American Society of Architectural Illustrators
The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators
The San Francisco Society of Illustrators
The Los Angeles Society of Illustrators
The Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators
The American Society of Aviation Artists
The San Diego Society of Illustrators
The Illustrators Club of Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia
The National Cartoonists Society

At the event artists were told that in order for this to work they will be asked to participate by signing an agreement to authorize ASIP to represent these reprographic rights.
You may later receive this information and hear more about this.

Much like in the past when stock houses were on the rise, I think we need to support their actions completely.

For many years foreign reprographic money has been returned to parties in the US that have refused to account for what they have done with the money. Because these parties have resisted accountability, there is the likelihood that they may use questionable methods to retain these proceeds.

This method was evident in the web broadcast of the forum as the question and answer section was disrupted. While it would be easy to editorialize what happened artists need to hear what was said on their own.


I think artists owe it to themselves to watch the rebroadcast and get involved. I would suggest that you forward this email along to other artists and make them aware.

If you have any questions about the event please feel free to contact me.

Thanks,
Ken Dubrowski