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New York Arts High School Brings Comic Con Excitement in a Science Fair Setting

Published Sat, 17 Feb 2018 09:00:36 -0600

Last updated Sat, 17 Feb 2018 12:02:15 -0600

Josh Adams writes,

In the middle of New York City exists the High School of Art & Design, one of the few schools with a specialty program in the comic arts. Since its creation more than eighty years ago, Art & Design has fostered the careers of many of the industry's top professionals: Carmine Infantino, Joe Orlando, Alex Toth, Neal Adams, Larry Hama, Art Spiegelman, Denys Cowan, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jamal Igle, with the list rolling down the floor and into the hallway. Now the school is hosting a new event to introduce its students and anyone interested to the school's past, present and future. The event is called Fanfaire, and it's modeled after a comic convention but with guests, alumni, and students from all of Art & Design's artistic fields of study, it promises to be a convention that truly has something for everyone.

And it's not just a little school show, the school's PTA has brought in big name sponsors and companies to add some exciting elements to the weekend event. Paramount Pictures is sponsoring an art competition to promote their new Natalie Portman lead Fantasy/Thriller Annihilation. All con-goers who purchase tickets online will get free passes to a screening of the film while supplies last. Microsoft will also be in attendance providing VR and computer workshops.

Money raised by the event will go right back into helping provide top facilities and supplies for the students of Art & Design ensuring they have every opportunity to be prepared for the competitive arts field of their choosing. "This event will solidify Art and Design's role in hosting major events associated with their area of expertise and will become a harbinger for future partnerships with the PTA in raising significant funds for our students. This is potentially the biggest event we have hosted at our school; we are both grateful and honored to have this opportunity," says the school's principal, Manuel Ureña. "The eclectic collection of opportunities to meet industry leaders in the realm of cartooning impacts all of our majors and allows our students to make real life connections to their field; animation, film, photography, fashion, illustration, architecture, and graphic design."

The event will feature over 125 exhibiting artists and vendors as well as award-winning guest speakers who will offer lectures about their careers and artistic processes and conduct workshops and portfolio reviews. Fanfaire will also feature comic pros such as Dan Parent, Mike Holmes, Mike Lilly, Bob Almond, as well as animators and designers from Adult Swim and Titmouse, and guests from gaming, toy, fashion and photography fields.

The event takes place February 24-25 from 10AM to 6PM at the High School of Art & Design located at 245 E 56^th street, New York, NY 10022. Annihilation Screening is scheduled for 7:30PM on February 21^st and passes are offered to those who purchase tickets online at Fanfaire's website while supplies last. For more information, check out their site at Fanfaireisfor.me