We are proud and excited to announce the launch of the new website for the MFA in Illustration program at the Hartford Art School—University of Hartford, a site that reflects the uniqueness and professional caliber of our students, alumni, faculty, administration and program.

A special thank you to Yong Chen (Class of 2009) for donating his time both on the design and programming coordination of this massive project.

Snake Charmer, above, by Eric Wieringa—one of the illlustrations on display this May at Spectrum Live

Get a head start and make plans now to attend the Spectrum Fantastic Art Live! event this May 18-20 in Kansas City, Missouri.

The show will be host to over over 200 booths featuring the world's most famous creators of fantastic art, including our own Eric Wieringa (Class of 2011). Visit Eric at booth #416 and say hello!

Weekend events include the 2012 Spectrum 19 Awards gala ceremony, a Friday night street party, and after-hours life drawing parties.

This venue for viewing and selling art, self-promotion, and networking offers attendees the opportunity to meet and interact with artists, attend portfolio reviews, demonstrations, educational panels and more.

Don't miss it! Register now.

Some of you may remember Lon Levin, one of the program's guest speakers in Pasadena. Levin's blog, The Illustrators Journal, features discussions with illustrators, as well as industry advice.

Have a look at his recent conversation with Program Director Murray Tinkelman, My Interview With Murray Tinkelman: Part One, and then educate yourself with Levin's recent entry regarding self promotion, One Way To Promote Yourself.

Eric Wieringa's (Class of 2011) recent blog post, in which he describes the process of putting together his most recent promotional piece, made us wish we were on the receiving end of one of these gorgeous packages. An incredibly inspiring entry full of tips and tricks—definitely worth reading if you haven't already!

A must-read! Check out this excellent Q & A with Ryan O'Rourke (Class of 2012) on Connecticut Creatives, an online portal for news and discourse on the talent, projects, organizations and events within the thriving network of creatives in Connecticut.

Lisa also took away the Patricia Dee Award of Excellence in Portraying the Human Form.

This is the second consecutive year that Lisa's work has won an award in this exhibition.

The work is on exhibit until February 24 at Gallery Uptown, 201 Washington Ave., Grand Haven, Michigan. 616-846-5460. Gallery hours: Monday through Saturday 10am-6pm, open until 8pm every first Friday of the month.

left: And So It Became a Game of Two Halves by Lisa Ambrose, oil on board, 36 inches x 24 inches

Maguire's New England Patriots Incredible GRONK illustration is currently being featured as part of Thrillist.com's "Most Patriot-ic Playbook Ever."

Check out Ryan's Etsy shop for prints, and download the image for your iPad here.

We love getting our weekly dose of editorial animation from faculty Zina Saunders on Mother Jones' website, but now we have a second source.

Zina has joined the all-star list of contributors to former editor-in-chief of Spy magazine Tony Hendra's website The Final Edition.

Watch Zina's latest cartoon, featuring Mitt Romney and his dog Seamus, on The Final Edition, alongside the work of satirists from the ranks of The Daily Show, SNL, and Real Time with Bill Maher.