Programming

The official opening salvo of IX 2026 – kick off the festivities in fine style with art, friends, and drinks!

You’re putting in the hours, seeking feedback from numerous sources, watching tutorials, and trying new techniques—so why does the progress you’re trying to make still feel out of reach?

Join artist and educator Anthony Waichulis for a closer look at an easily overlooked obstacle to artistic development: the gap between knowing what you like and defining what you’re trying to achieve. Through familiar studio dilemmas and a critical look at popular advice like “loosen up” and “find your style,” Waichulis explores how to clarify artistic intentions, distinguish useful feedback from personal preference, and give practice a more productive direction.

Join GoggleWorks artist Adry Eberhard for a life drawing session.

Interacting with the public is hard. Branding is hard. Figuring out what to print, how to present it, and how to sell it? Yup, hard. And yet somehow I make a living doing it full time, so come by and listen to what I’ve learned- you might find it less hard!

Join a veritable who’s who of Magic: the Gathering artists for a massive artist proof sketching event! Watch them draw, ask them questions, and buy the proofs – a perfect trifecta!

Hosted by Donny Caltrider.

A pivot, a new approach to art, a place in IBA for the first time ever. I’m giving a behind-the-scenes look at my ongoing work building a career around fine art and illustration. You’ll hear about some smart decisions I made early and some mistakes I’ll never make again. Come for the narrative fine art, stay for the talk about how I get commissions to draw whatever I want.

Join Mark Zug and his band, The Weathercocks, for an evening of music and merriment as only IX can provide as a wide range of artists and attendees sit in with the band for jams galore!

Join artist Eric Wilkerson for a special art class and demonstration exploring his creative process, technique, and approach to color theory. Attendees will have the opportunity to watch an experienced illustrator at work while gaining insight into the artistic decisions behind a finished piece.

Join a veritable who’s who of Magic: the Gathering artists for a massive artist proof sketching event! Watch them draw, ask them questions, and buy the proofs – a perfect trifecta!

Hosted by Donny Caltrider.

Join artists Bob Eggleton and April Solomon for a deep dive into stylistic influences, both in classical art and illustration, and a discussion of how you can find your own special look without aping anyone else.

Join Dobe for a figure drawing workshop where we take a live model and explore different ways to manipulate what we observe into an imaginative figure, This workshop will cover how to use observational drawing and real-life objects to create fantasy characters and creatures.

Join artists Drew Baker, Rhonda Libbey, Matt Stawicki, and Drew Tucker for a roundtable discussion devoted to the creative process. These four artists bring remarkably different styles and approaches to their work, making this a unique opportunity to hear how professional illustrators develop ideas, approach assignments, solve visual problems, and bring their individual artistic voices to the finished image.

Your client work doesn’t have to compete with your personal vision—it can power it. Learn how top illustrators leverage commercial gigs to self-fund their personal projects and original IP. We’ll break down proven case studies alongside targeted strategies for growing an engaged audience. Walk away with a clear roadmap to convert commercial assignments into long-term creative independence.

Add depth and mystery to your creative endeavors with the power of symbols and ciphers! In this workshop, learn about using existing symbols, invented letterforms/symbols, and ciphers. You’ll have the opportunity to make a simple substitution cipher with your own invented letters – a message encoded in a cryptic symbology. 

Join artist Kristen Margiotta as she demonstrates the time honored tradition of “alla prima,” a wet on wet painting technique that means to complete the painting in one session. This technique encourages spontaneous brushwork, rapid decision making, and is a no hassle approach to painting. The challenge of using this painting method within a limited time constraint is to keep the paint fresh and intentional, while capturing not only the likeness of the model, but their energy and spirit.

“Alla Prima” is truly a gift to artists to implement as both a technique of study in life observation, as well as for a completed painting, and Kristen utilizes alla prima in both forms. She will have painting examples at the demonstration as well. Kristen will paint from a live model using oil paint and all are encouraged to join her in this intimate and energetic setting.

Can you teach someone to have good taste? What is it, and how do you develop it?  What does your collection say about your taste?  Not every painting is a “good” one, but how do you know that?  Is it discernment?  Sensibility? Cultivation?  Is taste a marker of social status and class?  Or a marker of distinction?   Is it intuitive, or inborn?  Or learned?  Do you have a “good eye”?  Or are you drawn to “slop”  (my new word of the day)? IX is filled with amazing choices – how will you make yours?   Let’s get serious and talk about your tastes in art! 

The case against conventional wisdom from the team at Every Day Original.

You’ve been told to grow out of lots of things, to get real, grow up, get a job, kid! But the things “they” want you to quit are exactly what you need to do to stand out. Working with your hands instead of a prompt, making the work nobody’s paying you for, taking whimsy as seriously as a museum show. We’ll meet with some of our team and artists to share all of that, plus how our best artists think about logistics and shipping so that it’s easier for you and how our artists astonish their collectors.

Talk and open Q&A with the team and artists from https://everydayoriginal.com/.

During my demo you’ll see many types of metal leaf and all of the materials I use in my work on a daily basis. Bring your questions and shake off your fears; I’ve got over 10 years of experience using gold leaf so you’ll learn the best tips and tricks I know!

Join artists Donato Giancola, Jeff Menges, Winona Nelson, and Bryon Wackwitz as they look beyond the drawing board and into the realities of building and sustaining a professional career. Topics will include entering the industry, working with art directors and clients, navigating assignments, developing professional relationships, adapting to changes in the illustration field, and lessons learned over years of working professionally.

GoggleWorks artist Adry Eberhard will direct a life drawing session, working with nude models.

Join artist Charles Vess for a look at his artistic upbringing: growing up in a town with no art museum, no bookstore and no public library, he still managed to find the art that he needed to bring him joy and to help make him the artist that he is today.

What happens when artwork created for a trading card game enters a museum? This preview of the Minnesota Marine Art Museum’s upcoming exhibition, Currents of Control, examines the curatorial process behind the first major museum exhibition devoted to Magic: The Gathering. From selecting a narrative and securing loans to designing the visitor experience, this session offers a rare look at how fantasy illustration becomes a museum exhibition.