The focus of this class is to have students interact and engage outside the classroom with professionals in various realms of art and illustration. The main project involves volunteering for the AI-AP Party during the first week of November. This event is the Publication Party for the American Illustration and American Photography annuals and serves as the social centerpiece of the year for these industries. It is attended by illustrators, photographers, art directors, designers, animators, publishers, curators, educators, students, and more. I am the Student Volunteer Coordinator and have served this role for the past 17 years. Other proposed engagements include museum tours with curators, gallery visits to Tribeca, Chinatown, Chelsea, etc., where we will meet with gallerists and/or their currently exhibiting artists, open studios, and studio visits. We may also tour editorial art departments, animation studios, publishers, and companies that hire or commission illustrations. Additionally, we might attend art book fairs and comic/zine festivals, such as The NY Art Book Fair, Comic Arts Brooklyn, MoCCA, and The Armory Show. Due to the varying schedules of these destinations and hosts, some field trips may take place outside of class time, so flexibility and coordination will be necessary. While there won’t be enough time to do everything, the goal is to step outside the classroom, actively participate, engage, and network in the field, gain insights from working professionals, and experience the vibrant and diverse art and illustration scene of NYC.