Special Art Events include Sessions with Digital Art Pioneer Bert Monroy and Best-Selling Author Susan Orlean, Digital Art Showings, iPad Sketch Station, Super Art Fight and Tech Talks

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Dec. 19, 2011 — (PRNewswire) —   IDG World Expo today announced special events taking place at Macworld | iWorld celebrating the impact of Apple technology on literature and the visual arts, including a feature presentation and on-site exhibit by acclaimed digital photo-realist artist, author and lecturer Bert Monroy and conversation with author and self-proclaimed geek Susan Orlean, as well as the Digital Art Gallery, iPad Sketch Station, an exhibition of art inspired by South Park, Super Art Fight tournament and a host of art-focused Tech Talks.

These art and literature events complement a full slate of new show elements debuting in 2012—including the Music Experience and Film Event—as well as attendee favorite Macworld | iWorld programs, such as a dynamic product exhibit floor featuring hundreds of companies showcasing the latest in software, hardware, peripherals, accessories and applications for the Apple products platform, networking events and meet ups, unique shopping opportunities, workshops and more than 75 Tech Talks that take attendees inside OS X Lion, iOS 5 and key third-party products. Macworld | iWorld will take place January 26 – January 28, 2012, at the Moscone Center – West Hall in San Francisco.

This year, Macworld | iWorld presents Featured Artist Bert Monroy, whose on-site exhibit and presentation will offer attendees a historical look at art on the Mac. After a long career in advertising, Bert discovered computers with the introduction of the Macintosh 128 in 1984 and embarked on a new digital career. He embraced the computer as an artistic medium and today is considered one of the pioneers of digital art. An accomplished teacher and lecturer, Bert has served on the faculty of a list of institutions that include The School of Visual Arts in New York and currently teaches at San Francisco State University. Bert was a monthly regular on Tech TV for more than three years and recently hosted Pixel Perfect with Bert Monroy, a weekly Photoshop podcast for Revision3.com. Bert's gallery presentation will be a history lesson featuring his early work from 1984 done in MacPaint and moving through time with the evolution of graphics software to his present work using Photoshop. His session will show the present power of the technology to create whatever your imagination can conjure up.

"I'm a hyper-realist artist with a passion for making things happen on the screen," said Bert Monroy. "Because my paintings look like photographs, I'm often asked why I don't just take a photograph. For me, it's all about finding a new way of doing something and uncovering a new room in my imagination. Apple technologies have given me the tools to unleash my creative spirit and re-create reality in ways I never could have imagined just five years ago. I am excited to share my art, my journey and my passion at Macworld | iWorld."

A Conversation with Susan Orlean, Author and Geek brings together influential New Yorker magazine staff writer, best-selling author and technophobe turned technophile Susan Orlean for a discussion with Glenn Fleishman, technology writer for the Seattle Times, The Economist and Macworld. A writer for magazines as varied as Vogue, Esquire, Rolling Stone, and Smithsonian, Susan has been on staff for the New Yorker since 1992 and is the bestselling author of eight books, including "The Orchid Thief," which was made into the Oscar-winning movie "Adaptation." The owner of a plethora of Macs and iOS devices, Susan uses Apple technology daily for research, communication and writing. She also has mastered being a long-form, non-fiction writer in the era of Twitter, amassing nearly 200,000 followers while writing a blog on the New Yorker's Web site. In her session, Susan will provide insight into her creative process and the tools she uses in her work, including how the iPad helped her write her latest book, "Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend," a New York Times bestseller and a Notable book of 2011.

"A long-time Mac user and fan—I am proud to call myself a geek—I'm passionate about how new Apple tools, including my coveted iPad, have helped my writing move to new heights. They've made me more productive and, most importantly, more creative," said Susan Orlean. "My talk will be a chance for me to share my experience and offer some insights and lessons for budding writers and other creative people looking to use today's technological innovations to take their craft, whatever it may be, to the next level."

Additional art-inspired events will take place in Macworld | iWorld's Midway, where a collection of attractions give attendees an opportunity to experience iOS and OS X products and technologies across the arts and education in unique and engaging ways. Highlights include:

• The Digital Art Gallery—Macworld | iWorld is bringing back one of its most stunning and vibrant event features: a showcase of original digital art from around the world. The Digital Art Gallery will feature different genres of art including landscape, portrait, animation, photography and sci/fi, all created using Apple technologies.
• iPad Sketch Stations—A showcase of talented and experienced iPad artists who will create art live on their devices and have it displayed via large plasma screens for attendees to view during the course of the artist's execution and throughout the event. The iPad Sketch Stations give artists a unique opportunity to demonstrate their skills and creativity while providing attendees with a first-hand glimpse into the innovation possible on iPads.    
• South Park Art Gallery—A museum of South Park-inspired art work—including work submitted by fans and South Park staff, as well as famous South Park memorabilia, such as the gown Matt Stone wore to the Oscars in 2000 and the original cut-outs and story boards from early seasons of the show—will be on display for attendees to enjoy. The South Park Gallery complements several other South Park events taking place at Macworld | iWorld, including an exclusive screening of the full-length, unaired South Park Pilot episode followed by a mind-blowing, myth-dispelling Q&A with South Park Studios show staff and a special session on the Making of South Park -- Inside South Park's Animation Studio, which takes attendees behind the scenes of the Mac-centric South Park Studios.
• Super Art Fight—This next-generation live art experience is a live tournament unlike any other. Add a punk rock sensibility and some of the most entertaining live commentary to hit the stage, Super Art Fight is taking the nation by storm, one event at a time, and will make its inaugural appearance at Macworld | iWorld this year.
• A wide variety of art-focused Tech Talks will provide attendees of all skill levels opportunities for interactive education on topics including: InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator: A Creative Sweet! with David Blatner, co-owner of InDesignSecrets; The Mobile Artists Lounge with Russell Brown, senior creative director for Adobe Systems, Inc.; Appalooza: Creative iApps with David Biedny, digital effects, graphics & multimedia expert; Enhanced Virtual Reality with HTML5 with Bill Wiecking, energy lab director at the Hawaii Prep Academy; The World's Biggest Art Museum with Alan Oppenheimer, president of Open Door Networks; Visual Note-Taking with the iPad with Rachel Smith, director of Digital Facilitation Services with The Grove Consultants; and Nomad Compose SpeedSketch with Don Lee, founder & CEO of NomadBrush LLC.

Registration Information

Attendee registration is now open at: https://register.rcsreg.com/r2/macsf2012/ga/clear.html. Information about event passes and pricing can be found at: http://www.macworldiworld.com/packages-and-prices.

For complete details on media qualification guidelines, please visit: http://www.macworldiworld.com/credentials. Please note that all media are required to submit media credentials for Macworld | iWorld.

Connect

For current happenings, news and chatter follow Macworld | iWorld on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MacworldExpo and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/MACWORLD/58481436623.

For more on the iPhone Film Festival, visit http://www.iphoneff.com/. Connect with the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/iphoneff and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/iPhone_FilmFest.

About Macworld | iWorld

Macworld | iWorld is the world's ultimate fan event for those who use, create, and love Apple products. Attendees will encounter a unique celebration of Apple technology-infused art, music, and film, as well as learning opportunities, and a shopping mecca in our expo hall filled with products and services for Apple users of all skill levels and interests. From home users, to artistic hobbyists and professionals, and the true Technorati—Macworld | iWorld gives attendees the chance to experience all that the amazing world of Apple-related tools can offer. Macworld | iWorld will take place January 26 – January 28, 2012 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. For more information, please visit http://www.macworldiworld.com.

About IDG World Expo

IDG World Expo ( www.idgworldexpo.com) is a leading producer of tradeshows and events for professionals and consumers seeking world-class education, strategic business relationships, and access to industry-leading products and services. IDG World Expo's portfolio of conferences and events includes Macworld | iWorld, MacIT® Conference, Electronic Entertainment Expo® (E3®), Anime Expo®, QuakeCon, Halo® Fest, and Enterprise MobileNext. IDG World Expo is a business unit of IDG, the world's leading technology media, research and event company.

SOURCE IDG World Expo

Contact:

IDG World Expo Macworld | iWorld Apple CONTACT: Marisa Borgasano, Schwartz MSL for IDG World Expo Phone: +1-781-684-0770 Email Contact Web: http://www.idgworldexpo.com