Science Fiction Artist Don Maitz Is the Guest Artist at This Year's Worldcon

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date:     August 26, 1997
Contact:  Laurie Mann, LoneStarCon 2 Press Relations
          210-601-5343
          Room 108, Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio, TX
          http://www.io.com/~lsc2/press


SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS -- The 55th World Science Fiction Convention, 
LoneStarCon 2, will take place here from August 28-September 1, 1997.  
The Worldcon is the annual gathering of science fiction writers, artists,
publishers and readers.  LoneStarCon 2 will attract about 5,000
attendees from around the world and feature programming, an art show,
dealers room, masquerade and the annual Hugo Awards.  
Award-winning illustrator Don Maitz is the Artist Guest of Honor
at the Worldcon.

Maitz has achieved national acclaim for his many book cover 
illustrations.  Specializing in fantasy and science fiction imagery, 
he has some 150 commissioned works published by such noted publishers 
as Simon & Schuster, Berkley Publishing, Doubleday & Co., Bantam Books, 
Dell Publishing, Tor Books, Warner Books and DAW Books.

In 1989, Maitz won both the Hugo Award for Best Artist and the Hugo for
Best Book Cover.  He also received the 1992 Chesley Award
for his body of work.  (Hugos are awarded by members of the Worldcon, 
and the Chesleys are awarded by ASFA, the Association of Science 
Fiction and Fantasy Artists.) Previously, he won the Chesley Awards 
for Artistic Achievement with his art book _First Maitz and Best 
Hard Cover Jacket for _Cyteen, which won the 1989 Best Novel Hugo.  
In 1980 he received a coveted Silver Medal from the Society of 
Illustrators for his cover illustration of Richard Cowper's novel, 
_The Road to Corlay.  He was awarded the H.P. Lovecraft Award for 
Best Artist at the 6th World Fantasy Convention.  He has also 
been awarded the Bronze medal by the National Academy at 
the Delaware Art Museum.

Maitz created work for national advertising
campaigns including the "Captain Morgan" image for Seagram & Sons
Distributors.  Other advertising clients include Eastman Kodak,
NBC/TV Guide, Bell Telephone, Avon Products, and various New York
agencies.  His color illustrations have appeared in such magazines
as _Omni and _Starlog.  Some of his work has been reproduced as
prints, greeting cards, and other mass-market items.  In addition
much of his work has been reproduced in Europe and the Far East.

Born on June 10th, 1953 in Bristol Connecticut, Maitz has been
actively engaged in artistic pursuits since childhood.  He attended
the University of Hartford Art Department in the Advanced Placement
Program his last year of high school.  Upon graduation from
Plainville High, he entered the Paier School of Art in Hamden,
Connecticut where he graduated at the top of his class in 1975.

In 1980 Maitz helped organize the first major exhibition of
science fiction and fantasy paintings at an American art museum. 
The show at the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain,
Connecticut, broke all previous attendance records.  His works have
also been included in major exhibitions at the Society of
Illustrators, NASA's 25th Anniversary Exhibition at the Cleveland
Museum of Natural History, the Delaware Art Museum and a traveling
exhibition called "Fantasy Group Show" originating in Plano, Texas
and concluding at Brigham Young University in Utah.

Maitz's work is included in the permanent collection of the
New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain Connecticut and the
Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Delaware.  Maitz currently makes
Florida his home, with his wife, artist and writer Janny Wurts.

For one year, Maitz was guest instructor at the Ringling
School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.


     LoneStarCon 2 is a service mark of Austin Literary Arts 
     Maintenance Organization (ALAMO), Inc., a 501(c)(3) 
     non-profit literary, educational corporation. All rights 
     reserved.  "World Science Fiction Society", "WSFS", 
     "World Science Fiction Convention", "Worldcon", "NASFiC", 
     and "Hugo" are registered service marks of the World Science 
     Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society.

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