Reston, VA - An artistic highlight of the giant PRINT 05 & CONVERTINGSM 05 exhibition September 9-15 at Chicago’s McCormick Place will be a panel display exhibit created by Smithsonian Institution Libraries about the history and importance of book illustration. “Picturing Words: The Power of Book Illustration,” organized by Smithsonian curators Helena Wright and Joan Boudreau, will feature local artists demonstrating various forms of illustration. The exhibit will display images from books in the Libraries and will be equipped with an interactive component for public participation. Among the items included are selections from fine books by illustrator Walter Crane and designer William Morris, children’s alphabet books, works on anatomy and natural history, The Nuremberg Chronicle and the massive Smithsonian commercial trade literature collection. Following its appearance at this year’s show in Chicago, where it will be located in booth #7259, the exhibit will travel throughout the United States for exhibition in a number of cities to be named. The traveling exhibit will precede the opening of a year-long expanded exhibition of the same name, with images and collection items displayed on The National Mall in Washington, DC. NPES the Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies (NPES) is providing financial support for the exhibit, as well as recruiting additional sponsors to provide funding or in-kind assistance for the project. Companies that have volunteered support to date include a number of NPES member exhibitors in the show such as Agfa Corporation, BookTech Magazine, Brandtjen & Kluge, D&K Group, Flint Ink, Heidelberg, MAN Roland, and The Print Council, as well as the Graphic Arts Show Company (GASC), ExpoTrust Marketing Group and PIA/GATF. “NPES and our member companies and industry colleagues are excited to have this opportunity to partner with the Smithsonian Libraries in showcasing the power and beauty of print and its continuing importance as a communications medium,” said Regis J. Delmontagne, president of NPES and GASC. “And, as the largest exhibition of technology for commercial, package printing and converting in the world this year, PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 is the ideal place to kick off the tour for ‘Picturing Words’.” NPES and Smithsonian Libraries will hold a news conference on Sunday, September 11 during the show to introduce the sponsors and provide details about the project. For more information, contact NPES Director of Communications and Marketing Carol Hurlburt at 703/264-7211, E-Mail: [email protected], or Bob Kearns, Smithsonian Institution Libraries Public Affairs Specialist at 202/633-1522, E-Mail: [email protected]. PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 will encompass over 750,000 square feet of exhibits, and host almost 800 exhibiting companies from around the world with 70,000 registrants. GASC produces PRINT 05 & CONVERTING 05 and is owned by the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), NPES, and the Printing Industries of America (PIA). GASC is located at 1899 Preston White Drive, Reston, VA 20191-4367 USA, telephone: 703/264-7200, fax: 703/620-9187, E-Mail: [email protected]. For additional information, visit www.gasc.org.