The Society of Illustrators was founded in 1901 to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, its history and evolving nature through exhibitions, lectures, and education.The Society's inaugural Exhibition of American Illustration opened in 1959 with 350 original works, followed by the publication of the first Illustrators Annual. This 54th edition maintains the same standards of excellence and variety, from the most traditional to the farther reaches of the cutting edge. Through the Annual and other exhibitions, student scholarships, popular lecture series, and social gatherings, the Society continues to support and encourage illustrators and illustration with a commitment that has remained steady in an ever–changing world.