The first issue of The Pastel Journal was published in March of 1999, which means the new March/April issue marks the magazine's 10-year anniversary! I was trying to think if I could recall how I celebrated my own 10-year-old birthday. Although the memory is vague, I'm fairly sure it involved a sleepover with my best friend. No doubt, after some cake and presents, we spent much of the evening dancing around the bedroom, holding whatever might serve as microphones, and singing along to Shaun Cassidy and Abba. Don't worry; we've come up with much better ways to mark the magazine's milestone. For starters, you can enjoy a new art slide show on the website, featuring 10 years of art from the magazine. What better way to reminisce than with four minutes of stunning pastels!

The special anniversary edition of the magazine, on sale now, is also filled with page after page of inspiring artwork—as we announce the 100 winners of the Pastel 100 competition, which also celebrates its 10 year anniversary! In addition, the issue includes a three-way conversation with key figures from the magazine's history—cofounders Maggie Price and Janie Hutchinson, and artist Deborah Secor—as they recall the "birth story" of The Pastel Journal. Maggie and Janie took a big risk when they launched the magazine, which has me thinking that maybe there is a place for Abba at this party. The band's mega-hit "Take a Chance on Me" is perhaps perfectly suited for the magazine's soundtrack. Two energetic artists took a chance and confidently set about their mission, creating a magazine devoted to pastel art and artists that continues to feed and motivate readers 10 years later.

Three cheers! No, 10 cheers!

Catch it if you can. A new solo exhibition "Across the Day," featuring new pastels and oil paintings by California artist Sally Strand, opened on February 5 at the Telluride Gallery of Fine Arts in Telluride, Colorado.

Whether painting a still life or interior—with or without figures—it is the light which captivates and inspires the artist. She has won numerous awards for her luminous pastels and was inducted into the Pastel Society of America's Hall of Fame in 2007. Read a feature about the artist from our new sister magazine, Southwest Art.

The show continues through March 5.

Glass with White Roses (2008; pastel, 10 x 12 1/2) by Sally Strand