Call for Applications: 2025-2026 VRA Professional Development Grant
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to invite applications for the 2025-2026 VRA Professional Development Grant. Applications are accepted February 3 – March 14, 2025.
The VRA Professional Development Grant awards up to $2,000 to support professional development in the field of visual resources and cultural heritage information management. The grant can be used to participate in a professional development opportunity of the grantee’s choosing (e.g., a conference, symposium, or workshop), or to enroll in relevant research activities (e.g., hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). Priority will be given to applications that
enable a leadership role at an event, including, but not limited to, giving a paper, teaching a workshop, or chairing a committee;
support research that shows promise to lead to publication and contributes to the visual resources and cultural heritage information management community; and
provide evidence that receiving the grant will benefit the applicant as well as an institution, community, or region.
A complete description of the Professional Development Grant and application instructions are available at https://www.vraweb.org/professional-development-grant.
Please share this announcement with anyone who might be interested.
VRA seeks partner to create design 2025 Annual Conference in Portland, OR
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) seeks a partner to create a design for the Association’s 2025 Annual Conference in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025. The design should communicate both the VRA’s identity and the character of the host city.
Objective
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) seeks a partner to create a design for the Association’s 2025 Annual Conference in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025.
About the VRA
The VRA was founded in 1972 as a professional association for visual resources curators working with collections of 35mm slide and photograph collections at universities and cultural heritage institutions.
Today’s VRA is a multi-disciplinary, international non-profit organization dedicated to furthering research and education in the field of media management within the educational, cultural heritage, and commercial environments. The Association offers a forum for issues of vital concern to the field of digital and analog curation, including: preservation of and access to media of visual culture; cataloging and classification standards and practices; integration of technology-based instruction and research; digital humanities; intellectual property policy; visual literacy and other topics of interest to the field. Through collaboration, partnership, and outreach with the broader information management, educational, and scholarly communities, the Association actively supports the primacy of visual information in documenting and understanding humanity’s shared cultural experience.
Recent surveys of the membership indicate that the VRA community is known for its collegiality and emphasis on practical knowledge.
Project Description
The design should communicate both the VRA’s identity and the character of the host city. The illustration will be used in electronic media related to the conference, including the Association’s social media, website, email communications, and slide deck templates. The illustration will also be printed on a tote bag and other promotional materials (e.g. stickers or buttons) given to all conference registrants.
The following deliverables are desired by May 2, 2025:
Screen printing-optimized files for Enviro-Tote’s Economist Tote (10” x 10” imprint area): maximum of 5 colors preferred
Web-optimized files appropriate for website and social media use (e.g. 1584x396 Linkedin background, 2880x953 conference website banner, 1080x1080 Instagram post)
Hi-res vector format files
Sufficient logo variations to meet the format limitations of most use cases
Interested artists should provide their rates for design services that encompass the project description and desired deliverables. Please reach out to initiatives@vraweb.org with any questions.
VRA 2025: Call for Proposals opens January 27!
The Visual Resources Association invites proposals for our 2025 Annual Conference, to be held at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025. The submission deadline is Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm PDT.
The Visual Resources Association invites proposals for our 2025 Annual Conference, to be held at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR, October 7–9, 2025. The submission deadline is Friday, March 14, 2025, at 11:59 pm PDT.
View the full call for proposals
Whether you are a current member or a potential attendee, we encourage you to reflect on your experiences, ideas, and expertise. We encourage submissions from VRA members and non-members, seasoned attendees and first-timers, as well as students, early-career, mid-career, and senior professionals.
Please direct any questions about the submission process to VRA’s Directors for Events & Initiatives at initiatives@vraweb.org.
VRA 2025: Conference Format
As we look ahead to VRA 2025, we are excited to announce a carefully considered shift in the structure for our upcoming annual conference. VRA 2025 will feature two distinct components: virtual pre-conference programming held a week prior to the main event, followed by three days of on-site conference programming at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR.
As we look ahead to VRA 2025, we are excited to announce a carefully considered shift in the structure for our upcoming annual conference.
Five years since the onset of the pandemic, the landscape of large-scale conferences has profoundly transformed. Priorities have shifted, placing greater emphasis on health and safety, accessibility, affordability, and environmental sustainability. These changing expectations have inspired us to reimagine how we structure our conferences to better serve our community.
Over the past three years, the VRA Annual Conference has embraced a hybrid model, accommodating virtual and in-person attendance with a mix of in-person and remote presenters. However, in 2025, we are embarking on a new approach to enhance the experience for all participants.
VRA 2025 will feature two distinct components: virtual pre-conference programming held a week prior to the main event, followed by three days of on-site conference programming at the Porter Hotel in Portland, OR.
On-site conference attendees will automatically be registered for the virtual pre-conference, and folks unable to attend on-site will have the option to register for the virtual pre-conference programming separately.
This change is designed to ensure flexibility and accessibility while creating a more engaging experience. It will also lessen the burden on both our organization’s finances and the volunteers who make this event possible. Furthermore, by separating virtual and on-site programming, we aim to avoid the challenges posed by the hybrid model, which often leads to a fragmented experience for both in-person and virtual participants.
To help us in this effort, we invite you to share your feedback through an anonymous survey. Your voice matters, and we want to hear from you as we work toward a more inclusive and engaging conference. Click here to access the feedback form.
Working together, we can design a conference experience that adapts to the evolving expectations of our field for 2025 and beyond.
Please direct any questions about the conference format to VRA’s Directors for Events & Initiatives at initiatives@vraweb.org.
VRA Bulletin | Winter 2024
VRA Bulletin Vol. 51 No. 2 (2024):
The Root of Things: Grounding the Digital Humanities in an Increasingly Groundless World
The Winter 2024 issue of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. This issue seeks to tackle how we, as digital humanists, archivists, librarians, and otherwise find solid ground to work from as we face an onslaught of precarity exacerbated by systemic injustice. Explore the new issue of the VRA's fully open access journal below:
IN THIS ISSUE
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR(S)
Alanna Prince, Cassie Tanks, Ángel David Nieves
FEATURE ARTICLES
Grounding Digital Scholarship in the Analog: Reimagining Library Fellowships Post-Pandemic
Amanda Licastro, Roberto Vargas
Queens United: Building a Descendant Community Network
Joni Floyd, Kevin Porter
About the VRA Bulletin
The VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is the journal of the Visual Resources Association (VRA), a multidisciplinary, international organization dedicated to furthering image management education and research by providing leadership in the field, developing and advocating standards, and offering educational tools and opportunities for the benefit of the community at large. The VRAB is a fully open access journal and issues are available to anyone immediately upon publication. All costs of publishing are borne by the Visual Resources Association; there is no cost to the authors in order to publish.
Interested in publishing in the VRAB? Information about the submission and publication process is available on the VRAB website.
Call for Applications: VRA Membership Software Implementation Manager
Job Title: VRA Membership Software Implementation Manager
Job Details: Part-time, Contract, 10 hours a week, $50 per hour, 6 months, starting April 2025
Job Summary:
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is enhancing its membership and related services platform to reduce long-term costs and streamline key processes for managing memberships.
As the Implementation Manager, you will oversee the deployment of newly acquired membership management software, ensuring the project is completed successfully within the defined timelines and budget. Collaborating closely with the membership software representatives, VRA’s Membership Services Coordinator and Public Relations and Communication Officer, you will facilitate a smooth transition to the new system. Reporting directly to the Executive Board, you will be responsible for providing monthly progress updates.
Key Responsibilities:
Membership Management Software Implementation Planning and Execution:
Develop comprehensive implementation plans, including project timelines, milestones, resource allocation, integration with other services/software used by VRA, and deliverables.
Manage project scope, identifying and addressing potential changes through effective change management processes.
Clean up legacy data and perform the data migration to the new system.
Monitor project progress against the plan, identifying and resolving issues proactively.
Identify and Integrate a New Listserv:
Conduct research on listserv hosting options.
Evaluate the compatibility and functionality of potential listserv hosts alongside the new membership software.
Prepare and present a report to the Board outlining recommendations and the rationale behind them.
Implement the select listserv hosting service and align its functions with the new membership software
Post-Implementation Support:
Offer continued support for a designated period following the completion of the primary implementation.
Support the Membership Services Coordinator, Public Relations and Communication Officer, and other VRA members in developing new workflows surrounding newly implemented services.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
Experience with membership management software (familiarity with MemberClicks and/or Member365 a plus)
Proven experience in project management and data migration, with a strong track record of successful implementations.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and resolve complex issues.
Interested candidates should send an updated CV and a short statement of interest (PDF preferred) to board@vraweb.org with the subject line: Membership Software Implementation Manager by Wednesday, February 5th.
Announcing the 2024-2025 VRA Project Grant Recipient
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to present the 2024-2025 VRA Project Grant in the amount of $3,968 to the American Institute of Physics’ Niels Bohr Library & Archives.
The Niels Bohr Library & Archives (NBLA) at the American Institute of Physics (AIP) will complete a pilot project to create and test workflows for born-digital photograph donations. VRA funding will support a graduate student intern for up to 190 hours to process an offered donation of nearly 40,000 digital photographs from one of AIP’s Member Societies with the goal of making the collection available online. The diversity of scientists represented in this collection will help to increase the representation of historically marginalized groups in NBLA's Emilio Segré Visual Archives. This project will also help NBLA strengthen and modernize its approaches to born-digital materials in anticipation of future similar donation offers.
December 2024 - VRA Board Buzz 🐝
Happy Holidays!
As the year draws to a close, let's take a moment to congratulate ourselves on a job well done in 2024! It's also the perfect time to reflect on the past year, and to look ahead to a new year and fresh perspectives.
Let's begin with the conference. This year's event was fantastic, and we received positive feedback on aspects like the hotel accommodations and the programming, as well as suggestions of how we can do better in certain areas next year. For the next conference, the Board and the Conference Planning group will certainly strive to maintain the high standards we've set while addressing the areas that need improvement. Meanwhile, the Board is also considering a larger question: does our conference model ensure the sustainable growth of the organization?
Since resuming in-person conferences, VRA has provided a hybrid model to accommodate members with varying circumstances and preferences. However, the hybrid format requires significant coordination and resources. As highlighted in the August entry of the Board Buzz, the annual conference remains VRA's largest expense, and the virtual portion of the conference accounts for the majority of our AV bill.
Budget aside, to continue offering a hybrid conference that meets the needs of both in-person and virtual attendees, we urgently need volunteers to help plan and run the hybrid portion of the event. Without strong volunteer support, we will not be able to offer a hybrid option in 2025. If you’re passionate about ensuring the accessibility and inclusivity of VRA’s conferences, we encourage you to step forward now to help make the hybrid experience possible. We will have a separate call for volunteers in early January, but feel free to reach out to the conference planning team at initiatives@vraweb.org before then if you are interested in supporting the hybrid option.
Since the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of new conference models have emerged across our field. Some organizations now hold two conferences annually: one in person and one completely virtual. Within these organizations, some opt for differing content between the virtual and in-person conferences, while others maintain similar content for both. Additionally, some organizations experiment by alternating between in-person and virtual conferences each year. What insights can VRA gain from these examples?
Much has changed in the past four years. Many institutions have reduced travel budgets, and some members have become accustomed to meeting virtually. However, we have all experienced the ways in which virtual meetings can not fully replace in-person interactions. Moreover, the spontaneous networking opportunities and camaraderie that arise during in-person conferences are invaluable. How can VRA effectively support both virtual and in-person communications while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the organization? We welcome any thoughts you may have.
Next, let’s discuss membership management. Under the leadership of Ann McShane, the former VRA Treasurer, and with contributions from Lise Hawkos, our long-term Membership Coordinator; Emily Smith, the current Public Relations and Communication Officer; and Wen Nie Ng, a VRA member since 2022, the Task Force has completed its goal and identified more cost-effective solutions for platforms to manage VRA's membership. You can read their report here. The Board extends its deep appreciation for their efforts, which have established a solid foundation for planning the transition from the current platform to the new one. Stay tuned for more information about this transition.
Indeed, there is a lot happening within VRA, including awarding scholarships and grants, and holding our ever-successful Summer Educational Institute and Regional Workshop Program. Behind the scenes in every area of our organization, there are passionate individuals dedicated to keeping VRA running smoothly. We invite you to consider joining us and becoming part of this dynamic team. Below is the current self-nomination call for Board positions.
As always, please don’t hesitate to share ideas or thoughts with the Board. We can be reached at board@vraweb.org
We love hearing from you!
Relish the wonderful holiday season,
Xiaoli
VRA Call for Self-Nomination
The VRA is still seeking volunteers for two Board positions. Terms of office will begin in Spring 2025 following a period of shadowing the current officers. Benefits of serving on the Board include complimentary membership, conference registration, as well as reimbursement for VRA-related travel. Hour-long board meetings currently occur on a monthly basis, with longer meetings at mid-year and the annual conference. Please find descriptions of the open roles below and see if one of them might be right for you! Self-nomination is encouraged.
President-Elect - The President-Elect serves one year as President-Elect, followed by a two-year term as President of VRA. During their term as President-Elect, they learn from the current President, work on special projects, and become familiar with the non-profit structure of VRA. The President sets the tone for VRA’s activities during their term, leading board meetings and adjudicating votes on issues.
Officer - The Officer is a special board appointment made to run projects outside the general duties of named board roles. This role is explicitly defined loosely, meant to be given a responsibility to fit the current moment. For the 2025–2026 term, we envision this role as primarily working with the Directors for Events and Initiatives to help plan the annual VRA conference. This might entail coordinating tours and events, researching local attractions, and other projects as needed.
This is a great opportunity to practice leadership skills while working with a remarkable team to support a global community. If you are interested, please contact board@vraweb.org for more information by Friday, January 10th.
Announcing the Recipients of 2024 VRA Awards!
VRA is proud to announce two important awards presented at the 42nd annual conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 10th, 2024.
Distinguished Service Award
Each year, VRA honors an individual who has made an outstanding career contribution to the field with the Distinguished Service Award (DSA). The 2024 DSA was proudly presented to Meghan Rubenstein, Colorado College, Curator of Visual Resources & Lecturer. Rubenstein truly deserves the DSA for her exceptional technical expertise, far-reaching service, and ongoing dedication to the field of Visual Resources.
As nominator Lael Ensor-Bennett said in her nomination letter, “Meghan has been instrumental in the governing and care of the VRA for much of the past eight years.” In a similar vein, John Trendler wrote, “Meghan’s passion for visual and digital literacy is evident in everything she does. Whether she’s leading a workshop, giving a presentation, or simply offering advice to a colleague, she’s always looking for ways to make a positive impact.”
Nomination Speech Transcript, Lael Ensor-Bennett
Acceptance Speech Transcript, Meghan Rubenstein
Nancy DeLaurier Award
The Nancy DeLaurier Award (NDL), is named for one of the pioneers of the visual resources profession. It annually honors a visual resources professional for distinguished achievement in the field. “Achievement” may take the form of published work, oral presentation, project management, software development, technology application, website creation, or other outstanding effort. This year, the NDL was awarded to members of the Trans Metadata Collective in recognition of their role in the research and development of “Metadata Best Practices for Trans and Gender Diverse Resources.”
Elias Larralde wrote in support of the nomination, “The resource is a crucial document for many different stakeholders in our field, most importantly the Trans individuals and subjects that are often hidden in collections around the world.” Maureen Burns wrote that, “...tireless work is clearly evident– coordination, research, discussions, writing, development, review, and dissemination– making this project very deserving of the 2024 DeLaurier Award.”
Nomination Speech Transcript, Lesley Chapman
Acceptance Speech Transcript, B. M. Watson
Congratulations to the very deserving 2024 VRA Awards recipients and sincere thanks to their thoughtful nominators!
VRA Call for Self-Nominations
The VRA is currently seeking volunteers for six open positions, four of which are Board positions, and one of which is a paid position. Please find descriptions of the open roles below and see if one of them might be right for you! Self-nomination is encouraged.
Terms of office will begin in Spring 2025 following a period of shadowing the current officers. Benefits of serving on the Board include complimentary membership, conference registration and as well as reimbursement for VRA-related travels. Hour-long board meetings currently occur on a monthly basis, with longer meetings at mid-year and the annual conference.
This is a great opportunity to practice leadership skills while working with a remarkable team to support a global community. Please join us.
If you are interested, please contact board@vraweb.org for more information by Thursday, November 7th.
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The following four board positions are available:
President-Elect - The President-Elect serves one year as President-Elect, followed by a two-year term as President of VRA. During their term as President-Elect, they learn from the current President, work on special projects, and become familiar with the non-profit structure of VRA. The President sets the tone for VRA’s activities during their term, leading board meetings and adjudicating votes on issues.
Secretary - The Secretary keeps the record of the VRA through meeting minutes, agendas, documentation of board votes, and signing official documents on behalf of the Association. They solicit reports from the many appointees, committees, chapters, SIGs, and other groups doing work under the name VRA.
Grants Officer - The Grants Officer completes applications for funding on behalf of VRA and uses that funding to award an annual Internship Award, a Professional Development Grant, and a Project Grant. They act as Principal Investigator for grants in which VRA takes part.
Junior Director of Events and Initiatives - The Junior Director of Events and Initiatives serves one year as Junior Director followed by one year as Senior Director of Events and Initiatives. The Junior Director helps plan and run organization-wide events including the Annual Conference and Regional Workshops in conjunction with the Senior Director of Events and Initiatives, local committees, and hired consultants.
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SECAC Rep: To share activities of each organization with the other - Usually by email and listserv
VRA Bulletin Production Editor: To develop and manage the technical infrastructure of the VRA Bulletin in conjunction with the electronic press and to support editors and authors in the use of the online tools for the electronic journal. Partner with the Content Editor to plan and supervise the preparation and publication of the VRA Bulletin. This position is paid a $750 stipend per issue.
VRA 2024: Land Acknowledgement
Minneapolis, Minnesota is part of the homeland of the Dakota and Anishinaabe (Ojibwe). Today, Dakota, Ojibwe, and many other Indigenous Americans make their home in the Twin Cities. As the Visual Resources Association visits Minneapolis for our 2024 Annual Conference, we acknowledge and pay respect to the Indigenous people of Minneapolis, past and present.
Cultural heritage work has both a colonial history and present. As such, it is incumbent upon us to lessen the ongoing, harmful impact of settler colonialism. This, however, is not a statement of passivity. As a profession, there are things each of us can do.
Minneapolis, Minnesota is part of the homeland of the Dakota and Anishinaabe (Ojibwe). Today, Dakota, Ojibwe, and many other Indigenous Americans make their home in the Twin Cities. As the Visual Resources Association visits Minneapolis for our 2024 Annual Conference, we acknowledge and pay respect to the Indigenous people of Minneapolis, past and present.
Cultural heritage work has both a colonial history and present. As such, it is incumbent upon us to lessen the ongoing, harmful impact of settler colonialism. This, however, is not a statement of passivity. As a profession, there are things each of us can do.
What members of VRA can do:
Support and uphold ethical stewardship:
engage in critical cataloging
pursue equitable partnerships
appropriately enhance the visibility of underrepresented artists
facilitate the repatriation of stolen collections
work to mitigate the climate impact of visual resources work
Support the hiring, retention, and promotion of your BIPOC colleagues
Join the Equitable Action Committee
Donation Links:
In support of the Minneapolis Native community, the Visual Resources Association has donated $400 to Little Earth toward their campaign for a new passenger van.
A Message From Little Earth:
Little Earth is a 9.4-acre HUD subsidized housing complex in the industrial urban core of Minneapolis. Founded in 1973 through grassroots activism, it is the only American Indian preference Section 8 rental assistance community in the United States. Home to 1200 residents representing 38 tribal affiliations, Little Earth is a model for self determination for all Native peoples with its work to eliminate systemic barriers in education, health, and career development. Our wraparound support services integrate a range of programs including Adult and Family Empowerment, Youth Empowerment, the Native Youth Culture Program, the Noojimowin Counseling Program, Native Youth Arts Collective, the Native Youth Workforce Development Program, and the Urban Farm.
Thank you for supporting Little Earth in our vision of empowering our residents by creating a culturally strong, supportive, healthy, and unified community. Our work disrupts the cycle of intergenerational trauma and colonization and moves our community towards Native sovereignty.
New Passenger Van (our current campaign)
All three of Little Earth’s faithful old passenger vans were severely damaged by vandalism, and two are a total loss. These vans are used daily for transporting kids to school, Elders to medical appointments and the pharmacy, families for food shelf runs, and community pets to the veterinarian. Your generous support will help us purchase a new or gently used replacement.
We encourage attendees to join us in materially supporting the Native community in Minneapolis by donating to Little Earth or another local organization:
Resources for Self-Education:
About Minneapolis
About Visual Resources Work
Best Practices in Authority Work Relating to Indigenous Nations in the U.S.
Creating subject headings for Indigenous topics : a culturally respectful guide
Embracing a Complicated Relationship: Indigenous Museum Practices
Recruitment, Retention, and Experiences of Art Library Professionals
Toward a Decolonial Archival Praxis: Digitizing the Lloyd Best Archive in Trinidad and Tobago
About Land Acknowledgements
VRA 2024: Local Attractions Guide
As you prepare for a week of learning and networking at this year’s VRA annual conference, don't miss out on the chance to experience some of the best that Minneapolis has to offer.
Looking for fall foliage? Check out Minnesota DNR’s fall color map for historical averages in the state. And if you have some extra time in your schedule, visit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum (30 minutes by rideshare) where you can recreate Prince's iconic fall photoshoots!
Photo © Steve Parke, 1999
Our Conference Experience Planning Group has compiled an interactive map and list of local attractions, all near our home base at the Embassy Suites! Whether you're looking for local eats, shopping, museums, or a quiet spot to relax, this list has you covered.
List compiled by Nadine McAllister, Officer & Conference Experience Liaison, with contributions from Ann McShane and Margaret McKee and the Conference Experience Planning Group.
September 2024 - VRA Board Buzz 🐝
Greetings!
Can you believe we’re more than halfway through September already? And just a few weeks away from VRA 2024 Minneapolis! I know for many of us, this is often the busiest time of year. Because of that, I’ll try my best to keep this month’s Board Buzz short and sweet.
When I look back at my professional development, it all started with VRA. I joined as an MLIS student in 2016 on the recommendation of a friend (thanks, Molly Schoen!). The first time I ever presented a poster was at the Louisville conference in 2017, and as a recent graduate, I had the chance to digitize 100+ years of records and ephemera from Detroit’s Scarab Club thanks to a VRA grant. After a few years sitting on the sidelines of VRA during a shift in my career, last year I rejoined and jumped headfirst into conference planning halfway through the process for VRA 2023 San Antonio after my belated appointment to the Executive Board as Jr. Director for Events & Initiatives. It was baptism by fire, but I enjoyed the challenge. Now, as the main conference planner for VRA 2024, I like my role most of all because it’s a way to help create opportunities for our attendees, much like the ones I benefited from earlier in my professional journey.
I am so proud of what the Conference Planning Team has accomplished this year. We set high standards for ourselves, and they have paid off. I also want to give a huge thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal to the conference, as well as the many volunteers, presenters, and moderators who ensure everything runs according to plan. Without your hard work (and behind-the-scenes form wizardry via Membership Coordinator Lise Hawkos) there is no conference.
VRA 2024 Minneapolis Conference Planning Team:
Maria Nuccilli, Senior Director for Events & Initiatives | Wayne State University
Molly Schoen, Junior Director for Events & Initiatives | Fashion Institute of Technology
Nadine McAllister, Officer & Conference Experience Liaison | Brown University
Emily Smith, Public Relations & Communications Officer | Oakland Museum of California
Meghan Rubenstein, Technology Advisor | Colorado College
Otto Luna, Co-Chair, Education Committee | University of New Hampshire
Amy McKenna, Co-Chair, Education Committee | Williams College
Ann McShane, Conference Experience Planning Group | Emory University
Margaret McKee, Conference Experience Planning Group | The Menil Collection
Allan Kohl, Conference Experience Planning Group | Minneapolis College of Art and Design
I also want to recognize all the work that goes into making this program fully hybrid: apart from a few events, all conference programming will be livestreamed for remote attendees, and several sessions have both in-person and remote presenters. Despite sitting in Teams and Zoom meetings most days of the week, I must admit that before I got involved in hybrid conference planning, I didn’t realize the amount of work (or the amount of money) it takes to pull off, especially for a small organization like VRA. On the flipside, many in our profession have faced reduced or eliminated professional development budgets in recent years, and offering a virtual option is one way to make attendance accessible (in more ways than one). Please know that these are important considerations as we consider what a sustainable model for Annual Conferences can be going forward. Whatever your reason is for participating remotely, we are honored that you choose to dedicate time to our conference. Thank you, and we hope to see you on this year’s Slack channel!
For on-site attendees, I encourage you to take advantage of the social opportunities, meals, and coffee breaks we have integrated into this year’s program. Check out Sched for events like Dine-Arounds, the newly-added Members Night Out, and Meet at Mia. Also not to be missed are the conference kickoff festivities at Tuesday’s Welcome Reception, and the triumphant return of the VRAffle at Wednesday’s Community Happy Hour.
Full disclosure: I get that networking, especially when you’re new to an organization, can feel weird or intimidating. I happen to be an extrovert, but four years into the pandemic I can still feel out of practice, and often battle imposter syndrome. Whatever your career stage or capacity for in-person social events, please know that VRA is intended to be a friendly, welcoming space for members both new and seasoned. Old pros, go out of your comfort zone – it is up to us to invite people in. Our conference is truly what we make it!
Here's the part in the email where I ask you to think about how you can get involved with VRA in the next year. We have four Executive Board positions opening up in 2025: President Elect, Secretary, Grants Officer, and Jr. Director of Events & Initiatives. A formal call will be going out before the upcoming conference, and the current board encourages members of all experience levels to consider self-nominating for any open position. If you’re looking for a smaller commitment, there are plenty of other opportunities: you could join a committee, sign up to be a mentor, submit an article to the VRA Bulletin, or get involved in next year’s conference.
In close, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in making VRA 2024 Minneapolis possible, from the dedicated planning team to all of our contributors, sponsors, and attendees. Your support and participation are what make our community so special, and I can’t wait to see the connections and opportunities that will emerge at this year’s event. Whether in person or virtually, I look forward to sharing the experience with you in just a few short weeks!
See you in Minneapolis,
Maria Nuccilli
Senior Director for Events & Initiatives
VRA Happenings & Reminders
Registration for the VRA 2024 Annual Conference is still available!
The conference will be held October 8–10, 2024, at the Embassy Suites in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, MN. VRA 2024 follows a single-track hybrid conference model. If you missed out on our hotel block, we have compiled a list of other hotels in the area. Check out the conference website for more information. The program is available on Sched, with full descriptions of each session. If you’ve never been to Minneapolis, the Attendee Guide is a good place to start learning about the local area.
Announcing the 2024-2025 VRA Project Grant
VRA is pleased to invite applications for the 2024-2025 VRA Project Grant. Applications are accepted September 16 – November 1, 2024. The Project Grant awards up to $4,000 to support projects in the field of visual resources and image management. A complete description of the Project Grant and application instructions are available on our website.
Register for the Next VRA Online Regional Workshop: "How to Sustainably Utilize Drones for Research and the Classroom," Sept 27th 12-4:30PM EDT
The next workshop of the VRA 2024 Workshop Season is coming soon! Check out the full description on our website and register here. If you have any questions, please send an email to the Regional Workshop Implementation Team at vraf.rwit@gmail.com.
New for this season: VRA members will receive a nearly 25% discount on all of our workshop registration fees! For online workshops, the VRA member rate is $50 and the non-member rate is $65.
VRA Bulletin 50th Anniversary Edition Out Now!
The 50th Anniversary Edition of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. This special edition celebrates 50 years of VRAB and all of the editors, advisors, and authors who have contributed to its legacy.
2024-2025 VRA Project Grant Call for Applications
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) is pleased to invite applications for the 2024-2025 VRA Project Grant. Applications are accepted September 16 – November 1, 2024.
The Project Grant awards up to $4,000 to support projects in the field of visual resources and image management. The project must be completed within one year from the time the grant is formally accepted. The funds may be used for stand-alone projects or pilots, start-up financing for larger projects, or for a component of a larger project. Collaborative projects and those proposed by groups, whether or not affiliated with an organization or institution, are encouraged. Of particular interest are innovative projects with results that can have a broad impact and be shared with the global community. Categories to be considered for funding include, but are not limited to, the following:
Metadata for Visual Media
Visual Media Cataloguing Standards
Visual Media Data Standards
Digitization Projects of Special or Unique Collections (Educational Institutions, Libraries, Museums)
Visual Literacy
Technology Development for Visual Media Management and Pedagogy
Intellectual Property Rights
A complete description of the Project Grant and application instructions are available at https://www.vraweb.org/project-grant
Please share this announcement with anyone who might be interested.
VRA 2024: One Week Left of Early Bird Registration!
Thinking of joining us at VRA 2024 in Minneapolis? As of August 27th, all rooms are sold out at the former $179/night rate. However, we were able to secure additional upgraded rooms at $209 (+taxes) per night. Be sure to make your reservation by next Friday, September 6, 2024 to secure this rate (subject to availability) and join us October 8-10th, on-site at the Embassy Suites in downtown Minneapolis.
Thinking of joining us at VRA 2024 in Minneapolis? As of August 27th, all rooms are sold out at the former $179/night rate. However, we were able to secure additional upgraded rooms at $209 (+taxes) per night. Be sure to make your reservation by next Friday, September 6, 2024 to secure this rate (subject to availability) and join us October 8-10th, on-site at the Embassy Suites in downtown Minneapolis. Check out the conference website for more information. The program is available on Sched, with full descriptions of each session. Whether you're a first-time attendee or seasoned conference-goer, our 2024 Conference Attendee Guide will answer all of your questions -- it includes info for virtual attendees, transportation, accessibility and more!
Register for the Conference Here!
We also are offering three outstanding tours this year! Conference attendees can take advantage of exclusive tours of two exhibitions at Walker Art Center, Special Collections at Minneapolis Central Library, and the Visual Resources Center at Minneapolis Institute of Art. These all require prior registration, and the Walker has a small fee, so be sure that you’re registered ahead of time. Please note, the tour registration form is separate from conference registration.
Questions about either registration form? Please contact Membership Services Coordinator Lise Hawkos at join@vraweb.org if you need help to complete your registration.
All are welcome to join us for the keynote address by Kao Kalia Yang, a Hmong American teacher, speaker, and writer.
In her presentation titled “Between Images and Words,” Kao Kalia Yang will read from and explore how the form of the picture book has expanded meaning within her work. Yang will discuss how the contributions of her illustrators have shifted and deepened her stories, how the conversation between both opens up possibilities for readers of all ages, and what lives in between images and words: the breadth of the emotional landscape.
The Convocation Keynote is scheduled for October 8th, 2024, at 3:30 p.m. CDT, and will be open to the public via livestream (link to come).
...And So Much More to Look Forward to at VRA 2024!
The programming at VRA 2024 offers many opportunities to connect with peers in the field, explore new topics, and get involved with VRA! Join our Community Happy Hour to meet your fellow conference-goers, learn from the poster presenters, and peruse the array of wonderful raffle prizes sponsored by vrcHost.
Drop into one of the Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and Committee meetings, with gatherings focusing on IIIF, the Color Film Emergency Project, Digital Humanities, the Education Committee, Intellectual Property Rights Committee, and more!
In our Breakout Sessions, learn about ITHAKA's Open Community Collections Initiative from experts in the field and get an exclusive preview of Specto, a new digital collections platform from Ex Libris, part of Clarivate.
August 2024 - VRA Board Buzz
Ciao! How’s your August? Is it a busy time?
Have you ever been curious about how the Board manages VRA’s finances?
As mentioned on the History page of VRA website, VRA emerged from meetings of visual resource curators in the late 1960s. Since its inception, VRA has been dedicated to uniting professionals with specialized technical expertise and knowledge in areas such as art making, art history, museum practices, and cultural studies, to support each other and develop best practices. VRA supports a highly select group of cross-disciplinary professionals who explore topics that extend beyond the scope of established groups like libraries, archives, museums, and digital asset management organizations.
As a non-profit organization, VRA is primarily funded by membership dues, donations, and investment earnings. Currently, membership dues alone do not cover the costs of essential services we offer to our community, including awards, grants, workshops, publications, and more.
Each spring, the Board reviews the budget plan prepared by the Treasurer, making decisions based on the previous year’s expenses and requests from committees and groups. Naturally, current financial trends play a significant role in shaping these decisions. The Board aims to keep expenses reasonably low, directing funds to key areas that sustain VRA’s operations and special projects. While budget requests to support members’ initiatives are welcomed, the Board remains cautious to avoid jeopardizing VRA’s financial stability. It’s a balancing act.
The annual conference is always the largest expense for VRA. Costs include, but are not limited to, a hotel contract that includes equipment and room rentals as well as food and beverages and as well as fees for invited speakers. Although increasing registration fees significantly is an option, the Board believes it is essential to keep the conference affordable. Balancing these factors can be challenging, but ensuring the success of this annual event remains a top priority.
One important aspect of the conference is sponsorships. The Board greatly appreciates the support of conference sponsors, whose contributions alleviate financial pressure and enhance the conference program. Potential sponsors, if you have yet to complete your sponsorship, don’t worry! There are still sponsorships available for VRA 2024.
Additionally, the Board frequently explores alternative strategies to alleviate conference expenses. If you have ideas to help improve the conference, please consider joining the Conference Experience Planning Group or running for the board. The two Director for Events and Initiatives positions switch off every other year, so there is always room to get involved!
Despite the many uncertainties the Board faces, one thing is clear: your participation in the conference is valuable to both the visual resources profession and the VRA as an organization. With the 2024 conference just about two months away, there's still time to plan your trip. VRA exists to facilitate connections and growth among members who share similar professional passions, so don’t miss this annual opportunity to strengthen your network and deepen your connections with colleagues.
If conferences feel out of reach, join us for a workshop instead, or take part in a community hour with the Equitable Action Committee. Every way you engage with the community makes a difference for both you and the organization.
I hope this message offers insight into how the Board manages the conference finances. If you’re interested in more detailed financial information and specific money figures, please refer to the Treasurer’s Report for the fiscal year 2022 and 2023 by Ann McShane, or feel free to reach out to the Board. If you have ideas to assist the Board with this aspect of work, consider joining the Financial Advisory Committee also led by Ann. I also want to thank Ann and Will Fenton, our past and current Treasurers, for sharing their knowledge with me on this topic.
Best,
Xiaoli
Special thanks goes to this year’s conference sponsors:
JSTOR (ITHAKA) — Platinum Sponsor
ExLibris, Part of Clarivate — Gold Sponsor
vrcHost — Bronze Sponsor
VRA Happenings & Reminders
VRA 2024 Annual Conference Early Bird Registration Ends Soon!
The conference will be held October 8–10, 2024, at the Embassy Suites in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, MN. VRA 2024 follows a single-track hybrid conference model. Register before September 6th to take advantage of reduced Early Bird registration rates. Check out the conference website for more information. The program is available on Sched, with full descriptions of each session. If you’ve never been to Minneapolis, the Attendee Guide is a good place to start learning about the local area.
Announcing the 2024 Travel Awards Recipients!
The VRA Travel Awards Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of Travel Awards for the 2024 VRA conference in Minneapolis, MN. The application pool this year was strong and we are pleased to be able to fund eleven excellent applications. Check out the full list of recipients on the VRA blog.
Register for the Next VRA Online Regional Workshop: "How to Sustainably Utilize Drones for Research and the Classroom," Sept 27th 12-4:30PM EDT
The next workshop of the VRA 2024 Workshop Season is coming soon! Check out the full description on our website and register here. If you have any questions, please send an email to the Regional Workshop Implementation Team at vraf.rwit@gmail.com.
New for this season: VRA members will receive a nearly 25% discount on all of our workshop registration fees! For online workshops, the VRA member rate is $50 and the non-member rate is $65.
VRA Bulletin 50th Anniversary Edition Out Now!
The 50th Anniversary Edition of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. This special edition celebrates 50 years of VRAB and all of the editors, advisors, and authors who have contributed to its legacy.
VRA 2024: One Month left to get Early Bird Registration!
The Visual Resources Association (VRA) 2024 Conference Registration is open! Be sure to make your reservation by September 6, 2024 to secure the reduced Early Bird registration rate (subject to availability) of $179 (+taxes) per night, and join us October 8-10th, on-site at the Embassy Suites in downtown Minneapolis. Check out the conference website for more information. The program is available on Sched, with full descriptions of each session. Have any further questions? Check out our 2024 Conference Attendee Guide to get all of your questions answered, whether you're a first-time attendee or seasoned conference-goer -- it includes info for virtual attendees, transportation, accessibility and more.
Register for the Conference Here
We also are offering three outstanding tours this year! Conference attendees can take advantage of exclusive tours of two exhibitions at Walker Art Center, Special Collections at Minneapolis Central Library, and the Visual Resources Center at Minneapolis Institute of Art. These all require prior registration, and the Walker has a small fee, so be sure that you’re registered ahead of time. Please note, the tour registration form is separate from conference registration.
Questions about either registration form? Please contact Membership Services Coordinator Lise Hawkos at join@vraweb.org if you need help to complete your registration.
All in-person conference attendees this year will receive this tote bag featuring a design created by Asahi Nagata, a Japanese freelance illustrator based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With experience in vintage image restoration and a deep love for 1940s to 1960s commercial art and traditional printing, Asahi's work features vibrant bold color palettes and a retro elegance in texture.
The photographic slide-inspired design is an homage to both our host city of Minneapolis, and how much VRA has grown. What began as an informal group of slide librarians is now an international organization comprised of digital asset managers, librarians, curators, archivists, educators, museum professionals, art historians, copyright specialists, and more.
Annual Conference Mentorship Program
Each year our association has many members who are attending their first or second conference. Even with user-friendly conference programs a newcomer may have questions or need advice. The Annual Conference Mentor Program matches a seasoned conference-attendee (mentor) with such a first-timer. This is a fun and collegial program that has had much success and positive feedback. Both mentors and mentees have found the program greatly enhances their conference experience. If you're interested in signing up to be a Mentor or Mentee for this year's conference, you may request a conference mentor or volunteer as a mentor when you register for the conference, or contact the Membership Committee’s Mentor Coordinator.
Announcing the VRA 2024 Travel Awards Recipients! ✈
The VRA Travel Awards Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of Travel Awards for the 2024 VRA conference in Minneapolis, MN.
Dear VRA Colleagues,
The VRA Travel Awards Committee is pleased to announce the recipients of Travel Awards for the 2024 VRA conference in Minneapolis, MN. The application pool this year was strong and we are pleased to be able to fund eleven excellent applications.
Lesley Carey – Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award
Emma Carter – Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award
Daniel Cicholwlas – Garneta E. Taormina Memorial Student Award and New Horizons student award
Jori Dale – Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Award
Laura Darlington – New Horizons Award
Nora Davies – Kathe Hicks Albrecht Award and Luraine Tansey/VRA Top-up Award
Otto Luna – Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award
Grant Mandarino – Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award
April Martin – New Horizons Award
Julia Murphy – Luraine Tansey/VRA Top-up Award
Anna Zook – Luraine Tansey/VRA Travel Award
The Travel Awards committee thanks all of this year’s applicants. Additional thanks go to our generous travel award sponsors and the VRA Executive Board for their support of the Travel Awards Committee.
Congratulations again to this year’s recipients,
Dr. Jeannine Keefer,
Chair, Travel Awards Committee
July 2024 - VRA Board Buzz
This is the July edition of VRA “Board Buzz”! This month's Buzz features President Xiaoli Ma sharing why she joined VRA, updates from CaMS, plus reminders for all of our recent announcements and upcoming deadlines.
Hi there—Happy Summer! I hope you have a fantastic summer that's just right—not too hot, rainy, or dry.
Is now a good time to reflect on why you joined VRA? I joined to learn more about the field and to develop useful skills. To achieve that goal, I joined committees. VRA has about 10 committees and special interests groups, covering quite a few areas, and the details are here.
I joined the VRA Core Oversight Committee, now merged into Cataloging and Metadata Standard Committee (CaMS), because I was interested in knowing more about VRA Core, the metadata structure standard developed by this very community back in 1996. In its fourth version, VRA Core is an internationally recognized metadata standard for describing works of visual culture and their surrogates, the media files created through digitization to represent the works in the digital realm. For decades, VRA Core has been integrated into schemes and tools to record cultural objects and related media files. The primary document, VRA Core 4.0 Element Description and Tagging Examples was first made available in English, followed by Italian, Greek and Chinese.
Another metadata standard developed by this community and published in 2006 is Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO). Also internationally recognized, CCO guides the creation of record field content for cultural artifacts, such as those in visual culture. VRA Core and CCO complement each other: VRA Core provides guidance on the overall metadata schema, including which fields to include in cataloging environments and the sources of controlled vocabularies for some fields, while CCO focuses on specific tasks, such as forming titles when they are unknown and handling unknown creators. Though they work marvelously together, VRA Core and CCO can also be applied individually when developing or modifying metadata guidelines for specific projects.
Now, 28 years after the first version of VRA Core was released and 18 years since CCO was published, two sub-committees at CaMS are working parallelly to expand and update both VRA Core and CCO. Isn't that exciting?
The work began a year ago, and this year, both sub-committees have made significant progress. VRA Core subcommittee have completed the review of VRA Core, identifying areas for expansion to enhance accessibility features, facilitate geographic location tagging and multiple language support. The VRA Core 5.0 draft scheme is coming out, potentially, for the community review before it is finalized. CCO, being a much larger document, requires more time to review, and the focus is to identify the areas that should be updated in response to widely-adopted cataloging approaches and newly established practices in critique cataloging. Preliminary planning has been done and the review is in process at a steady speed. The two subcommittees are currently discussing how to present the upcoming updates in an intuitive manner. At the same time, they are considering applying for major grants to cover expenses on professionals and services if needed.
If you want to join them, it’s not too late! The CCO subcommittee especially needs more participants. CaMS sent out emails to ask for volunteers last Friday. Feel free to approach CaMS now for this opportunity. Please contact the whole committee at vra-cams@googlegroups.com. Use “CCO Review Volunteer” as the Subject Line.
Joining the committee is a fantastic opportunity to develop new skills, expand your network, and contribute to something bigger than yourself. In this case, you'll not only become more familiar with established metadata standards, but also play a key role in integrating the latest advancements of many fields into these standards, benefiting users worldwide.
BTW, CaMS will have a new co-chair -- Grant Mandarino. Grant currently works for Providence Archives in Seattle as Visual Resources Archivist. He holds an MLIS from Simmons University and a PhD in Art History from the University of MIchigan. Starting August, he will work with CaMS’ long-term chair Leah Constatine to co-lead CaMS starting August. Leah has led CaMS solely for a few years. She has not only established effective communication within the committee but has also sustained major initiatives and facilitated the committee's growth. Kudos to Leah! As Leah transitions to the role of co-chair and later a committee member, Grant and Leah are now actively recruiting another co-chair to begin in 2025. Another opportunity knocks! :)
Best,
Xiaoli Ma
President
Visual Resources Association
VRA Happenings & Reminders
VRA 2024 Annual Conference Registration is Open Now!
The conference will be held October 8–10, 2024, at the Embassy Suites in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, MN. VRA 2024 follows a single-track hybrid conference model. Register now to take advantage of reduced Early Bird registration rates. Check out the conference website for more information. The program is available on Sched, with full descriptions of each session.
VRA Awards Nominations Open until July 26th
The VRA Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the 2024 Distinguished Service Award and the Nancy DeLaurier Award. These awards exist to honor outstanding efforts and people in visual resources that may otherwise go unrecognized. The dossiers for the Awards are due by Friday, July 26th, and should be sent to: vra.awards@gmail.com.
VRA Bulletin 50th Anniversary Edition Out Now!
The 50th Anniversary Edition of the VRA Bulletin (VRAB) is now available. This special edition celebrates 50 years of VRAB and all of the editors, advisors, and authors who have contributed to its legacy.
VRA Regional Workshop Season
The VRA is pleased to announce its 2024 Workshop Season! Check out the full schedule here. If you have any questions, please send an email to the Regional Workshop Implementation Team at vraf.rwit@gmail.com.
New for this season: VRA members will receive a nearly 25% discount on all of our workshop registration fees! For online workshops, the VRA member rate is $50 and the non-member rate is $65.
VRA 2024 Attendee Guide
Check out the Attendee Guide to get all of your questions answered, whether you're a first-time attendee or seasoned conference-goer -- it includes info for virtual attendees, transportation, accessibility and more.
About the Schedule
VRA 2024 is a single-track, hybrid conference. A nice thing about single-track programming is that it eliminates the FOMO (fear of missing out) that can arise during multi-track conferences. It also makes it a bit easier for us to offer hybrid programming — live-streaming takes a large amount of money and labor!
While VRA is designed to be as hybrid a conference as possible, workshops, tours, meals, and certain meetings are only available in person.
There are several other opportunities to network, learn, and explore at this year’s conference. Each day includes 15-minute breaks between sessions, an hour and fifteen minutes for lunch, and two coffee breaks. Events like our Welcome Reception, Members Breakfast, and Community Happy Hour are all great ways to make new connections.
All registrants will also have access to a VRA Slack channel where you can interact and share your thoughts throughout the conference.
We also are offering three outstanding tours this year! Conference attendees can take advantage of exclusive tours of two exhibitions at Walker Art Center, Special Collections at Minneapolis Central Library, and the Visual Resources Center at Minneapolis Institute of Art. These all require prior registration, and the Walker has a small fee, so be sure that you’re registered ahead of time: Register for tours here! Please note, the tour registration form is separate from conference registration.
For Virtual Attendees
We will be live streaming all general sessions and certain events like the Convocation Keynote and Awards Ceremony. Certain events, like workshops and the Welcome Reception and Members Breakfast, will only be offered on-site.
All registrants will receive a daily morning email from VRA during the conference with Zoom links for each day. The webinars will be live 15 minutes prior to the start of programming, and remote attendees are encouraged to log in a little early so we can assist with troubleshooting as needed. All registrants will also have access to a VRA Slack channel where you can interact and share your thoughts throughout the conference.
For First-Time Attendees
Each year our association welcomes many who are attending their first or second conference. Even with user-friendly conference programming; a newcomer may have questions, need advice, or simply want help meeting new people in a new place. Our Annual Conference Mentor Program is a fun and collegial program. Both mentors and mentees have found the program enhances their conference experience.
You may request a conference mentor or volunteer as a mentor when you register for the conference, or contact the Membership Committee’s Mentor Coordinator.
For Speakers, Moderators, and Volunteers
All speakers, moderators, and volunteers must register for the conference ahead of time. If you are attending the full conference, you are eligible for $50 off full conference registration. If you are only attending the day of your presentation, you may register for a day pass.
When you register for the full conference as a speaker, you will use the same registration form as all other conference attendees. When you get to the end of the form where it says “How would you like to pay?” please select “Invoice Me” from the list, then click on the “Pay Later” button. Our membership coordinator will add your discount and send you an updated invoice.
All sessions have a moderator. Moderators will be provided with training prior to the session. If you are interested in moderating a session, please reach out to initiatives@vraweb.org.
There are many opportunities to help shape the conference through volunteering. Please reach out to initiatives@vraweb.org if you are interested in lending a hand.
Thank you everyone who is helping to make this year’s conference a success!
Getting Around Minneapolis
Minneapolis offers several ways to get from point A to point B, including an award-winning transit system with light rail and buses. The city is also served by taxis, Uber and Lyft, the famous Skyway System, and bike rentals on the streets with dedicated bike lanes all over the city.
For those flying into the city, the METRO Blue Line is a dependable, low-cost light rail system that can get you from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport straight to the conference hotel. Tickets are sold at ticket machines at the rail stations.
Fund Your Attendance
VRA offers several opportunities to support attendance at our annual conference via Travel Awards. First-time attendees, new members, students, international members, isolated professionals, those from underrepresented and underserved communities, and those actively participating in the conference programming are especially encouraged to apply. Applications for Travel Awards are being accepted through July 8, 2024.
VRA Refund Policy
Planning and arrangements for facilities, catering, and other program elements are based in part on registration numbers. Unanticipated circumstances may occasionally require registrants to cancel their registrations and request a refund. We ask that you do this as a last resort.
Refunds of event registration fees requested by registrants will be made on request through the start of the program; however, an administrative cancellation fee of $50 will be charged. Please note that in most cases refund requests will not be accepted after a program has concluded.
If a conference, workshop, tour, or other program is canceled by the Association, all registration fees will be refunded.
Accessibility
We want to make choices that make VRA 2024 as accessible and welcoming as possible.
Every session has a moderator who ensures people use the microphone for their questions and presentations. Certain events, like the Keynote, have live captions. General sessions and the Keynote are live-streamed.
Most importantly, we want to hear from you about what you need! Please reach out to initiatives@vraweb.org to make arrangements for individualized accessibility concerns like dietary restrictions, seating arrangements, and other conference-specific needs. If you need something addressed during the conference, please contact initiatives@vraweb.org, or any member of the VRA Executive Board.
The conference hotel, Embassy Suites Minneapolis Downtown, has their accessibility features outlined on their website. If you need an accessible room, please let the hotel know that directly when you book your room.
VRA 2024 Minneapolis Conference Planning Team
Maria Nuccilli, Sr. Director for Events & Initiatives | Wayne State University
Molly Schoen, Jr. Director for Events & Initiatives | Fashion Institute of Technology
Nadine McAllister, Officer & Conference Experience Liaison | Brown University
Emily Smith, Public Relations & Communications Officer | Oakland Museum of California
Meghan Rubenstein, Technology Advisor | Colorado College
Otto Luna, Co-Chair, Education Committee | University of New Hampshire
Amy McKenna, Co-Chair, Education Committee | Williams College
Ann McShane, Conference Experience Planning Group | Emory University
Margaret McKee, Conference Experience Planning Group | The Menil Collection
Allan Kohl, Conference Experience Planning Group | Minneapolis College of Art and Design