VRA 2020 Baltimore: Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Events

Greetings All,The Equitable Action Committee invites you to attend the many events during VRA 2020 that are related to the VRA’s equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility efforts.

Additionally, this newly formed committee will be at the Community Partnership Event collecting your concerns related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. If you are unable to attend VRA2020 and have suggestions, you may fill out the form here (http://bit.ly/EAC2020).Contributed by:Equitable Action Committee Co-chairs:

Lael Ensor-Bennett, Johns Hopkins UniversityKendra Werst, Williams College
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VRA 2020 Baltimore: Hotel Rates Ending, Add Workshops and Tours

Book before Tuesday, February 25, 5pm EST to stay in one of Baltimore's top-rated hotels for $149 per night!
We are very pleased to announce that we have exceeded our room block and recommend that you plan on making your reservations as soon as possible while space is still available.
 
The VRA will have almost exclusive use of the conference hotel, Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore, and we want to encourage you to take part in this amazing networking and community building experience.  Reserve a room before special rates end on Tuesday, February 25, 5pm EST.
 
Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore

550 Light Street, Baltimore, MD  21202(410) 234-0550 / 1-800-766-3782Block Name:  Visual Resources Association 2020 Annual ConferenceGroup Code:  0329VSRSAS$149 per night, single/double occupancy, plus taxes and fees

Please contact the VP for Conference Arrangements with any questions about reservations.

 

Why Stay at the Official Conference Hotel?Besides being elegant, convenient, and brilliant for networking, staying at the official conference hotel helps to insure the financial health of both the conference and the association.  When the VRA signs a contract with a hotel to host a conference, the cost of the meeting and event spaces is greatly reduced by our guarantee that a certain number of sleeping rooms will be booked by our attendees.

 

Room Sharing Encouraged
New this year!  A link to a hotel room and ride sharing spreadsheet will be included with your registration confirmation, so you can easily find the perfect roommate(s) and enjoy huge savings on your accommodations.  After you register for the conference, find the link in your email with the subject "Form Submitted Successfully - VRA Conference Registration."

 

It's Easy to Add Workshops and Tours Even If You Have Already Registered
Simply email join@vraweb.org and specify the name(s) of the workshops or tours that you would like to add.  Act fast as the following workshops and tours have already sold-out:  IIIF in 2020 Workshop, American Visionary Art Museum Tour, and Hirshhorn Museum Tour.  The Introduction to Critical Cataloging for Visual Resources Professionals Workshop and the Walters Art Museum Chamber of Wonders Tour will likely sell out soon.

 

Don't forget that the conference continues on Friday, March 27 with more amazing professional development opportunities, including sessions, workshops, and tours!  There is a two-part Grant Writing Workshop with morning & early afternoon sessions.  Carmen Cowick has an art history and archives background and teaches grant writing courses online in addition to other courses on archives, oral history programs, digital curation, and preservation.  Cathleen Tefft is a Senior Program Officer in the Division of Preservation and Access at the National Endowment for the Humanities. She works with applicants and funded projects in all of the division's grant programs, and she coordinates the Humanities Collections and Reference Resources competition.
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VRA 2020 Baltimore: Save $100 off Conference Registration

Register by Friday, February 14 to take advantage of early bird rates and save!
Save $100 off your conference registration for members and non-members or $50 off student, retired, and unemployed rates.

 

Use your savings to upgrade your conference experience by adding workshops and tours.
Perhaps you want to try your hand at storyboarding or mind mapping; use tools for editing existing collections data to more responsibly address diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility; get practical know-how about travelling with copy stands, drones, and 3D scanners; or learn step-by-step how to write successful grants.  We have workshops to teach you all of these skills and many more, with prices ranging from $20-$40.  Act Fast:  IIIF in 2020: What You Need to Know to Join the Party has already sold out, so register for your preferred workshops before it's too late!

 

How about a change of scenery and learning out and about in the city?  The local committee has crafted some excellent tours to experience with your fellow conference attendees.  Would you like to visit the stunning Enoch Pratt Free Library and George Peabody Library, embark on a curator-led tour of the Chamber of Wonders at the Walters Art Museum, or visit Homewood House Museum and the Artists' Books Collection at Eisenhower Library Special Collections, both at Johns Hopkins University?  See our full listing of $10 tours.  Act Fast:  the American Visionary Art Museum and Hirshhorn Museum: Conservation Lab & Library Tour are nearly sold out!  

 

Want to save even more?  
Book before Tuesday, February 25 to stay in one of Baltimore's top-rated hotels for $149 per night!
The VRA will have almost exclusive use of the conference hotel, Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore, and we want to encourage you to take part in this amazing networking and community building experience.  This deadline is earlier than usual, so we want to make sure that all attendees get the opportunity to reserve a room before special rates end on Tuesday, February 25.

 

Royal Sonesta Harbor Court Baltimore

550 Light Street, Baltimore, MD  21202(410) 234-0550 / 1-800-766-3782Block Name:  Visual Resources Association 2020 Annual ConferenceGroup Code:  0329VSRSAS$149 per night, single/double occupancy, plus taxes and fees

Please contact the VP for Conference Arrangements with any questions about reservations.

 

Why Stay at the Official Conference Hotel?Besides being elegant, convenient, and brilliant for networking, staying at the official conference hotel helps to insure the financial health of both the conference and the association.  When the VRA signs a contract with a hotel to host a conference, the cost of the meeting and event spaces is greatly reduced by our guarantee that a certain number of sleeping rooms will be booked by our attendees.

 

Room Sharing Encouraged
New this year!  A link to a hotel room and ride sharing spreadsheet will be included with your registration confirmation, so you can easily find the perfect roommate(s) and enjoy huge savings on your accommodations.  After you register for the conference at the current discounted early bird rates, find the link in your email with the subject "Form Submitted Successfully - VRA Conference Registration."

 

Plate 12 of Birds of America by John James Audubon depicting Baltimore Oriole, detail 
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VRA 2020 Baltimore: Museums and Attractions

Have some free time during your conference stay? Besides the provided conference tours, there are many more museums, houses, historic sites, and parks to visit. Step out of the conference hotel right into the Baltimore Inner Harbor where you will find the National AquariumMaryland Science Center, and the Historic Ships of Baltimore.

 

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Nearby is the American Visionary Art Museum*, America’s national museum for self-taught art. Here you will find art galleries, an outdoor wildflower sculpture garden, and a fun museum store.

 

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The Walters Art Museum is located in the historic Mt. Vernon Cultural District, just one mile north of the Inner Harbor. From ancient Egyptian mummy masks and medieval armor, to 19th-century French impressionism and turn-of-the-century art deco, the Walters presents exotic and significant works of art from around the world.

 

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Farther afield are the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture*, highlighting the history and accomplishments of Maryland’s African American community, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Home to the world-renowned Cone Collection of unparalleled work by Matisse and Picasso, the BMA showcases a dazzling collection from ancient mosaics to contemporary art.

 

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Looking for a smaller museum? Check out the following suggestions.

 The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum is the nation’s first and most comprehensive wax museum of African American history and culture.Located on the site of the University of Maryland’s first “Dental Infirmary and Laboratory Building,” which was then part of the Dental Department in the School of Medicine in 1882, the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry boasts an extensive 40,000 object collection of dental instruments and equipment, pop culture and personal oral care items, artwork, and everything in between.The B&O Railroad Museum holds the most comprehensive collection of railroad artifacts in the Western hemisphere, and the Baltimore Museum of Industry celebrates Maryland’s industrial legacy and shows how innovation fuels ongoing progress.Opening day for Major League Baseball starts while the conference is in Baltimore. What could be more appropriate than a trip to the Babe Ruth Birthplace Museum or Oriole Park at Camden Yards?If you have access to a car head out to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine and the towns of Ellicott City, Annapolis, or Washington D.C.For more information as well as additional venues to visit, see our Baltimore museums and attractions list.*Denotes discount with your conference badge! Also available at the Jewish Museum of Maryland and the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House

Contributed by:
Catherine Adams, Pennsylvania State University
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VRA 2020 Baltimore: Take a Tour and Marvel at Baltimore's Treasures!

Take advantage of your time in Baltimore with tours of some of the exciting cultural sites in the area. The local planning committee has thoughtfully curated a slate of activities to introduce you to what the city has to offer, from books to bejeweled walls!

Baltimore’s Beautiful Libraries Tour - Tuesday, March 24 • 9:00am - 11:30amBaltimore, known as the City that Reads (and other memes), boasts a significant number of libraries and library collections, and is the hometown of writers such as H.L. Mencken, Edgar Allan Poe, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and David Simon. Set your sights on two iconic libraries during this morning tour of the recently-renovated Enoch Pratt Free Library Central Branch, and the George Peabody Library at the Peabody Institute.

 

George_Peabody_Library,_Peabody_Institute_-_view_3.jpg
George Peabody Library, Interior, Photo: Daderot [Public domain] (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Peabody_Library,_Peabody_Institute_-_view_3.jpg)

 

Enoch Pratt Central Library, Interior. Photo: J. Hoover
The American Visionary Art Museum - Wednesday, March 25 • 12:00pm - 1:00pmThe American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM) is the universe’s only museum dedicated to self-taught artists. The docent-led tour will take you inside the Museum’s exhibition “The Secret Life of Earth” (October 2019 - September 6, 2020): Beckoning all Earthlings — from climate change skeptics to the world's leading eco-scientists and kid activists — to an exhibition that's one part visual Earth love feast and two parts environmental crash course on the wonders and fragility of life on our one blue homegirl planet.  The building itself is a sight to behold, with a curved, mirrored-mosaic exterior. Inside, see a larger than life sculpture of Divine, and a kinetic sculpture poodle, Fifi!
 
Entrance_at_the_American_Visionary_Art_Museum_-_Stierch.jpg
Photo: Sarah Stierch - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15883090

 The Walters Art Museum: Chamber of Wonders. Thursday, March 26 • 4:00pm - 5:00pmThis entertaining tour of a delightful “collection of collections” that educates and amazes visitors of all ages will be led by Curator Joaneath Spicer.  Three galleries in the museum are installed to suggest the collection of a 17th century nobleman, including an entry hall of arms and armor, a study for intricate small objects, and a larger chamber of arts and wonders.

 

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Curiosity Figure (Seed Man), ca. 1600, Photo: The Walters Art Museum, Creative Commons License (https://art.thewalters.org/detail/11531/curiosity-figure-seed-man/)

 Stick around after the tour to experience extended hours at WAM and visit the renovated 1 West Mount Vernon Place galleries and exhibitions, and other special exhibitions: Excursions through the Collection (through October 11, 2020) and From Mucha to Morris: Books of the Art Nouveau (through April 19, 2020). After you get your museum cup filled, stroll around Mount Vernon to enjoy one of the many great restaurants in the area. Be sure to save room for a night-cap at The Brewers’ Art.  Stayed tuned for more info about dine arounds on Thursday evening!

Highlights of Hopkins Tour Friday, March 27 • 2:00pm - 4:00pmTwo stops, one location! Johns Hopkins (yes, JOHNS) Homewood House Museum 2-3pm andEisenhower Library Special Collections, Highlights of Artists’ Books Collection: 3-4pm

 

1200px-Homewood_Museum,_Johns_Hopkins_University,_Baltimore,_MD.jpg
 Homewood House is one of the nation’s best-surviving examples of Federal-period Palladian architecture. Since its original occupancy in 1801, the house has been used as a private residence, a boys’ school, a university faculty club, an administration building, and a public museum. With each of its varied usages, Homewood has accumulated histories that speak to the development of the American republic, the city of Baltimore, and the Johns Hopkins University. It has operated as a full-time museum since 1987.Eisenhower Library Special Collections has a growing and eclectic collection of artists’ books, highlights of which will be showcased in the Richard Macksey Seminar Room and will include works by Henri Matisse, Robert Motherwell, Hanne Darboven, John Ashbery, and other contemporary artists of note.
 Space is limited!  Register for one of these fascinating tours today!Meghan Gross, Baltimore Museum of ArtJodi Hoover, Enoch Pratt Free LibraryDonald Juedes, Johns Hopkins University, Milton S. Eisenhower Library
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VRA LA 2019: See you in Los Angeles!

The Executive Board and the Local Planning Committee do so look forward to welcoming you to Los Angeles next week! The weather forecast looks fantastic with sun and temperatures around 70 degrees.  Please keep reading for some important last minute info, tips, and reminders.

Getting to the Hotel:

For options and details on getting to the hotel from the airport, Union Station, the Little Tokyo Gold Line Station, etc. please visit the recently updated conference site travel page.

Dinearounds:

Looking for an opportunity to meet new colleagues in a relaxed social setting and enjoy local cuisine?  Four dinearounds have been planned for conference attendees on Thursday evening, with two group reservations at 7:00 pm and two at 7:30 pm.  For a listing of restaurants, see Sched. Sign up at the Registration Table in the Golden State Ballroom Foyer before spaces fill up.  Attendees will meet up in the lobby to walk together to restaurants and are responsible for the cost of their own food and drinks.

Tours:

Want to learn about the historical and cultural landmarks of downtown LA from the 18th century to the present?  Sign-up for the Los Angeles Conservancy Walking Tour of Historic Downtown on Tuesday at 10:00 am.  Be sure to check at the Registration Table in the Golden State Ballroom Foyer for any last minute availability in the engaging tours organized by the Local Committee. 

Donate & Win:

For every $5 you donate to the VRA by April 15, your name will be entered to win a year-long membership OR a 2020 conference registration (i.e. if you donate $15, your name will be entered three times). Two names will be drawn, and each winner will select which prize they prefer. The prize is fully transferable, so you can pass along your prize to a friend if you wish! 

For every $800 raised, the Executive Board has pledged to offer an additional travel award for the 2020 conference! We have set an overall goal of $2400, with the hopes of adding three additional awards for travel to Baltimore. Please donate to support this initiative and win yourself a membership or 2020 conference registration!

Grocery Stores,Pharmacies, and Print & Copy Centers:

These locations have been added to the conference map.

Fedex Print & Ship Center, 181 S Central Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Office Depot (Print & Copy Center), 401 E W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Little Tokyo Pharmacy, 402 E 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
CVS Pharmacy, 201 N Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Marukai Market, 123 S Onizuka St. #105, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Whole Foods, 788 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Ralphs, 645 W 9th St, Los Angeles, CA 90015

See you soon!

Contributors:

Krystal Boehlert
Local Planning Coordinator, VRA LA 2019

Lael Ensor-Bennett
Vice President for Conference Arrangements, VRA Executive Board

Amy McKenna
Public Relations and Communications Officer, VRA Executive Board

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VRA LA 2019: Walking Tours of LA & Beyond

Hike to the Hollywood Sign (Burns Photo, 2011)

Hope you signed up for some of the wonderful tours that the local planners put together for the LA conference.  It’s not too late to add tours to your conference registration. Please contact the VRA membership services coordinator (join@vraweb.org) for assistance. These specially organized tours are filling up fast and are first-come, first-served, but there may still be room if you want to decide upon arrival, so check at the registration desk.

In your conference registration tote bag, you’ll find many goodies and a lot of information about local attractions, which are also listed on the VRA conference map. After you’ve worked on the historic map of LA jigsaw puzzle during session breaks, you’ll surely be inspired to venture out! If you are itching to explore on your own, you might check out some of these self-guided walking tours. We have also included a few that are docent led. Most are free, but check the websites for more information. And, if you are looking for a nature break, there are many hiking trails just outside the city, too.

LA Central Library Pyramidal Tower with Skyscrapers Behind (Burns Photo, 2017)

Swisher Sweets & White Owl Cigar Advertisement in Downtown LA (Burns Photo, 2018)

Contributors:

Krystal Boehlert
Local Planning Coordinator, VRA LA 2019
Visual Resources Specialist, University of California Riverside

Maureen Burns
Development and Tour Coordinator, VRA LA 2019
IMAGinED Consulting and Archivision

Jackie Spafford
Local Planning Committee Member, VRA LA 2019
Image Resources Curator, History of Art and Architecture, University of California/Santa Barbara

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VRA LA 2019: Save $100 off Conference Registration

Register by Friday, February 15 to save.  Take advantage of early bird rates to save $100 on your conference registration for members and non-members or $50 for student, retired, and unemployed rates.

"Just think it’s like getting 2 or 3 workshops or tours for free."

Workshops:  
Perhaps you want to learn how to manage a large digital humanities project centered on mapping, streamline your embedded metadata workflows, or deliver active learning experiences that empower students to understand copyright and take advantage of fair use.  We have workshops to teach you all of these skills and many more.  See our full listing of workshops that range in price from $30-$80.

Act Fast: 
Monday’s workshop The Only Thing to Fear is Fear Itself: Public Speaking for Introverts and Other Reluctant Presenters only has one slot left!

Tours: 
How about taking a break from the hotel and learning out and about in this amazing city?  The local committee has crafted some excellent tours to experience with your fellow conference attendees.  Do you want to go behind-the-scenes at the Library and Archives at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and tour 3D: Double Vision, visit the Imaging Lab at the Huntington Library while enjoying their art galleries and botanical gardens, take a walking tour organized by the Los Angeles Conservancy of glamorous art deco architecture, or take a curator-led tour of Oscar-nominated costumes and designers at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM)?  The list goes on and on!  See our full listing of tours that range in price from $10-$25.

Act Fast: 
Thursday’s Behind the Scenes Tour of the Japanese American National Museum only has one slot left! The same tour is also available on Wednesday.

Register Today!

P.S.  Don’t forget to book your room.  Special room rates are still available at the DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles Downtown.

Contributor:
Amy McKenna
Public Relations and Communications Officer, VRA Executive Board

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VRA LA 2019: Tour LA Like a Local and Elevate Your Conference Experience

With so much to see and do in the LA area, the SoCal local planners have organized several tours so you can see the best highlights while attending the VRA conference. The tours are scheduled on every day of the conference (mint chip green in SCHED) and are a great value-- costs kept at a minimum, bang-for-your-buck at the maximum! By location, they range from just down the block to the city center and further afield--the local planners will help to coordinate any necessary ride sharing or walking groups. So, make sure to find the tours that fit your interests and schedule, including some great ones before and after the conference--there is something for everybody! For more information, see SCHED

ART TOURS

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Behind the Scenes Tour

Tuesday, March 26th, 9:00am-1:00pm - We’re headed to LACMA, for a Behind the Scenes Tour of the museum’s Balch Art Research Library & Archives. Then we’ll be treated to a curator led tour of the 3D: Double Vision exhibition and some free-range gallery time. LACMA is about a 30 minute drive from the hotel, a tour organizer will help coordinate ride shares to and from the museum.

Hauser & Wirth, Exhibitions Tour

Tuesday, March 26th, 12:30pm-1:45pm – Hauser & Wirth is a gallery specializing in contemporary and modern art. Residing in a former flour mill, the architecture is designed for communal gathering space and community arts programming throughout the year. We’ll get a guided tour of current exhibitions and be back in time for the afternoon sessions. A tour organizer will lead the 12 minute walk from the hotel, down Little Tokyo’s vibrant 2nd street, to the gallery.

Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens Tour

Friday, March 29th, 10:00 am-12:00 pm – A guided tour of the Huntington Library, a world class art collection also known for rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and maps. A visit to the Imaging Lab will give a behind the scenes look at historic equipment and new technologies. Attendees can linger to see the botanical gardens and other exhibitions, or return to the hotel. The Huntington is about a 30 minute drive from the hotel, a tour organizer will help coordinate ride shares to and from the museum.

Fashion Institute of  Design and Merchandising 

Thursday, March 28th, 12:00 pm-2:30 pm & Friday, March 29th, 9:30 am-12:00 pm –

If your artistic interests lean toward the performing arts and fashion, don’t miss out on one of these FIDM tours, the first of which is a curatorial led tour of one of the nation’s finest costume collections and the annual exhibit of the “Art of Motion Picture Costume Design.” The second tour, led by the library director and her staff, provides a broader view of the campus, its innovative materials collection, and the library with one of the country’s largest specialized fashion collections. There will be time at the end to also view the exhibit of movie costumes. Local planners will provide guidance on walking (30 minutes) or transport options (Metro or ride share) for those who want to cross town together.   

Broad Museum Facade with Oculus (Burns photo 2018)

PRE-BOOK SELF-GUIDED ART OPTIONS

If you plan to visit contemporary art museum The Broad, a 12 minute walk from the hotel, you’ll need to reserve your free tickets in advance. Tickets for the month of March are released on February 1sthttps://ticketing.thebroad.org/events/84185978-8137-44a7-9774-356133b9997d

Advance tickets are also required for the Marciano Art Foundation. A 30 minute drive from the hotel, this private collection showcases contemporary art in a renovated Masonic temple.  Tickets for the month of March are released on February 1sthttps://tickets.marcianoartfoundation.org/events/88fc459a-0839-ff18-ac02-2eb72aed5788

Stay tuned for more information on self-guided museum information & gallery hopping!

HISTORY & CULTURAL TOURS

Japanese American National Museum

When in Little Tokyo, visiting JANM is a must! That is why we scheduled tours midday for every day of the conference. A 7 minute walk from the conference hotel, you have a choice of a behind-the-scenes tour with the curator or a tour of the permanent & special photography exhibitions that tell the story of Japanese immigration to the U.S., incarceration during WWII, and the Redress Movement. No shepherd required, you can’t miss the contemporary JANM building just down the block.

Spiritual Journey by Nancy Uyemura, 1996 (Burns photo 2018)

Los Angeles Conservancy   

The best architectural tours in town are provided by the LAC, the organization that works to preserve the architectural heritage of Los Angeles. Avoid being jet-lagged at the conference and come a day early to experience the docent-led “Art Deco” or “Historic Downtown” tours on Monday afternoon. This is a great way to get your bearings and see some of LA’s oldest buildings, like the famous Bradbury. Or, stay through Friday to experience the 1939 Spanish Colonial Union Station (Amtrak & Metro) and learn how the “Past Meets Present” by exploring the ways that historic buildings are being revitalized to meet the changing downtown demographic, like in the Last Bookstore. Tuesday morning provides the only other opportunity to enjoy guided architectural tours, when there is a repeat of “Historic Downtown” (it’s that good!) and add the “Modern Skyline.” These tours are in-depth and comprehensive, each taking 2 ½ hours. A minimum of 12 people is needed for each tour to take place, if tours don’t fill, cancellations may be necessary. Tours have different starting locations, so the local planners will provide options for traveling as a group to the starting point. The tours also involve walking a few miles, with varying degrees of difficulty, lots of standing, and no breaks, but they are so worth it (they are wheelchair accessible, if needed, please notify a conference planner). 

Stay tuned for more information about self-guided walking tours. 

Downtown LA Skyline (Burns photo 2015)

COMPLETE LIST OF TOURS

Registration for tours is made in the order they are received. Early registration is strongly recommended as tours fill quickly. Detailed descriptions of tours can be found in the conference program:https://vra2019.sched.com/overview/type/Tour. Tickets for paid tours will be included in registration packets.

Contributors:

Krystal Boehlert
Local Planning Coordinator, VRA LA 2019
Visual Resources Specialist, University of California Riverside

Maureen Burns
Development and Tour Coordinator, VRA LA 2019
IMAGinED Consulting and Archivision

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