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 1st: https://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 1st: https://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

VRA LA 2019: Spotlight on Friday Workshops

Dear colleagues,

Continuing on the theme of last week’s email, I’m writing again to give you some details on the workshops available to you on Friday at the VRA 2019 Annual Conference in Los Angeles. The final day of the conference features three technology-focused workshops designed to teach you new skills that you can take home and apply to your work. Again, participation in these workshops is limited, so don’t wait to register and take advantage of the great opportunities listed below.

• Advanced Embedded Metadata Export-Import in Adobe Bridge
  This workshop will introduce attendees to advanced use of the VRA Bridge export-import tool and Excel to streamline embedded metadata workflows. The export-import tool has several user controlled options including the ability to create custom field mappings. Combining these with strategies for text manipulation in Excel, users can reduce the time it takes to move metadata between media files and local databases. Topics covered:
  -Bridge Export-import tool options and custom field mapping
  -Preparing metadata for import in Excel (converting to and from text formats, batch transformations)
  -Troubleshooting Bridge export-import errors
  -User’s tips and tricks – tell us how you use it
  
  
• Mapping an Archive: Data, Data, Data
  As more faculty and students turn to visual representations and presentations of their research, whether it be for a class or a larger research project, we are tasked with interpreting and setting forth a path to help them carry their vision to reality. We are often left feeling overwhelmed and asking “How do I start such a large digital humanities project?” This workshop endeavors to present a case study in which a patron presents you with an archive of documents they would like to visualize on a map to answer one or more research questions. You will be guided through questions you should ask, best practices for setting up your data collection, models for employing student labor, and various mapping products that can display your data to a variety of ends (including pure visualization and narrative). Attendees will be expected to bring a laptop. We will focus on platform neutral online mapping programs, but will also discuss open source and desktop client software that is available. Although many tools are available, we will focus on selecting the right one for the project at hand, which includes budget, license, and skill level
  .
• Practical Coding for Visual Resources: Python & Version Control
  Learn to code in Python! Building off the excitement of last year’s Python workshop, we’re hosting another. Basic program design, version control, data management and task automation with tutorials and live coding exercises. This hands-on live coding workshop will help data managers learn Python and version control. Participants are required to bring their own laptop with a Windows, Mac, or Linux operating system (not a tablet, Chromebook, etc.) that they are able to install software on. Instructions for setup will be sent to registrants prior to the workshop.
  This workshop will take place from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, including a one hour break for lunch.

I’m looking forward to seeing many of you in a couple of months! As always, please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Contributor:
Jacob Esselstrom
Vice President for Conference Program, VRA Executive Board

VRA LA 2019: Spotlight on Tuesday Workshops

Hello everyone!

We are now a little more than two months away from the start of VRA 2019 in Los Angeles. As part of the countdown to the conference I wanted to share the details of the three great workshops that are on the schedule for the morning of Tuesday, March 26th.

• Clean, Transform and Enhance Your Data – Getting Started with OpenRefine
  Spend less time editing more records while improving the quality of your data using OpenRefine (http://openrefine.org/), an open source program that offers a practical approach to efficiently clean and transform data. Data comes from multiple sources and is messy. Cleaning data takes time, and is challenging when staffing and resources are limited. In this workshop, you will be given an overview of the program, learn how to analyze your data, and transform it with text faceting, filtering, clustering, and using GREL (General Refine Expression Language) expressions that will allow you to write code to further manipulate data.
  
  One of OpenRefine's most advanced features is the reconciliation service which allows you to connect to Linked Open Data (LOD) on the Web and enrich your data with additional information (Wikidata, Getty vocabularies, LCSH and LCNAF, VIAF, and more).  Use of the built-in Wikidata reconciliation service will be demonstrated in a pre-recorded video by Samantha Norling (Digital Collections Manager, Newfields).
  
  Participants will need to bring a laptop to follow along with the exercises. Instructions on how to download and install OpenRefine, data sets, and additional documentation, will be emailed to you prior to the workshop.
  
  
• Lesson Planning for Fair Use and Visual Literacy
  The open access e-book Fair Use in the Visual Arts: Lesson Plans for Librarians (ARLIS/NA Occasional Paper No. 17, 2018) builds off of the CAA Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Artsto guide art information professionals in designing and delivering active learning experiences that empower students to understand copyright and take advantage of fair use in their art, design, and academic practices. This workshop, featuring instructor Dani Brecher Cook (Director of Teaching & Learning, Library, University of California, Riverside), will introduce art information professionals to frameworks and best practices for user instruction and equip them with tools and strategies to teach fair use in their own institutions. The workshop will give attendees an understanding of fair use and other visual literacy issues and how to integrate them into library instruction.
  
  
• The Only Thing to Fear is Fear Itself: Public Speaking for Introverts and Other Reluctant Presenters
  Many of us have a fear of public speaking that prevents us from sharing our great ideas and experience, and even those who speak frequently admit that getting up in front of a room can still induce trembling hands and sweaty palms. While useless tips like imagining your audience in their underwear to banish nerves abound, in truth simple steps can be taken to help you survive and even thrive before a crowd. Betha Whitlow, in a highly supportive and interactive environment, will lead workshop participants in an exploration of the causes (and even potential benefits!) of stage fright, and discuss how to mitigate it through mindfulness and other stress reduction techniques, the fear minimizing power of a well-crafted talk, and cover other techniques for public speaking. After taking this workshop, you may still not actively court the limelight. But you will have the tools--and ideally newfound confidence--to transition from perpetual audience member to speaker on the stage.

These workshops only have a limited amount of seats available, so register for the conference soon! If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Contributor:
Jacob Esselstrom
Vice President for Conference Program, VRA Executive Board

VRA LA 2019: Stay at the Conference Hotel in the Historic District of Little Tokyo

Don’t forget to register for VRA LA 2019 at early bird rates!

Next, make your hotel reservations at the Doubletree by Hilton Los Angeles Downtown in LA’s Little Tokyo.  Staying at the official conference hotel helps to insure the financial health of both the conference and the association.

The VRA LA 2019 conference will be taking place in one of the historic districts of downtown Los Angeles called Little Tokyo (established as such in 1986). As early as 1908, a number of Japanese businesses could be found along a two-block stretch of 1st Street near Los Angeles Street. Some of the original Little Tokyo buildings and restaurants can still be found there. Little Tokyo became the cultural, religious, commercial, and social nucleus for Japanese American communities in the LA region, and it still is, since LA has the largest Japanese American population in North America. At its peak in the 1940s, about 30,000 Japanese Americans lived in Little Tokyo alone, but the WWII incarceration of people of Japanese ancestry caused a diaspora. The conference hotel was part of a later urban renewal, built in 1977 as part of the New Otani chain, it has always been known for its rooftop Japanese garden with remarkable views of the downtown skyline. Many of the rooms also have views as well as traditional Japanese bathtubs and microwaves to reheat the ramen you couldn’t finish at the restaurants nearby. Little Tokyo’s churches, temples, shops, restaurants, and cultural centers create the impression of a small, international town right in the middle of downtown LA.

Art and culture, food and shopping, tend to draw the crowds to Little Tokyo—all walkable from the conference hotel. The Japanese American Cultural and Community Center has exhibitions, theatrical performances, and festivals in their facilities and plaza, the latter of which was designed by an Angeleno, Isamu Noguchi. There is public art of interest in the neighborhood, from Noguchi’s “To the Issei” (1982-1984) to the Go for Broke monument (1999) commemorating the Japanese Americans who served in the U.S.Army during WWII (among them, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, which is the most decorated unit of its size in U.S. military history).

The Japanese American National Museum is a short walk down historic 1st Street with the Hompa Hongwanji Buddhist temple close by. Opened in 1999, JANM is an affiliate of the Smithsonian with permanent and changing exhibitions documenting 130 years of Japanese American history.  Several tours are offered in the conference schedule, including behind the scenes.

There are many specialized restaurants serving various types of Japanese cuisine in the neighborhood—from donburi to shabu shabu to ramen to yakitori—and sushi’s California roll was born in Little Tokyo at Tokyo Kaikan. The Japanese Village Plaza and other shops scattered around Little Tokyo carry everything from traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi) to Hello Kitty.  Go Little Tokyo and Culture Trip are fun websites to explore for more information.

Among the other LA must-sees near Little Tokyo are the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen facility, the Arts District,  City Hall, and Grand Park as well as MOCA itself, the Broad Museum, the Music Center, and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels a little further out. 

All providing many reasons for you to bring your chopsticks and come to VRA LA 2019 in Little Tokyo!

Contributor:

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

Point A to Point B: Transportation to and around Los Angeles

First, don’t forget to register for VRA LA 2019 at early bird rates!  Second, time to arrange your transportation…  Here’s everything you need to know from Krystal Boehlert, Local Planning Coordinator, VRA LA 2019. 

Travel to Los Angeles is available by plane, train, bus, or automobile. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the largest airport and has direct flights to most major cities. Hollywood Burbank and Long Beach Airports are also options. There are several ways to get to the Little Tokyo neighborhood in downtown where the hotel is located.

GETTING TO LOS ANGELES

By Air:
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
Distance from hotel: 19 miles
Drive time to hotel: 30 minutes off peak

Hollywood Burbank Airport/Bob Hope Airport (BUR)
Distance from hotel: 15 miles
Drive time to hotel: 25 minutes off peak

Long Beach Airport (LGB)
Distance from hotel: 25 miles
Drive time to hotel: 30 minutes off peak

Airports to Hotel:
(Sorted by Price Descending)

Taxi & Ride Share
Traditional Taxis & Ride Share Estimates. Many taxis have a flat rate from LAX to downtown.

SuperShuttle
Shared van service from all airports.

LAX Flyaway
Bus service directly between Union Station & Los Angeles International Airport.

By Train and Bus:

Union Station (LAUS)
800 N Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90012
Distance from hotel: 0.7 miles
Drive time to hotel: 5 minutes off peak

Amtrak
National rail operator, connects America with regional and interstate routes.

Metro
Regional bus, light rail and subway.

Metrolink
Heavy rail service between five Southern California counties.

Megabus
Daily express bus service with trips to the bay area and Las Vegas.

Bolt Bus
Premium bus service with trips to the bay area and Las Vegas.

Union Station to Hotel:

Walking (0.6 mile, 15 min). Exit the main entrance of Union Station towards N. Alameda St. Cross the street towards El Pueblo Plaza. Turn left and follow Los Angeles St to the south to the DoubleTree at 2nd St. Google Maps

Taxi & Ride Share
Traditional Taxis & Ride Share Estimates.

Metro
Regional bus, light rail and subway.

LIttle Tokyo Gold Line Station to Hotel:

Walking: (0.4 mile, 10 min) Exit the station walking south towards 1st St. Turn right on 1st St. Turn left on San Pedro St. Turn Right on 2nd St. Google Maps

Taxi & Ride Share
Traditional Taxis & Ride Share Estimates.

Metro
Regional bus, light rail and subway.

By Automobile:

Navigate to:
DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles Downtown
120 S Los Angeles St, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Google Maps

Parking is available at the hotel for a daily fee. You can look for other parking options in the area using:  Parkopedia or SpotHero.

AROUND DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

Little Tokyo, Arts District, Historic Core and other Downtown neighborhoods are very walking and transit friendly. There are buses, light rail, subway, bike share, taxis, and ride share options available. Google Maps is an efficient way of finding the right bus routes and times, and Metro has an app (iPhone/Android) with real time arrival data.

Taxi & Ride Share
Traditional Taxis & Ride Share Estimates.

Metro
Regional bus, light rail and subway.

TAP cards can be purchased from Metro vending machines. Base Fare $1.75 includes transfers >2hrs.

Metro Bike Share
Rent bikes by the hour.

OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

There are many points of interest in surrounding neighborhoods and cities in the Greater LA area. Travelling during off-peak times can make a huge difference in travel times. LA’s rush hour usually means high traffic into downtown in the morning hours (7am-9am) and out of downtown in the evening (4:30pm-7pm). Please use Google Maps to estimate distance and time for your desired departure/arrival.

Pro-tip:  Google Maps on your smartphone will provide real-time data and traffic conditions. Google Maps in a desktop browser will allow you to predict your journey in advance and choose an optimal time and route.

Contributor:

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

Registration for VRA LA 2019 Opens this Friday, December 7

Early Bird Registration for VRA LA 2019, March 26-29, opens this Friday, December 7, 2018 and will run through February 15, 2019. The annual Visual Resources Association conference provides the opportunity for colleagues from diverse workplaces, including higher education, the corporate sector, and museums to engage and collaborate in the areas of digital asset management, intellectual property rights, digital humanities, metadata standards, coding, imaging best practices, and more.This year’s program includes workshops on fair use, visual literacy, linked open data, embedded metadata, GIS, Python coding, and public speaking, as well as sessions delving into topics such as copyright and archival film footage and the history, digitization, and presentation of the Ed Ruscha collection at the Getty Research Institute. During registration, you will have the opportunity to sign up for behind-the-scenes tours at the Japanese American National Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and the Huntington Library, Art Collection, and Botanical Gardens. Aside from the conference workshops, sessions, and tours, Los Angeles is brimming with attractions and world-class institutions. There’s the MOCA Geffen Contemporary, the Broad Museum, The Last Bookstore, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Grand Central Market, The Underground Museum, Hauser & Wirth, A + D Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Hennessey + Ingalls, J. Paul Getty Museum--Getty Center and the Getty Villa, FIDM Museum and Galleries, the Main Museum, Los Angeles Center For Digital Art (LACDA), California African American Museum, the California Science Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, USC Fisher Museum of Art, LA Artcore Union Center for the Arts, Craft and Folk Art Museum, the Norton Simon Museum, the USC Pacific Asia Museum, and the Torrance Art Museum–just to name a small selection! You can even try out Skyspace LA, a slide on the exterior of a skyscraper, to get a view from 1000 feet above downtown.Register early as workshops and tours will be filling up fast!  On behalf of the VRA Executive Board and the VRA LA 2019 Local Planning Committee, we hope to see you soon in sunny LA.Contributors:Krystal BoehlertLocal Planning Coordinator, VRA LA 2019Visual Resources Specialist, University of California RiversideLael Ensor-BennettVice President for Conference Arrangements, VRA Executive BoardAssistant Curator, Visual Resources Collection, Johns Hopkins UniversityJennifer FaistLocal Planning Committee Member, VRA LA 2019Library Systems & Digital Collections Administrator, ArtCenter College of Design Library

Apply for a VRA LA 2019 Travel Award

The VRA offers several awards to assist with attendance at the VRA Annual Conference. The Travel Awards Committee especially encourages applications from new members/first time conference attendees; veteran members who have not been able to attend conferences for several years; international members; solo, isolated, and part-time VR professionals; students considering careers in visual resources; and any member actively participating in the conference who lacks sufficient funding to attend.Travel Awards are intended to provide partial support for an individual’s conference attendance, and typically supplement support from one’s employer and/or personal resources.  You do not need to be a member of the VRA to apply for a travel award, but please note that to receive an award an applicant must become a member of VRA and must attend the 2019 Conference.For 2019, we are fortunate to have generous financial support from sponsors and funds provided by the membership including:

• Two New Horizons awards of $850 each.  These awards are aimed at members in the following categories: solo VR professionals, part-time VR professionals, geographically isolated VR professionals, VR professionals in smaller institutions, and/or first-time conference attendees
• New Horizons student award of $300, for a full-time student enrolled in an accredited degree program and considering a career in visual resources
• Kathe Hicks Albrecht award of $850
• Tansey fund awards ranging from $250 to $850 each.  In order to allow funding to assist the greatest number of attendees, Tansey awards will be distributed according to financial need, i.e. full awards (up to $850) may be given to some, whilst lower amounts may be awarded to others with partial institutional and/or other support.

Before you apply, please read Travel Award Rules, Guidelines and Tips and Types of Travel Awards.  Click here to apply.The deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, November 16, 2018, 11:59pm EST.  The list of recipients will be announced via the VRA listserv on Friday December 14, 2018.

VRA LA 2019 Conference Program Live

From Jacob Esselstrom, VRA Vice President for Conference Program:I am happy to announce that the Sched for the VRA LA 2019 conference is now online:https://vra2019.sched.com/.The schedule will continue to evolve and grow over the next few weeks in the lead-up to conference registration opening in early December. Details about tours, social gatherings, and other regular conference events will be added soon. The session and workshop information is up-to-date and I wanted to share that with you now so you can start to plan your schedules and spread the word about the conference. I think we have an incredible line up of sessions, workshops, and meetings this year, and that credit goes to everyone that submitted a proposal, the VRA committees that helped to generate content, as well as the other members of the VRA Executive Board for their help in putting this all together. Thank you! As always, please contact me if you have any questions. 

Registration Open for VREPS and ArLiSNAP Virtual Conference

VREPS (Visual Resources Emerging Professionals and Students) and ArLiSNAP (Art Library Students and New ARLIS Professionals) are pleased to announce our 2018 Fall Virtual Conference: New Media Challenges and Solutions for Art Information Professionals. The conference will take place at 1pm CST November 10, 2018.New media art, objects, and scholarly projects in the digital realm are challenging our traditional definitions and methodologies for collection, preservation, and research. We are pleased to welcome Coral Salomón, Digital Initiatives Librarian at the University of Pennsylvania, who will present a keynote lecture.Our keynote lecture will be followed by an hour of presentations and a period of questions and conversation with our panel of speakers and conference attendees. Our presenters will be:Kat Buckley, University of ChicagoNo More Reality: Philippe Parreno and the Difficulties of Cataloging New MediaJean Moylean, Solomon R. Guggenheim MuseumSurveying Digital Media Production Workflows in Arts InstitutionsMichelle Wilson, ArLiSNAP Conference Planning Liaison and Digital Publishing Librarian at Columbia University, will moderate the discussion. Any questions about the event can be addressed to Michelle at mew2232@columbia.edu.Register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3476474741821302274After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

VRA LA 2019: Conference Site Live

Visual Resources Association 2019 Annual ConferenceLos Angeles, CaliforniaMarch 26-29, 2019DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles DowntownNestled between Little Tokyo and the Arts DistrictProgram to be announced September 2018.Early bird registration begins December 2018.Engage and collaborate with colleagues from diverse workplaces, including higher education, the corporate sector, and museums, at an ideally-sized conference of about 200 attendees.Enjoy the long-standing conference culture of generous knowledge sharing while exploring digital asset management, intellectual property rights, digital humanities, metadata standards, coding, imaging best practices and so much more.New this year programming is limited to two sessions at one time with an extended schedule, so you will be able to benefit from more content and have fewer difficult decisions about which sessions to attend.And don’t forget the special registration rates for student, retired, and unemployed attendees.  Everyone is welcome regardless of their career stage or employment status. 

Reminder: VRA Los Angeles 2019: Call for Proposals

The Visual Resources Association’s 2019 Annual Conference will be held in Los Angeles, California, from Tuesday, March 26th, through Friday, March 29th, 2019, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles Downtown. Please mark your calendar.Proposals for papers, sessions, special interest/user groups, and workshops are now being solicited for the 2019 program. All proposals are welcome.Click here to access the conference proposal form.

• A paper is an individual idea submission, which will be reviewed for possible grouping into a session. Your ideas, whether they come to us alone or in a group, are equally valued in the Board's proposal and selection process.
• A session is a maximum 60-minute moderated panel, usually consisting of no more than 3 presenters each, speaking for 15 to 18 minutes, followed by a brief facilitated question and answer period. If you feel your session topic requires more time, consider dividing it into two sessions, consisting of a Part I and a Part II.
• A special interest/user group is a 60-minute informal, community -driven, facilitated group discussion on topics related to a specific segment of the VRA membership.
• A workshop is a 2, 4, or 8-hour workshop to develop skills and experience in the field of visual resources, preferably with hands-on activities.

The proposal deadline is Friday, August 3rd, 2018. Program submissions received after this date will not be considered for the 2019 conference.The quality of conference content depends upon YOUR ideas and contributions, so let those creative juices flow. Perusing some of the past conference schedules will show you the range of topics presented in previous years and may inspire your proposal. Use suggested topics compiled from post-conference survey responses (see below) or your imagination to propose ideas which expand our outlook. If there is an area of concern or interest that you feel has not been adequately addressed, participate in this process by submitting a proposal. Moderators may put out calls for presenters within a proposed topic before or after the submission of a proposal. The VRA Executive Board will be looking for articulate and concise submissions with lists of presenters, but submissions without presenter lists are encouraged as well.Suggested topics:

• Active Learning
• Archives
• Cataloging Cultural Objects
• Coding - PHP, Python, SQL, etc.
• Commercial partners
• Copyright/Intellectual Property
• Corporate Visual Resources careers
• Data Visualization
• Digital Asset Management
• Digital Humanities
• Digital publishing
• Diversity/Inclusion
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)
• Imaging - Workflow and organization
• Maps - GIS, Omeka and Neatline, Storymaps
• Metadata - Assessment, standards, structures, and tools
• Moving images and sound
• Non-Academic careers
• Pedagogy/Teaching
• Photogrammetry
• Photoshop
• Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI)

Questions regarding the proposal process and the various presentation formats included in the VRA Conference program can be directed to Jacob Esselstrom, the VRA Vice President for Conference Program.Again, the proposal deadline is Friday, August 3rd, 2018. We look forward to hearing from you!

VRA Los Angeles 2019: Call for Proposals

The Visual Resources Association’s 2019 Annual Conference will be held in Los Angeles, California, from Tuesday, March 26th, through Friday, March 29th, 2019, at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles Downtown. Please mark your calendar.Proposals for papers, sessions, special interest/user groups, and workshops are now being solicited for the 2019 program. All proposals are welcome.Click here to access the conference proposal form.

• A paper is an individual idea submission, which will be reviewed for possible grouping into a session. Your ideas, whether they come to us alone or in a group, are equally valued in the Board's proposal and selection process.
• A session is a maximum 60-minute moderated panel, usually consisting of no more than 3 presenters each, speaking for 15 to 18 minutes, followed by a brief facilitated question and answer period. If you feel your session topic requires more time, consider dividing it into two sessions, consisting of a Part I and a Part II.
• A special interest/user group is a 60-minute informal, community -driven, facilitated group discussion on topics related to a specific segment of the VRA membership.
• A workshop is a 2, 4, or 8-hour workshop to develop skills and experience in the field of visual resources, preferably with hands-on activities.

The proposal deadline is Friday, August 3rd, 2018. Program submissions received after this date will not be considered for the 2019 conference.The quality of conference content depends upon YOUR ideas and contributions, so let those creative juices flow. Perusing some of the past conference schedules will show you the range of topics presented in previous years and may inspire your proposal. Use suggested topics compiled from post-conference survey responses (see below) or your imagination to propose ideas which expand our outlook. If there is an area of concern or interest that you feel has not been adequately addressed, participate in this process by submitting a proposal. Moderators may put out calls for presenters within a proposed topic before or after the submission of a proposal. The VRA Executive Board will be looking for articulate and concise submissions with lists of presenters, but submissions without presenter lists are encouraged as well.Suggested topics:

• Active Learning
• Archives
• Cataloging Cultural Objects
• Coding - PHP, Python, SQL, etc.
• Commercial partners
• Copyright/Intellectual Property
• Corporate Visual Resources careers
• Data Visualization
• Digital Asset Management
• Digital Humanities
• Digital publishing
• Diversity/Inclusion
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
• International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)
• Imaging - Workflow and organization
• Maps - GIS, Omeka and Neatline, Storymaps
• Metadata - Assessment, standards, structures, and tools
• Moving images and sound
• Non-Academic careers
• Pedagogy/Teaching
• Photogrammetry
• Photoshop
• Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI)

Questions regarding the proposal process and the various presentation formats included in the VRA Conference program can be directed to Jacob Esselstrom, the VRA Vice President for Conference Program.Again, the proposal deadline is Friday, August 3rd, 2018. We look forward to hearing from you!

VRA Philadelphia 2018: Presentations now available on SlideShare

Still thinking about those outstanding sessions you saw in Philadelphia or wishing you could have been able to attend?  Over 25 presentations from the VRA 2018 annual conference are now available on SlideShare:https://www.slideshare.net/VisResAssoc/presentations.  With many thanks to Jacob Esselstrom, Vice President for Conference Program, for coordinating the collection of presentation files.

VRA Philadelphia 2018: Event Photos

Conference attendees are invited to upload their photographs from Philadelphia to the Visual Resources Association Events group in Flickr.  Visit https://www.flickr.com/groups/vra_events/ to join the group, upload your photos, and browse some amazing photos that just might include you!  When you request to join the group, please indicate your affiliation with the VRA (current member, former member, member of an affiliated organization, etc.).Please assist the VRA in documenting our past, current, and future conferences, meetings, and other events.  Add your favorite photos and let them go down in history!

VRA LA 2019: Save the Date

Start making your plans now for the next annual conference.  You won't want to miss VRA LA 2019, March 26-29 at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Los Angeles Downtown. 

VRA 2017: Volunteer Studio

Hello VRA members,Just a reminder that the VRA's 2017 Annual Conference is fast approaching (March 29-April 1), along with the early-bird rate deadline (February 28th). Here is a link to the program and here is a link to the registration page.If you haven't done so already, please remember to register for the VRA Volunteer Studio, which is FREE and the VRA Foundation is generously sponsoring. Everyone is welcome!The VRA Volunteer Studio will take place on Thursday, March 30th from 12:10 – 2:10pm and includes lunch!Lunch items will feature local favorites such as one of Louisville's more famous dishes, the hot brown. But, if you are not into open-faced sandwiches covered with turkey, bacon, and creamy sauce, there will be vegetarian options available as well.After lunch, the Studio facilitators (representing diverse aspects of the profession and the Association) will offer opportunities for attendees to engage in “real-life” issues/projects that are being addressed within the Association. I, for example, will be facilitating a discussion table that represents the VRA Executive Board, and would like to talk with anyone who is interested about our changing professional roles and the future of the VRA. So, if you've ever had questions about how your skills might align with the needs of the VRA in meaningful ways, the nitty-gritty of Association work, or the benefits our volunteers gain from active participating in the VRA--the Studio will be a place for you to explore those questions. Or--just come for lunch and observation. Either way, the Volunteer Studio will provide a multi-directional learning and conversation space for all.To helps us get a general sense of our catering needs for the Volunteer Studio, please remember to select it on your conference registration form as an event that you will be participating in.If you have already registered, and need to make that selection retrospectively, please email Jasmine Burns and she will make the adjustment on your behalf.Have a great weekend!Jen

VRA 2017 Keynote Speaker: Brent Seales

This year’s convocation speaker, Dr. Brent Seales, paradoxically works with cutting-edge technology as well as some of the world’s earliest artifacts. Dr. Seales received his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Currently, our guest speaker is a professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science and what’s more, the director of the Center for Visualization and Virtual Environments (VIS Center) at the University of Kentucky. Another notable period in his career trajectory occurred in 2012-2013, when he was a visiting scientist with Google in Paris.His work researching digital imaging in the fields of cultural heritage at the enviable VIS Center (basically a Visual Resources Center on steroids), is what makes Seales such an exciting and timely addition to this year’s program. The VIS website describes the Center as having produced fascinating research using advanced technologies that incorporate “computer vision and image processing, data acquisition, graphics, human-computer interaction, multimedia, and networking that are dedicated to research and development of computer-generated immersive environments, ambient environments, dynamic scene acquisition and preservation, advanced telepresence and telecommunications, and visualization applications in such areas as education and training, medicine, manufacturing, security, and daily life.”Receiving international acclaim, the VIS Center has partnered with such renowned institutions such as the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, The British Museum, IBM, FBI, Archivision, and a number of universities.One of his most compelling projects developed at the VIS Center is known as EDUCE (Enhanced Digital Unwrapping for Conservation and Exploration). It aims to produce readable images of ancient texts too fragile to open by using a virtual unwrapping tool similar to X-ray technology. Fortunately, (spoiler alert) for one particularly damaged ancient scroll from Ein Gedi, which resembles a lump of coal, Seales and his research team achieved the seemingly impossible by developing a software that involves layering digital images over the primary source, then altering the documents color and resolution. Thanks to Dr. Brent Seales for having securely laid the groundwork, we can only hope that such emerging technologies become common-place in the future within our field of visual resources.Make sure to attend this engaging talk on Wednesday, March 29th from 5:00-6:30pm.

VRA 2017 Conference Branding Winner

Please join me in congratulating Meghan Rubenstein, winner of the 2017 VRA Conference Branding Contest! Meghan’s winning logo design is below. It will be used on the 2017 VRA Conference website as well as other marketing and print materials for the conference.We would also like to thank each individual who put their creative talents into designs for this contest. Members using their creative ideas for such efforts is an important part of what allows our organization to thrive. I look forward to seeing you all in Louisville!Melanie ClarkPublic Relations and Communications Officer

VRA 2017 Conference Call for Posters

The Visual Resources Association’s 34th Annual Conference will be held in Louisville, Kentucky from Wednesday, March 29^th, through Saturday, April 1st^, 2017, in the Louisville Marriott Downtown hotel.  The theme for the Louisville conference is unbridled opportunities. Please mark your calendars.Proposals are now being solicited for the 2017 posters.  All proposals are welcome.Deadline for submissions is October 1, 2016.Participants in the Poster Session present a professional topic both graphically and through direct interaction with conference attendees.  This format encourages one-on-one discussions and self-paced viewing. Posters depict workplace initiatives, research works in process, and other library/visual resource topics of contemporary interest.Submit your poster proposal via our online submission form.A poster consists of a visual display accompanied by pertinent handouts; The visual poster display can take any form or look, provided it is confined to the 30” x 42” area. Creating the opportunity for conversation is the main goal of the poster session.Beyond the display panels and certain basic mounting supplies, poster presenters will be required to bring all materials and mount their own display at the designated time. Full details will be provided in December, following selection and confirmation of poster presenters. Successful applicants will be notified by October 15, 2016.

Have a great day.

Chris Strasbaugh

Design Your VRA Conference Branding!

VRA Members,Need a project to put your visual mind to? The VRA Board invites you to participate in a design contest for the 2017 VRA Conference visual branding. The winning design will be used on the 2017 Conference website and print materials. Our conference branding in the past has consisted of logos, banners, or both (see examples below). We are leaving it flexible for you to be creative with your designs. The design may include original artwork, a photo, or a hybrid. Designs should be representative of Louisville, i.e. the skyline, waterfront, or things Louisville is known for (horses, baseball, bourbon, or arts scene, etc.).SpecificationsDimensions: 3000 pixels on the long side, 300 dpiPreferred file format: TIFFFile size limit: 25MBRequired textual content: VRA 34 / Louisville KY / 2017Optional content: "Unbridled Opportunities" / March 28-April 1, 2017You may submit as many entries as you like, and we encourage you to involve students with an interest in attending the conference, even if they are not currently VRA members. The VRA Board will select a design and the winner will receive attribution on the 2017 conference website, as well as a $50 discount on 2017 Conference registration OR, if the winner is unable to attend the conference, a $50 discount on next year’s membership.Designs should be submitted to: melanie.clark@ttu.eduSubmission deadline: September 2, 2016Winner announced: September 9, 2016VRA reserves the right to make minor modifications for various print formats.Examples from past conferences:

• http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra32/
• http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra33/
• httpS://vraweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Minneapolis_2011_web.pdf
• http://www.vraweb.org/conferences/vra30/
• http://vrawebor.ipower.com/conferences/toronto2009/index.html
• http://vrawebor.ipower.com/conferences/sandiego2008/index.html

Melanie ClarkArchitecture Image LibrarianArchitecture LibraryTexas Tech University806-834-5377melanie.clark@ttu.edu