Conferences, Membership, Travel Awards Conferences, Membership, Travel Awards

Donate, Win, and Save-the-Date

Would you like to win a free conference registration for 2020 Baltimore, March 24-27, or a one-year membership to the VRA?

CLICK HERE FOR THE DONATION BUTTON

Due to strict gambling laws in California, the Executive Board was unable to include a raffle at this year’s conference in Los Angeles. However, we did implement an inclusive giveaway that everyone can participate in, whether you attended the conference or not! 

For every $5 you donate to the Visual Resources Association 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 by clicking the link above to support this initiative and win yourself a membership or 2020 conference registration!

**Please note that due to restrictions on how we are able to allocate funding as an organization, any donations to the VRA Foundation will not be entered into this drawing.**

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2019 VRA Foundation  Project Grant: Call for Applications

Deadline:  April 26, 2019 

The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) 2019 Project Grant application period is now open. This grant program supports projects which reflect the VRA Foundation’s mission to advance education, research, and outreach in the field of visual resources and image management.  

A single grant is available during the spring 2019 cycle with up to $3000 to be awarded. This funding may be used for a stand-alone project, a pilot or start-up financing for a larger project, or for a significant component of a larger project. In general, collaborative projects and those proposed by groups, whether or not affiliated with an organization or institution, are encouraged. In addition, innovative projects that result in a broader impact and be shared throughout the global community are of particular interest. Categories to be considered for funding include, but are not necessarily 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 

The project must be completed within one year from the time the grant is formally accepted. The grant will be disbursed in two increments: $1500 at the start of the granting period, and $1500 pending the submission of a mid-project progress report. A final report, including a financial statement, on how the funds contributed to the project is due within one month of the project's completion. Failure to complete the proposed project may result in the grantee returning the funds. 

More information about the Project Grants, including the application form and previous recipients, can be found on the Visual Resources Association Foundation website at:  https://vrafoundation.com/project-grant/ 

For full consideration, please submit your application (https://forms.gle/wgJHo2CtvaR7FWmE9) by Friday, April 26, 2019, 11:59pm Pacific Time.  The recipient of the VRAF Project Grant will be announced by May 10, 2019. 
 
The VRA Foundation has United States Internal Revenue Service status as a 501(c) 3 non-profit entity. All elements of a proposed project must be performed within the legal parameters of United States local, regional, and federal government requirements. International applications are welcome from institutions or individuals provided applicant institutions have the equivalent of US non-profit status, and applicant individuals have a similar non-profit, educational purpose. 

If you have further questions about the Project Grant Program or the application process, please contact the VRAF Board of Directors at vrafoundation@gmail.com.  

On behalf of the VRAF Board of Directors.

vrafoundation@gmail.com

vrafoundation.com

twitter.com/vrafoundation

www.facebook.com/visrafoundation

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Summer Educational Ins..., Visual Resources Assoc... Summer Educational Ins..., Visual Resources Assoc...

Time is running out! Registration for SEI 2019 closes Friday, April 12

Time is running out! Registration for SEI 2019 closes on Friday, April 12, and we only have 10 spots left. Don't miss your chance--register today at https://seiworkshop.org/registration/

SEI 2019 will be held at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, from June 4-7, 2019. 

A joint program between the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA) and the Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF), the Summer Educational Institute for Visual Resources and Image Management (SEI) provides information professionals with a substantive educational and professional development opportunity focused on digital image management. SEI 2019 will present an overview of the digital life cycle, allowing attendees to “get their feet wet” in a broad range of topics, including:

•   Project Design

•   Intellectual Property

•   Digitization

•   Digital Preservation

•   Metadata

•   DAMs, Digital Curation, and Digital Repositories

•   Instructional Design and Outreach

SEI is a fantastic learning and networking opportunity for professionals interested in creating and maintaining sustainable digital collections of cultural heritage materials, including librarians, archivists, museum curators, visual resources librarians, and graduate students. The workshop offers participants the chance to meet colleagues from various institutions who are facing similar challenges. Faculty and students share ideas and solutions to these challenges and make lasting professional connections.

For more information on SEI 2019, visit our website: seiworkshop.org

Have questions? Please feel free to contact one of our co-chairs:
Lesley Chapman (lchapman@colgate.edu)
Courtney Baron (courtney.baron@emory.edu)

Follow SEI on Facebook and Twitter: @seiworkshop

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Conferences, Food, Tours, Transportation Conferences, Food, Tours, Transportation

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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Bulletin Bulletin

VRAB Spring Issue - deadline extended!

Dear Colleagues,

In light of the recently published VRA Bulletin Special Issue on Metadata (Cataloging Today: Enlarging the Sphere) we’ve decided to relax the deadline for our next issue which will now be published in June 2019. This means that we can reopen the call for content!

The new deadline for article submissions is Tuesday, April 30th!

We hope this will be especially welcome news to those of you presenting at spring conferences and organizing Art+Feminism Wikipedia Edit-a-thons this month!

There are two ways to get started publishing in the VRA Bulletin:

1. If you’d like to run your article idea by the editors before getting started, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Content Editor, Hannah Marshall (marshall.hannah.marie@gmail.com)

2. If your article is written and ready-to-go, upload it directly to our online journal system by following these instructions

In addition to being openly accessible, the Bulletin now offers a hybrid peer-review model in which authors can select whether or not to have a submission peer-reviewed. If you’re interested in serving as a peer reviewer, please reach out to the Content Editor. Many thanks to those who have already volunteered!

This call is open to a wide variety of article types including but not limited to:

  • Scholarly articles
  • Case studies
  • Editorials
  • Reviews of books and other resources
    • We particularly recommend this category for students and early professionals looking to get publication experience!
  • Project updates
  • Reports from working groups and professional organizations


Sincerely,

Hannah Marshall, Content Editor

Amy Lazet, Production Editor

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VRAF, Workshops VRAF, Workshops

Registration Open: Metadata and Management of Cultural Heritage Digital Media

The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) is pleased to announce registration is now live for “Metadata and Management of Cultural Heritage Digital Media: From Fundamentals to Future Trends” hosted by the Smithsonian’s Freer|Sackler Museum on April 26, 2019.
This one-day workshop will provide you with the background and tools to effectively organize, catalogue, and distribute your institution’s digital assets by introducing you to the core concepts of managing digital content. Participants will receive an overview of metadata standards, as well as how to manage, share, and publish digital content.

The workshop will be taught by Shyam Oberoi, the Chief Digital Officer for the Royal Ontario Museum, where he oversees the Museum’s digital and technology strategy.  Before coming to the ROM, he was the Director of Technology and Digital Media at the Dallas Museum of Art, where he led the Museum’s digital and technical initiatives with responsibility for media creation, gallery interactives, technical services and mobile experiences. Among his successes was a multi-year project to comprehensively digitize every object in the DMA’s collection, and publish the entire collection online with extended scholarly content.

To register or read the full workshop description, visit here. The workshop fee is $125. If you have questions about registration, contact Beth Haas, VRAF Director, bwodnick@princeton.edu. For questions about the venue, contact Cory Grace, gracec@si.edu.

Please register by April 19, 2019.

The VRAF is grateful to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation for their continued support of this exciting opportunity to partner with cultural heritage and educational institutions.

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Conferences, Tours Conferences, Tours

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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Conferences, Events Conferences, Events

VRA LA 2019: Community Partnership Event: Collaborate and Win

Join us for the Community Partnership Event on Wednesday, March 27 from 2:15-4:00 pm.  Refreshments will be served and VRA members will have the chance to meet with VRA’s commercial partners as well as leaders of the Association.  This one hour and 45 minute event will provide plenty of opportunities for conversations about products, projects, and information about how to become more involved in the work of the VRA.

How do I learn more?  Want to publish in the newly open source VRA Bulletin? The editors can help you get started on an article.  Want to learn about the work of the VRA Foundation? Talk to representatives about grants for interns, projects, and professional development. Have you been thinking about joining a VRA committee? Come talk to the people already involved.  Maybe you are wondering about the Summer Educational Institute (SEI)... Representatives of the Implementation Team will be in attendance. Looking for a new tool or platform to catalogue and deliver content, equipment to capture collections, or libraries of stunning images?  Our commercial partners will happily share their offerings.

What about those prizes?  Talk to the representatives at the various tables to collect stamps and be eligible for the drawing at the end of the event.  The prizes include exciting offerings from our commercial partners and items specially selected by the Local Committee to enhance your stay in Los Angeles.

And just who are these sponsors?  Check out their websites linked below and come prepared with your questions.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

PLATINUM

SILVER

BRONZE

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

Chris Strasbaugh
Chair, VRA Development Committee

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Accommodations, Conferences Accommodations, Conferences

VRA LA 2019: Special Room Rates Ending Soon

Reserve your room today at the DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles Downtown and receive special room rates.  The deadline for this offer is March 11 or until the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first.

To make reservations online please click the link below:
https://doubletree.hilton.com/en/dt/groups/personalized/L/LAXDTDT-VRA-20190324/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG

To make telephone reservations:
Dial (800) 222-TREE or (800) 222-8733 and follow the automated instructions.

Why should I stay at the DoubleTree?
Besides being well appointed, super convenient, and where all your brilliant colleagues will be, 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 meeting and event spaces is greatly reduced by our guarantee that a certain number of sleeping rooms will be booked by our members.  If this number is not met, fines may be imposed and the cost to register for future conferences could be significantly increased.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles Downtown is nestled between Little Tokyo and the Arts District, and conveniently located near Bunker Hill and the Financial District, in the heart of lively DTLA. The hotel is situated off the 110, 101 and 5 freeways, and is just 3 blocks from Union Station. It offers stunning skyline and Kyoto Gardens views and complimentary transportation within 3 miles. Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Broad, Museum of Contemporary Art, Japanese American National Museum, Grand Park, and Grand Central Market are all within walking distance.

Each of the spacious guest rooms feature sophisticated Asian-fusion decor and are rich in comforts. Enjoy modern amenities such as 42-inch HDTVs and high-speed internet access.

Book your room today!

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

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Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) announces 2019 Professional Development Grant Recipient

The Board of Directors of the Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) is pleased to present the winter 2019 VRAF Professional Development Grant in the amount of $1000 to Dr. Claudy Op den Kamp, Senior Lecturer in Film at the Faculty Member Centre for Intellectual Property Policy & Management, Bournemouth University.

Claudy Op den Kamp, plans on utilizing the funds to attend the 2019 Visual Resources Association (VRA) National Conference, which will be in Los Angeles, California from March 26-29th. Op den Kamp will be a co-presenter at a session titled, Special Topics in Intellectual Property Rights: Motion Pictures, Archival Footage, and Film in Pedagogy. She will be discussing Intellectual Property Rights interdisciplinary issues in the talk and from her new book, A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects (Cambridge University Press, May 2019) in which she co-edited, designed, researched images and gained image clearances for the publication. The information in this professional development journey is leading her to create a new publication “Object 51: Copyright, Digital Cultural Heritage and Academic Publishing,” which regards the process and production of A History of Intellectual Property in 50 Objects. Information for the second publication will be gathered at the VRA LA 2019 Conference with the intent to contribute to the wider cultural heritage community.

The VRAF Professional Development Grant Program reflects the broad mission of the VRAF 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 (such as a conference, symposium, workshop, online education), or to enroll in relevant research activities (such as hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). For more information about the VRAF, the VRAF Professional Development Grant, and other VRAF programs, please visit vrafoundation.com.

On behalf of the VRAF Board of Directors.
vrafoundation@gmail.com
vrafoundation.com
https://twitter.com/vrafoundation
https://www.facebook.com/visrafoundation/


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Conferences Conferences

VRA LA 2019: Must-see Museums and Art Galleries

In addition to the museums that are featured as tours, there are many more art institutions and galleries that you might like to visit while staying in Los Angeles. If you are attending the LACMA tour, you can stop by Craft Contemporary while you are there; it’s right across the street. Also, David Kordansky Gallery and Kayne Griffin Corcoran are nearby. If you are headed to the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens tour in San Marino, nearby, in Pasadena, you’ll find the Norton Simon Museum (free admission with conference badge), USC Pacific Asia Museum (half price ($5) on general admission with conference badge), or the Armory Center for the Arts among other venues. Pasadena is accessible from the Metro Gold Line. The Memorial Park Station is right across the street from the Armory. The Pacific Asia is about a five-minute walk and the Norton Simon is about a sixteen-minute walk from that station as well.


Gardens at Norton Simon (Photo: Jennifer Faist)

Galleries in LA tend to gather in communities, and one of those, the Arts District, is within walking distance of the conference hotel. In addition to the Hauser & Wirth tour you might also want to check out DENK Gallery, which will be exhibiting new works by Tim Hawkinson through March 30th, or the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, Jason Vass, Mash Gallery and The Box.

A few of the popular art gallery and museum destination areas are easily reached by Metro Rail. There are several museums in Exposition Park which are easily accessed via the Metro. The California African American Museum, California Science Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and USC Fisher Museum of Art are all within walking distance of the Expo Line's Expo Park/USC Station. Also, the Chinatown galleries are just a few blocks away from the Gold Line Chinatown Station. Most of the galleries are on Chung King Road including Charlie James Gallery, Lisa Derrick Fine Art, Coagula Curatorial and The Good Luck Gallery plus a few others around the neighborhood. The Bergamot Station arts complex in Santa Monica is right next to the Metro Expo Line 26th Street/Bergamot Station. While many of the heavy hitters have left the complex since the Metro stop opened, there are still some good galleries left like Richard Heller Gallery, William Turner Gallery, Lora Schlesinger Gallery, Craig Krull Gallery and Patrick Painter, Inc. Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood is near the Vermont/Sunset stop on the Metro Red Line. The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House are both located in the park which is on top of a hill with spectacular views of the Los Angeles basin and the Hollywood Hills including Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign.

For some of the other major clusters of galleries it would be better to drive or use ridesharing services. There are numerous galleries in Culver City congregating along La Cienega and Washington Boulevards. Baik Art Gallery has a group show called Re-Verb on display. Lisa Bartleson will be showing at FP Contemporary, Kim Dingle will be at Susanne Vielmetter, and Betye Saar at Roberts Projects. There are many more galleries in this area like Edward Cella Art + Architecture, Philip Martin Gallery and Honor Fraser Gallery, so it’s easy to hit a dozen or more galleries in a short amount of time. A little further off the beaten path in Culver City, you’ll find the Museum of Jurassic Technology, a quirky Wunderkammer.

West Adams is the newest blossoming art scene in LA and hosts an eclectic group of galleries including E.C. Liná Gallery. Hollywood is another gallery hot spot focusing around Highland Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard and is home to Regan Projects, Kohn Gallery, Diane Rosenstein, Steve Turner Contemporary, Tanya Bonakdar Gallery, Gavlak, Various Small Fires and Nonaka-Hill. Close by, two New York gallerists have recently opened new spaces in West Hollywood, Matthew Marks who is showing Gary Hume and Jeffrey Deitch who has a large group show of figurative sculpture. LAXART, an independent, nonprofit art space showcasing contemporary & experimental art, is also in the neighborhood.


Getty Center Balcony and View (Photo: Jennifer Faist)

One of LA’s most well-established, blue-chip galleries, Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, will be showing Takashi Murakami. Other outstanding museums in Los Angeles include the Hammer Museum in Westwood which will be showing a comprehensive exhibit of Allen Ruppersberg’s work, and the J. Paul Getty Museum with two locations, the Getty Center in Brentwood (with beautiful vistas of the skyscrapers of Downtown to the coastline beaches) and the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades. If you would like to visit the Broad Museum Downtown or the Marciano Foundation in the Mid-Wilshire area, be sure to reserve your tickets in advance starting February 1st. Unfortunately the current shows at the the Museum of Contemporary Art’s Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo will be ending on March 25th, but the permanent collection will be on view at their Grand Avenue location Downtown on Wednesday, March 27 and Thursday, March 28 (free admission with conference badge).

Gallery hours vary, and some galleries are closed between shows for installation, so be sure to check their websites. For more information and additional galleries and museums see our museum and gallery list which is organized by neighborhood.

Contributor:

Jennifer Faist
Local Planning Committee Member, VRA LA 2019
Library Systems & Digital Collections Administrator, ArtCenter College of Design Library

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Registration open for VRAF Regional Workshops in Chicago and DC

The final two VRAF Regional Workshops in the 2018/2019 workshop season are now open for registration!

Exhibit, Instruct, Promote, Collaborate: An Introduction to Omeka for Digital Scholarship is being hosted by the University of Chicago and will take place on Friday, March 1st at Regestein Library on the beautiful U of C campus. This workshop is being taught by Susan Jane Williams and will cover many aspects of Omeka including the new Omeka S and will have a hands-on segment to work through sample exhibits.  See more detailed information and register for this workshop here. 

Metadata and Management of Cultural Heritage Digital Media: From Fundamentals to Future Trends is being hosted by The Smithsonian’s Freer|Sackler and will take place on Friday, April 26th at the S. Dillon Ripley Center on the Mall in Washington, DC.  This workshop is being taught by Shyam Oberoi, Chief Digital Officer of the Royal Ontario Museum and will provide you with the background and tools to effectively organize, catalogue, and distribute your institution’s digital assets by introducing you to the core concepts of managing digital content.  See more detailed information and register for this workshop here. 

Visual Resources Association Foundation Regional Workshops are day-long learning experiences for professionals dealing with all aspects of developing, preserving, and advocating for the scholarly life cycle of cultural heritage resources. The registration fee for each workshop is $125.

For questions about the Regional Workshop program or registering for the above workshops, please contact VRAF director, Beth Haas, bwodnick@princeton.edu.

The VRAF Regional Workshops are generously supported by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.

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Conferences, Food Conferences, Food

VRA LA 2019: Let's Eat!

In a city with an overwhelming range of food choices, we wanted to provide some top picks to help you navigate your conference culinary experiences. The Little Tokyo neighborhood has a plethora of sushi, ramen, tempura, dumplings, and sake to keep you satisfied. Likewise, the Arts District, Civic Center, Chinatown, Olvera Street and other surrounding neighborhoods all have great places to eat. Below is a list of recommendations, which will also be included on our VRA LA 2019 map. All are walking distance from the hotel. Any walk  >15 minutes, has a rideshare travel time included. Find more reviews on Jonathan Gold’s 101, Yelp, The Infatuation, Eater LA, and LA Taco.

Fine Dining

Here are some top rated fine dining experiences, if celebrity chefs and home-cured charcuterie are your thing. Plan to secure a reservation ahead of time for these restaurants:

  • Redbird (New American $$) 114 E 2nd St redbird.la,
    2 min walk

  • Majordōmo (Californian $$$) 1725 Naud St, majordomo.la,
    25 min walk / 10 min rideshare

  • Bestia (Italian $$$) 2121 E 7th Pl  Bestiala.com,
    30 min walk / 10 min rideshare

Good Value

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is grand-central.jpg

These hot spots will keep you under budget without missing out on the flavors of LA:

  • Chado Tea Room (Tea House) 369 E 1st St (inside JANM)  chadotearoom.com,
    7 min walk

  • Lemonade at MOCA (cafe, lunch $-$$) 250 South Grand Ave,
    15 min walk / 5 min rideshare

  • Guisados DTLA (Mexican $)  541 S Spring St #101 guisados.co,
    15 min walk / 5 min rideshare

Plant Based & Allergy Friendly

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is plant.jpg

Lots of healthy options and vegetarian friendly food around, here some safe bets:

  • Cafe Gratitude (Vegan $$) 300 S Santa Fe Ave cafegratitude.com,
    15 min walk / 5 min rideshare

Libations

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is brewery.jpg

Head out for a drink with friends new and true:

  • Far Bar (Gastropub $$) 347 E 1st St farbarla.com ,
    7 min walk

  • Boomtown Brewery (Brewery $$) 700 Jackson St boomtownbrew.com,
    16 min walk / 5 min rideshare

Historic Buildings

Each one of these historic gems has a story to tell:

  • Imperial Western Beer Company (Brewpub $$) Union Station, 800 N Alameda St imperialwestern.com,
    15 min walk / 5 min rideshare

  • Cole’s the Originator of the French Dip & Speakeasy (since 1908) (American $$) 118 E. 6th St.,
    [no website] 14 min walk / 5 min rideshare

Sweet Tooth

Satisfy your sweet tooth with Japanese mochi, French macarons, and vegan donuts, oh my:

  • Mikawaya (Japanese Mochi ice cream $) 118 Japanese Village Plaza Mall ,
    5 min walk

  • Midori Matcha Cafe (Tea Room, Bakery $) 123 Astronaut Ellison Onizuka St, Ste 101- C midorimatchatea.com,
    3 min walk

  • Bae (Ice cream $) 369 E 2nd St,
    4 min walk

  • DŌNATSU, (Donuts, Vegan $)  330 E 2nd St #C ,
    3 min walk

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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Conferences, Tours, Workshops Conferences, Tours, Workshops

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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Conferences, Transportation Conferences, Transportation

VRA LA 2019: Car-free Los Angeles


Allan Kohl, John Trendler, and Krystal Boehlert at the Bradbury Building

Like a lot of big cities, Los Angeles can seem daunting, especially if this is your first visit.   But we want to reassure you that this is a city you can safely navigate with ease.

Little Tokyo, our conference hotel neighborhood, is approximately one square mile of restaurants, cafes, bars and quick-bite stops; shops of all varieties; banks and other services; and museums and other cultural highlights.  It is lively, even very late at night, and populated with locals and visitors alike. 

Surrounding neighborhoods are also accessible on foot.  Many iconic sites are an easy 5-10 minute walk, such as the Bradbury Building, Central Market, and the grand old movie houses on Broadway. 

A 10-15 minute walk northwest will get you to the Broad Museum, LA MOCA, Disney Hall, and the Music Center.

In 20 minutes you can walk to the wonderful LA Central Library (and be sure to cut through the Biltmore Hotel across the street for a peek – it was home to the first Academy Awards and there’s a terrific photo of the event in the lobby). 

The Arts District covers many blocks, and there are numerous galleriesand murals 5 to 30 minutes from our conference hotel. 

Of course as you walk around downtown you will want to stop for a bite or drink – and you will not be disappointed in the variety of options! (More emails to come on this topic!)

If you’re up for venturing further, Chinatown is about 25-30 minutes on foot, and you can visit the beautiful Union Station and historic Olvera Street en route.

To the south is the Fashion District, home to hundreds of fabric stores, vendors selling knock-offs, and the Fashion Institute of Design and Marketing Museum. [Note that it is on the other side of Skid Row, an area you may not be comfortable walking through – but if you take Main Street you can avoid this area.]

There are also many great self-guided walking tours of the city (in addition to the terrific VRA-organized tours on offer), such as this onegeared to photographers.

And when you are going farther than walking distance, or it’s late and you’re tired, we have  a comprehensive list of transportation options for you: public transit trains and buses, ride-shares and taxis, and for the truly adventurous,   bike or scooter shares!  This link to the Metro public transportation system, for example, will help you calculate the best method to get anywhere.  (And if you do decide to rent a car to go further afield, it’s not as bad as you think – your phone’s GPS (Google Maps or Waze) is your friend to help you find the most efficient route, and there are always parking lots nearby.)

We hope you all venture out and explore this exciting, rich city, and please ask any of the VRA LA locals for advice, suggestions or directions!

Contributor:

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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Conferences Conferences

VRA LA 2019: Announcing Convocation Speaker Dan Goods

Photo: © Shaughn Crawford

The VRA Executive Board is pleased to announce that our VRA LA 2019 Annual Conference Convocation speaker is Dan Goods.

Dan Goods is an independent artist and the Visual Strategist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA. During the day he runs The Studio at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, leading a team developing creative ways of communicating and working to transform complex concepts into compelling stories that can be universally understood. In his leadership role there, Goods uses his artistic talents and passion for creating experiences where people are reminded of the gift and privilege of being alive. After hours, he works on a wide range of personal creative projects. Currently he is collaborating with others on new public art pieces in San Diego and San Francisco and is developing the “Museum of Awe,” an experience of art, science, theater and surprise, with David Delgado and Ivan Amato. Goods won an International Design Excellence Award for his work on the eCLOUD, a 110-foot-long digital sculpture at the San Jose International Airport. He has worked on other large-scale art projects at the Atlanta International Airport, at SIAS International University in China and for BMW in Paris, and has shown his work in museums around the world.

Goods was named “One of the Most Interesting People in Los Angeles” by LA Weekly and has been profiled in The Los Angeles Times, Leonardo magazine and the National Endowment for the Arts Magazine. He is also on the board of the Caltech Management Association and ITACCUS (International Astronautical Federation’s Technical Activities Committee for the Cultural Utilization of Space), and is an advisor to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Art and Technology program.

Dan Goods was born in Palmer, Alaska and was raised in Salem, Oregon. In 2002 he graduated valedictorian from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. Goods explains his life and career in one sentence: “After doing the dishes, reading bedtime stories to my kids, and spending time with my wife, I work on other creative problem solving projects around the world.” He lives in Altadena, CA with his wife and three children.

We hope that you will join us at the Convocation on Wednesday, March 27th, to hear Dan Goods speak about his unusual journey and how he has found that innovation, passion, and creativity can be unleashed to understand what it means to be you and what it means to be human. His talk will follow the 2019 VRA Awards ceremony, with a reception afterwards.

You can learn more about Dan Goods and his work at his website: http://www.directedplay.com/
We look forward to seeing you in Los Angeles March 26th-29th! For more information about the conference program, travel logistics, accommodations, etc., please visit the VRA 2019 Annual Conference website. As always, if you have any questions please email me.

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


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CAA CAA

VRA Business Meeting at CAA in NYC: Tools & Trends in Visual Resources

The Visual Resources Association is using a scheduled business meeting at the annual College Art Association conference to share information about some of the tools that curators are using to enhance and manage digital image collections and discuss new trends in the field of visual resources and art librarianship.

Three speakers will be presenting their work in these areas:

Cataloging at Artstor: A New Look at Tried and True (and some AI) Strategies
Lisa Gavell, Senior Manager of Image Content at Artstor

Maximizing Metadata: VRA Embedded Metadata Tools
Marcia Focht, Curator of Visual Resources at Binghamton University

Images as Research Data
Jasmine Burns, Visual Resources Metadata Librarian at Cornell University and Chair of the Upstate New York Chapter of VRA.

Please join us for provocative presentations with time for questions and discussion on Friday, February 15th, 2019, in the Morgan Suite at the New York Hilton Midtown, from 12:30 to 1:30 pm.

This event is free and open to the public, so you do not need to be a CAA member or to register for the conference to attend this VRA business meeting. If you wish to attend regular sessions, the book and trade fair, or other CAA conference activities, you must register. Advance registration for the full conference ends on Jan 30th, 2019 (only 3 days left), but single time slot and day passes may be purchased onsite (not available in advance).

For questions or additional information, please contact:

Maureen Burns, IMAGinED Consulting & VRA CAA Affiliate Representative

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Bulletin Bulletin

VRA Bulletin Call for Content: Spring 2019 Open Access Issue!

The VRA Bulletin is recruiting content for its first ever Open Access issue due out in Spring 2019!

In addition to being openly accessible, the Bulletin now offers a hybrid peer-review model in which authors can select whether or not to have a submission peer-reviewed.

If you’re interested in serving as a reviewer, please reach out to the Content Editor, Hannah Marshall.

In light of the Bulletin’s expanded access and peer-review option, this call is open to a wide variety of article types including but not limited to:

  • Scholarly articles
  • Case studies
  • Editorials
  • Reviews of books and other resources
  • Project updates
  • Reports from working groups and professional organizations

Examples of timely topics that we’d welcome articles on (and which you may already be thinking about and working on...):

  • Spring conference presentations (the VRAB editorial team is happy to work with presenters to adapt papers, posters, and talks into articles!)
  • Art + Feminism Wikipedia edit-a-thons
  • DPLA
  • Visual resources in institutional repositories
  • Digitization projects - whether in-house, grant-funded, outsourced, collaborative, etc.
  • Others!

Articles should be submitted using the online system by Friday, March 1st.

The editors are available to discuss and advise on topic ideas prior to submission, so please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

Sincerely,
Hannah Marshall, Content Editor
Amy Lazet, Production Editor

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Visual Resources Assoc..., VRAF Visual Resources Assoc..., VRAF

2019 VRA Foundation Professional Development Grant: Call for Applications

The Visual Resources Association Foundation (VRAF) is pleased to announce that it is accepting applications for the VRAF Professional Development Grant program. This program offers two $1000 grants yearly. This grant can be used to support conference participation, enroll in a workshop, for an online education opportunity, or for research activities. For consideration, please submit your application by Friday, February 22, 2019, 11:59pm Pacific Time. If you have any questions about the VRAF Professional Development Grant or the application process, and to submit your application go here: https://goo.gl/forms/mLrZCo7VdQrup3nf2 or please contact the VRAF Board of Directors at vrafoundation@gmail.com. To obtain further details about the VRAF, the VRAF Professional Development Grant, and other VRAF programs, please visit vrafoundation.com. The recipient of the 2019 VRAF Professional Development grant will be announced by Friday, March 1, 2019, and must be used before March 1, 2020.

Purpose:

The purpose of the VRAF Professional Development grant is 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 (such as a conference, symposium, workshop, online education), or to enroll in relevant research activities (such as hands-on field work or a site visit for scholarly purposes). Priority will be given to applications that include participation at a conference (giving a paper, teaching a workshop, chairing a committee, etc.); research that shows promise to lead to publication or contributes to the visual resources and cultural heritage information management community; or to applications that can demonstrate that the receiving the opportunity will have a broader benefit to an institution or region. Please note that recipients of the award are required to submit a report outlining how the award contributed to his or her professional development within 30 days following the event.

Eligibility:

  • Applicants should have a professional interest in visual resources and cultural heritage information management, and may include retirees, the currently unemployed, or students seeking educational and training opportunities in support of broad access to cultural information.
  • Membership in the Visual Resources Association is not required.
  • Statements of financial need will be strongly considered.

Acceptable Uses of Award Money:

  • Transportation costs to and from the event venue
  • Registration fees or tuition
  • Required course materials (e.g., work books, DVDs)
  • Lodging 
  • Meals – including meals in transit to and from the educational event
  • Research expenses

Grant monies may not be used to cover indirect costs (a percentage of grant money taken by the grantee’s institution to cover perceived overhead)

Application Criteria:

  • A goals statement outlining the opportunity, how it will benefit your work, and any potential contributions this opportunity may allow you to make beyond your own professional development.
  • A comprehensive budget and breakdown of your proposed travel, lodging, meal, and other expenses. When costs are estimated, please explain (e.g., “roundtrip airfare on United as determined via Expedia search”; my lodging costs reflect an estimate for a shared room). If your institution requires you to use a specific airline, or has set a corporate airfare rate, please note this in the comments section. Be as clear and complete as possible about other funding support you will receive or are applying for, such as from your home institution, or other grants and awards.
  • Your resume/curriculum vitae

Application:

Please submit an online application to be considered for a VRAF Professional Development Grant.

On behalf of the VRA Board of Directors
vrafoundation@gmail.com
vrafoundation.com
https://twitter.com/vrafoundationhttps://www.facebook.com/visrafoundation/

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Conferences, Tours Conferences, Tours

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

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