VREPS Spring Virtual Meeting Registration
If you are a Visual Resources Emerging Professional or Student please join your fellow VREPS colleagues for a Spring Virtual Meeting on Wednesday, May 15, 2019, from 2:00pm-3:00pm EST!
Please fill out this form to register & receive a zoom meeting link.
2020 Nancy DeLaurier Award
The VRA Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the 2020 Nancy DeLaurier Award.
Although nominations must be initiated by a member of the Visual Resources Association, recipients do not have to be VRA members. We encourage the VRA membership to look at any presentations, projects, publications, research, tools, technologies, and other outstanding efforts that have made an impact on your work in visual resources and to submit a nomination.
Past project-based recipients include:
- 2016 - Developers of VRA Core (Esme Cowles, Ben Kessler, Trish Rose-Sandler, Jan Eklund)
- 2015 – Editors of Cataloging Cultural Objects (Murtha Baca, Patricia Harpring, Elisa Lanzi, Linda McRae, Ann Whiteside)
Please note that current members of the VRA Awards Committee or the Executive Board should not write in support of a nomination, nor should they be included in nominations. Please reach out to a current Awards Committee member if you have a recommendation in mind, and we will guide you through the nomination process.
Who would you like to see recognized for their contributions? Feel free to contact any member of the Awards Committee if you have any questions about the nomination process, or if you’d like to suggest a nomination for the 2020 VRA Distinguished Service Award. Here’s the link for more details and contact information: httpS://vraweb.org/about/committees/awards-committee/
We hope to learn of some fantastic efforts happening across the Visual Resources Association and beyond that have made a tremendous influence on your work.
Regards,
Steven Kowalik
VRA Awards Committee chair
VRA LA 2019: Presentations Now Available on SlideShare
Still thinking about those engaging sessions you saw in LA or wishing you could have been able to attend?
Select presentations from VRA LA 2019 are now available on SlideShare:
Deadline Extended to May 10th for 2019 VRA Foundation Project Grant Call for Applications
2019 VRA Foundation Project Grant: Call for Applications
Deadline Extended to: May 10, 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 thatresult 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) byFriday, May 10, 2019, 11:59pm Pacific Time. The recipient of the VRAF Project Grant will be announced by May 24, 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
Donate & Win: Congrats to Allan Kohl & Amy Lazet!
The Executive Board is delighted to announce the donation drawing winners, Allan T. Kohl and Amy Lazet! They can choose a free conference registration for 2020 Baltimore or a one-year membership to the VRA for themselves or a friend.
Regarding his reasons for supporting VRA with his donation, Allan wrote “I really do believe in the spirit of ‘members helping members’ in a direct and tangible way.”
Amy responded that “VRA has been a fabulous source of professional development opportunities…as well as a prime place for networking and forming lasting relationships, both professionally and personally.”
Thanks again to all the members that donated in our donation drive, and the Executive Board looks forward to providing new raffle or donation prize opportunities in Baltimore for 2020!
Robb Detlefs, 2019 VRA Distinguished Service Award Winner
The Awards Committee of the Visual Resources Association is delighted to announce that Robb Detlefs, Gallery Systems, EmbARK Product Manager, is the 2019 recipient of the Association’s Distinguished Service Award. He was nominated for this award by Julia Deal, Davidson College.
For more than twenty years, Robb has proven himself to be a steadfast supporter of the visual resources profession and the VRA in particular. He has worked to support the creation of important visual resource technologies (e.g., LIDO - Lightweight Information. Describing Objects, and CDWA Lite). Through his skilled networking across organizations, institutions, and commercial partners, Robb has been an unofficial liaison between the VRA and other professional organizations, such as the Museum Computer Network. As proof of his dedication to the VRA and its members, Robb has worked on four VRA committees, and was the Public Relations and Communications Officer while serving on the VRA Executive Board. The VRA Core Advisory committee has long benefitted from his practical expertise. He is active in the VRA Northern California Chapter and has participated and presented at CaVraCon and numerous VRA conferences. On a personal note, those who know him discover that although Robb may start out as a professional colleague, he will soon become a true friend.
Please take a moment to learn more about the 2019 Distinguished Service Award recipient by reading the 2019 VRA Conference nomination speech presented by Julia Deal and Marcia Focht (Binghamton University, SUNY) as well as Robb’s acceptance speech at: httpS://vraweb.org/about/committees/awards-committee/vra-awards-recipients/.
Being a member of the Awards Committee comes with an award all its own. What could be more rewarding an obligation than taking part in choosing and celebrating a colleague that has given so much to VRA! The heart of this association is its dedicated, hardworking members who keep this association vital and pertinent as we move into the future. Do you know someone that fits this description? It’s not too early to start thinking about next year’s recipient. The Awards Committee solicits nominations from you, the membership, for consideration for this award. Who would you like to see recognized for their contributions? Feel free to contact any of us on the Awards Committee if you have any questions about the nomination process, or if you’d like to suggest someone for the 2020 VRA Distinguished Service Award. Here’s the link for more details and contact information: httpS://vraweb.org/about/committees/awards-committee/
Sincerely,
Steven Kowalik
VRA Awards Committee Chair
VRA LA 2019: Conference Survey: Attendees and Non-Attendees
Dear colleagues,
The VRA Executive Board is already hard at work preparing for future conferences, but we need your voice to ensure everyone can benefit from conference activities.
Attendees of the VRA 2019 Annual Conference in Los Angeles should have received last week, an email invitation to complete a post-conference survey. With your experiences in Los Angeles still fresh in your mind, the VRA Executive Board would greatly appreciate it if you would take 10-15 minutes to complete the 28-question survey and share your comments and suggestions. If you did not receive this invitation, here is a link to the survey for attendees:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7G88HFG
If you did not attend VRA 2019, we would also like to hear from you, to gain some insight into why you didn’t attend this year, and to hopefully get some feedback that will make it more likely that you will attend future conferences. Here is a link to the survey for non-attendees:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7ZF8LR2
Your responses will give the Executive Board guidance as we plan the programming for the 2020 Baltimore conference. The surveys are anonymous, so please be open and honest with your feedback. The surveys will close on Friday, May 3rd, 2019.
Again, thank you to everyone that participated in the 2019 conference, and thank you for taking the time to assist us as we consider ways to improve future VRA conferences. Please feel free to contact me directly (vpcp@vraweb.org) if you have any questions or concerns.
-Sara
Sara Schumacher
Vice President for Conference Program
Visual Resources Association
VRA LA 2019: Conference Photos
View and Upload Conference Photos at the VRA Events Group in Flickr
Conference attendees are invited to upload their photographs from VRA LA 2019 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 shots that just might include you!
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!
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.**
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.
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
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
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
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.
VRA LA 2019: Walking Tours of LA & Beyond
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.
- A good way to get familiar with the area around our conference hotel is to take this public-art-focused self-guided Little Tokyo tour.
- Some travel bloggers have designed thoughtful and comprehensive self-guided walking tours of Downtown LA, such as this one from A Globe Well Travelled, and this photographer’s DIY walking tour of DTLAfrom Explore Your Worlds.
- Walt Disney Concert Hall (the iconic Frank Gehry building) has a well-organized and accessible self-guided tour, complete with audio.
- The LA Central Library offers this self-guided tour (which you may want to print out in advance), as well as free daily docent-guided toursof this renovated 1926 Bertram Goodhue landmark.
- Metro Art Moves has free docent-led art tours of Union Station, Hollywood, Downtown, and the Gold Line (tours include TAP cards for the transportation portions).
- Angels Walk LA lists several self-guided historic walking trails in DTLA and beyond. They have comprehensive guides to download, and stanchions throughout the city as landmarks.
- The LA Conservancy, in addition to offering terrific organized guide-led tours, has a great list of self-guided tours you can print out in advance (including the Charlie Chaplin City Lights tour!)
- GPS My City is a useful app that lets you download walking tours by neighborhood. Some of the dozens of interest-specific tours include:
- Art Galleries in LA
- Museums in LA
- LA Architecture
- Movie Studios in LA
- Beverly Hills Leisure Walk
- They also offer many more offbeat tours such as Venice Beach Gawk and Walk and Hollywood: Raymond Chandler, as well as self-guided driving tours, such as The Best Thing I Ever Ate, LA!
- You can even create your own DIY Sightseeing Map!
- Free Tours by Foot offers self-guided tours of DTLA and Hollywood. (And, if you just have to do it, a self-guided driving tour of celebrity homes!) They also have pay-what-you-can guided tours.
- Real Los Angeles Tours offers several organized fee-based tours (such as DTLA Murder Mystery Ghost Tour) in addition to free self-guided walking tours of DTLA, Hollywood, and Beverly Hills.
- Downtown LA Food Tours offers a way to taste your way through the hidden gems and history of Los Angeles. These tours are guided and tickets range from $60-75.
- Hiking needs a bit of planning but is well worth it. Venturing to trailheads requires a car or intrepid use of public transportation, but if you have the time, you won’t be disappointed! Here are some of the most beautiful hikes in the LA area. Hiking enthusiasts can browse the HikeSpeak website for detailed information and trail reports.
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
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
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
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/
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
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.