By Marjorie Leggitt, Denver 2003 Chair

Three years ago when I volunteered Denver as the 2003 GNSI Conference site I knew little about designing, developing, and fleshing out a 5 day meeting for over 100 attendees. However, I did know who I wanted to invite as keynote speakers.

Monday, July 28, 2003 undoubtedly will be a bright sunny day. In lieu of sipping coffee on the Grand Dining Hall patio, the whole of the GNSI Conference will gather in the dark bowels of a University of Denver auditorium to absorb the genius, humor, and divine personalities of three of Denver’s most creative multi-disciplinary “artists”.

The Evolutionary Dance
John Gurche, artist and paleontologist, will begin the morning. (Some of you may remember John from his keynote address at the GNSI Conference in DC in 1996. He was great then, he’s even better now!) John’s award winning paintings have appeared on the covers of National Geographic, Discover, and Natural History magazines. His work on reconstruction of human ancestors can be seen at the Smithsonian, Field Museum, the San Diego Museum of Man, and Denver Museum of Nature and Science. His dinosaurs have graced U.S. postage stamps, television documentaries, and the silver screen.

As John writes, “We humans are strongly moved by forms from the organic world. When organic form begins to hint at human-ness, the effect can be spell-binding. This is true for the components of human form as well. The esthetic resonance of the human form is enhanced when we see it in motion, in the implied movement of a sculpture, or in dance. It has now become clear that the human form has been engaged in another kind of dance, a shape-changing evolutionary dance through time”. This talk explores the esthetics of the evolving human form and previews a collection of new work which is devoted to it.

Monkey Puzzles and Parking Lots
Next on the agenda, Kirk Johnson, Curator of Paleontology and Head of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, is a prolific, popular lecturer and tour leader who speaks on a variety of topics ranging from dinosaur extinction to continental drift to how fish “fly” 60 feet in the air to munch on tasty leaves in rain forests. His primary research focuses on late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary plant life and landscapes of the Rocky Mountain region. Kirk studies (and eats) fossil plants and is endlessly amazed why everyone else doesn’t.

Kirk will share his delightful wit in this discussion of why all dinosaur paintings are wrong and why for the past 20 years he has tried to get people to paint prehistoric landscapes without animals.

Recreating Ancient Life by Gary Staab
Last, but definitely not least, the morning will conclude with an informative discourse by the creator of the 40 foot long Sarcosuchus imperator, also known as “Super Croc”. Gary Staab’s work and eclectic studio demonstrate a flare and passion for natural forms both past and present. His sculptures enhance the halls of the Smithsonian, the British Museum of Natural History, the America Museum, and many others. His work for the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, Disney, Dorling Kindersley Publishers is familiar to all.

Using recent National Geographic projects as visuals, Gary will describe the process and research involved in creating work that is believable, realistic, and accurate. He will share the magic he performs in turning bones into fleshed out prehistoric life forms.

Please join me in what is guaranteed to be a superb introduction to a week full of learning, exploring, sharing, networking and acclimating yourselves to 5280 feet above sea level. Contrary to what you may have read in guide books and travel magazines, oxygen canisters are not required.