.
.

Directions for Science Outreach: Directors Speak Out
Monday, July 21, 1:30–3:00 pm
Ithaca is fortunate to have more than its share of cutting-edge science institutions. On Monday afternoon four directors of those institutions will join us in a panel/town meeting format. The Directors will share their visions of the missions of today's science museums, and how they hope to influence the direction of science outreach by offering compelling content to their publics. They are eager, in turn, to hear the perspectives of today's professional natural science illustrators on how best to accomplish this goal. We hope this panel discussion will give us a forum for sharing ideas from both sides for improving our shared goal of communication through the visual arts. Together we will brainstorm about how 21st century science museums and other public-oriented science organizations can draw on the innovations of artists like ourselves, to the benefit of informal education for the science-oriented public.

On the panel will be: Warren Allmon, Director of the Museum of the Earth and Paleontological Research Institute, and our first keynote speaker; John Fitzpatrick, Director of Cornell's Laboratory of Ornithology; Donald Rakow, Director of the Cornell Plantations; and Charles Trautmann, Director of the Sciencenter, Ithaca's hands-on children's museum of science. The moderator will be Professor Ronald Hoy, Merksamer Professor of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell, who is deeply involved in theory and practice of public education. Here are some other highlights that we have planned for you. As you'll see, there are themes that run through the week that reflect the richness of Ithaca.
.

IC Square, Campus Center
Sunday, July 20, 7:00–9:00 pm
The conference committee is looking forward to welcoming you to Ithaca at this traditional conference kick-off! Greet old friends, make new ones, and bring portfolios and sketchbooks to share. We will have tables for displaying portfolios, and a patio where we can enjoy light refreshments and a beautiful Ithaca evening!

Emerson Suites A, Phillips Hall, Campus Center
Monday, July 21, 3:00–5:00 pm
We have a varied line-up of participants in the Techniques Showcase so far, plus room for a few more if you would like to take part. (Send Margy Nelson an email at rumfygraf@twcny.rr.com if you are interested.) We will also have representatives present from several vendors. This is a very relaxed venue in which you can show off your favorite technique... anything from grinding your own pigments, to a mini-gallery of your work that uses an interesting method, to measuring for mats!  Each demonstrator will have her or his own table, and two hours in which to schmooze with onlookers. A list of demonstrators and vendors is available on the Exhibits & Events page.

Museum of the Earth Art Presentation and Tour
Continuing the paleontological theme, award-winning artist Barbara Page will speak about how she created the incredible wall of 544 bas-relief tiles, chronicling the evolution of life on earth, that line the two-story ramp leading from the atrium of the Museum of the Earth down to its exhibit floor. And later still, there will be a field trip to the Museum, where Barbara will again talk about her "paleotiles", and you can enjoy a tour of the Museum.

Focus on Birds
On Tuesday, Professor Alan Singer (son of bird artist Arthur Singer) will speak about his ornithological paintings, and on Wednesday, Professor Katy Payne (a renowned observer of elephants and whales and their communication) will speak about her grandfather, Louis Agassiz Fuertes, the illustrious bird artist. Later in the week, we will have a field trip to the spectacular new building of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, where you can view a room-full of Fuertes' paintings; if there is sufficient interest, a half-dozen or so of you will be able to sketch from some of the specimens in the Lab's huge collection of bird skins.

Speaking of preserved specimens, one of the workshops we are offering takes on the issue of making literally cut-and-dried (and squashed) botanical specimens come alive on the page. Robert Dirig, botanical artist and curator at Cornell’s Bailey Hortorium, will hold a tour/workshop, "Dead-and-Alive: Botanical Art" dealing with that issue. There will also be a tour of the Cornell Plantations, Cornell’s huge collection of living herbaceous plants and trees, on Sunday afternoon, with time for plein air sketching for those who wish.

As you can see, Ithaca is rich in resources to experience the cutting edge in botany, ornithology, paleontology, and much, much more. Here are some of the other treats we are planning. Kathy Schlough and Henrike Burton, both GNSI members and physical and occupational therapists, respectively, will give a presentation on art and ergonomics…"Treat Your Back (Neck, Shoulder, Elbow, Wrist…)." Steve Buchanan will speak on "The World of Stamps;" Larry Lavendal, Frank Ippolito, Britt Griswold, and Rick Simonson will hold a two-hour panel discussion to lay out the components of "The Ideal Digital Studio," and Britt, Mary Parrish, and Diane Marquez will once again host a three-hour presentation on Paleo art. Scott Rawlins will speak on "Attitudes and Aesthetics in the Golden Age of Natural Science Illustration," while local lawyer Guy Krogh will explain some of the intricacies of Intellectual Property law, and local artist Jay Hart will tell us about "Cartography as Art."

Workshops we have lined up include basic and advanced sessions on Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop; a workshop by Chuck Carter on MODO 3D; two workshops with Rhonda Nass, one on graphite technique and one on colored pencil; a workshop with Frances Fawcett on carbon dust technique; one with Stan Bowman on making Giclée Prints; Karen Ackoff on painting with egg tempera; Trudy Nicholson on scratchboard; Dolores Santoliquido on painting with acrylics; one with Scott Rawlins on painting small brown moths, and local artist Carol Schwartzott on making "Cabinets of Curiosity", and much more!

Presentation & Workshop Schedule
The schedule is available on this site, listing confirmed presenters and workshop instructors and topics with direct links to all the conference offerings. The master schedule was also sent with the April newsletter.

Guided Visits/Tours & Field Trips
In addition to the standard fare of presentations and workshops, we've arranged many field trips and "guided visits", which partake of the essence of both presentations and field trips; check out the Field Trips page for all the updates on the many exciting offerings available!
.