Fellow ARLIS/NA members,
With my brand new Past-President hat on, I want to take this post-conference moment to thank all the conference planners and supporters. Anecdotal feedback tells me it was a fulfilling experience for everyone (despite the minor interruptions from an earthquake drill and a boisterous laundry room -- apologies to non-attendees for the insider joke).
Initial numbers indicate that it was a great success. We had over 500 attendees (forty plus of whom joined virtually). Over forty percent of our attendees were attending their first (but not last!) ARLIS/NA conference and about a third of attendees presented papers or posters. Eleven countries were represented. But numbers don't express the depth and energy of the experience.
We were treated to three phenomenal and diverse plenary speakers. Sessions and workshops provided the professional development content that we so rely on to reinvigorate our own perspectives, while also inspiring and provoking us to think anew. Special events in spectacular venues allowed us to celebrate our time together in true fashion. The multitude and variety of tours added a vital and colorful local dimension.
Those involved in conference planning and production are many, so this email will be long!
First and foremost, congratulations and a deeply heartfelt thanks to
Jon Evans, Lauren Gottlieb-Miller, and Gabrielle Reed who managed the onsite experience and conference programming. They were aided by Fernando Corona Torres, our Mexican colleague on the team. Their drive and passion made the conference a huge success in numbers and even more importantly as an exhilarating experience. I also thank Mark Pompelia (immediate Past President) and Rachel Resnik (President) for their tremendous support to facilitate the work of the planners.
The team supporting the programming work of Lauren and Gabrielle included Rebecca Barham, Rebekah Boulton, Lindsey Jackson, Sarah Long, Shari Salisbury, and Jenny Stone.
The team supporting Jon and Fernando's local arrangements work included Kate Alleman, Craig Bunch, Carla Ellard, Ángel Aurelio González, Clayton Kirking, Sarah Long, Helen Lueders, Catalina Pérez Melendez, Beverly Mitchell, K. Sarah Ostrach, Joel Pelanne, Mark Pompelia, Karen Sigler, and Heather Topcik.
In addition to those teams, there was an on-the-ground cohort managing all aspects of hospitality from greeting attendees at the registration desk to helping exhibitors settle in to making sure tour goers found their groups. This team included Beverly Mitchell, Caitlin Kilgallen, Carla Ellard, Cordes Tarantino, Craig Bunch, Eboni Jones-Stewart, Emma Metcalfe Hurst, Heather Topcik, Helen Lueders, Irene Lule, Isotta Poggi, Jenna Dufour, Joel Pelanne, Jon Evans, K. Sarah Ostrach, Karen Sigler, Karyn Hinkle, Kim Collins, Lauren Gottlieb-Miller, Quindi Berger, Rachel Resnik, Rebekah Boulton, Salima Appiah-Duffell, Sandra Cowan, and Sha Towers.
Our management team at Barcami Lane, including Cambria Happ, Megan Brouwer, Michaela Sawicki, Emily Clifford, and Jeannette Foster ensured that all attendees had a smooth conference experience from morning breakfast to evening hors d'oeuvres.
Perhaps it's not typical to thank the AV team, but In this case I need to acknowledge the brilliant job performed by Christian Lazan-Bernardt and his team (CLB360). Their expert service and smooth operation raised the visual and audio production levels to a new high.
We couldn't have offered such a rich, international experience without the tremendous financial support of our exhibitors and sponsors.
Silver Sponsors included:
A&Ae PortalArtstor / JSTORBernett Penka Rare BooksCasalini LibriErasmus Amsterdam-ParisEric Chaim H. Kline BooksellersFACSIMILE FINDERFleet Library at Rhode Island School of Design andGetty Research Portal
Many institutions and vendors stepped up to support sessions and events, including:
A&Ae Portal | Yale University PressARLIS/NA New York ChapterArtstor / JSTORBernett Penka Rare BooksBaylor University LibrariesCarnegie Mellon UniversityChristie’sClark Art InstituteColby College LibrariesEric Chaim H. Kline BooksellersFleet Library at Rhode Island School of DesignFlyover Zone, Inc.Georgia State University LibraryGetty Research InstituteHamon Arts Library, Southern Methodist UniversityHARRASSOWITZIndiana University LibrariesJean and Alexander Heard Libraries, Vanderbilt UniversityMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyMcGill University LibrariesPenn State University LibrariesPhillips Library, Peabody Essex MuseumPrinceton University LibrarySchool of the Art Institute of ChicagoSchool of the Visual Arts LibraryThe Pratt Institute LibrariesThe Wildenstein Plattner InstituteUCLA LibraryUniversity of Arkansas LibrariesThe University of Chicago Press JournalsUniversity of Houston LibrariesUniversity of Iowa LibrariesUniversity of Kansas LibrariesUniversity of Michigan LibraryUniversity of Minnesota LibrariesUniversity of New Mexico University LibrariesUniversity of Texas at San Antonio Libraries and MuseumsVirginia Commonwealth University LibrariesWorldwide Books
The participation of conference exhibitors provides additional financial underpinning. I appreciate that these exhibitors could join us this year:
A&AePortal |Yale University Press
Alejandro Cartagena
Amalivre
Art Metropole
Arthur Fournier Fine & Rare
Artstor / JSTOR
Bloomsbury Digital Resources
Boo-Hooray
Casalini Libri
Ediciones Hungría
Erasmus Amsterdam-Paris
ESPAC
Exmolino: Taller Editorial
FACSIMILE FINDER
Flyover Zone, Inc.
Fugitive Materials
HARRASSOWITZ
HMCT/ArtCenter College Archive
Howard Karno Books, Inc.
Intellect Books
Malulu Editions
POLVOH PRESS
Terentia
Textile Hive
The CODEX Foundation w/ CODEX Mexico
The Global Library Photographic Project
Tinta Taller
Veritas Editions
Worldwide Books
I am also deeply grateful for the financial backing of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, both of which provided financial support for conference attendance and participation.
Finally, thank you to all attendees for participating, for sharing, and for enjoying our time together in Mexico City.
Warmly (and already with great anticipation to see you in Pittsburgh next April),
Rebecca
ARLIS/NA Past President, 2023-24
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Rebecca PriceARLIS/NA Past President, 2023-24