Second National Encaustic Painting Conference

Updated Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Montserrat is preparing for your arrival!

Studios and lecture rooms are being readied, and equipment is being set up. Residence halls are being spruced up and outfitted. The registrar's office is putting together conference packets and IDs.

Click here for sign-in info.

The address you'll come to is 23 Essex Street, Beverly, Mass. Check the Conference Schedule for additional scheduled events.

(If you have a non-conference event you'd like the conferees to know about, feel free to post it on the Message Board.)

. . . . . . . . .

"On the Edge" has been juried.

Congratulations to the 27 artists who are listed in the updated Juried Exhibition Info.

. . . . . . . . . .

All posts are visible in scroll-down. Info is updated daily as events and workshops fill. If you want to access a particular post, click onto the category name in the listing below:

. Conference Roster . . New New New: Artists named for 301 Gallery Talk on Sunday

. Conference Schedule . NEW and IEA meetings scheduled; New: Sunday dinner discussion led by Ally Richter

. Friday Afternoon Events

. Saturday Schedule Grid

. Sunday Schedule Grid

. Registration and Fees .

. Conference Registration Form Registration now at $450

. Campus Accommodations; Amenities; Getting Around in Town; Parking New Info; Library hours!!

. Post-Conference Workshops.

. Juried Exhibition: Artists in the show and Juror's Statement New Info

. Three Exhibition Prizes

. Three ADDITIONAL Exhibitions During the Conference New Info

. Frequently Asked Questions

. Getting Around . Newly upated, including info on car service from/to Logan

.Message Board . Some conferees have hotel rooms available; others are looking for rides. Check it out!

. About Our Presenters and Speakers New Info New Info New Info

. The Fine Print

. Learn more about Montserrat College of Art

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Welcome to the blogsite for the Second National Encaustic Painting Conference at Montserrat. If this is your first time visiting the site, you'll find the Dean's and Director's letters at left, and all the information to date posted below. Most of the information is linked and crosslinked, so you should be able to navigate freely throughout this site. This blogsite is best viewed in full-screen format.

You may register for the conference and select your events (including post-conference workshops, if you wish) all at once. The registration fee is $450. Dormitory facilities are full.

Click here for info about Registration and Fees . Evangeline Egizi has taken over from Wendy Hubbard as Conference Registrar. You may e-mail her at eegizi@montserrat.edu or call her at either of these two numbers:

. 978-921-4242, ext. 1314

. Toll free within the U.S. and Canada: 800-836-0487, ext. 1314

Evangeline will receive any incoming emails directed to Wendy and will also be checking the voice mail line. If you leave a message, Evangeline will return the call.

Conference Roster

The full roster of presenters is listed, with brief descriptions of their events. Live links will bring you to their websites for more information about them. Events are filling up quickly. If you see a FULL next to the listed event on the Saturday and Sunday Grids, please select an alternative in that time slot. Want to know more about the available events? Many are posted on the sidebar, left. Take a look.

Please know, however, that the conference is much, much more than the demos and talks. I've noted all the events that are open to all conferees:


Open to all conferees
Friday Evening Keynote Talk by Kay WalkingStick. Kay's personal iconography is rooted in landscape as a metaphor for the body. Her use of wax over the years--both emulsion and encaustic-- is an integral aspect of her painting. Here’s how she describes it: “One of the constants in my artwork is the emphasis on touch, which is sometimes expressed through the material itself, and other times through the image that suggests the physical feel of a body or a place.” Kay's talk will take place on Friday evening.

Open to all conferees
Saturday morning panel, "Waxen Image, Written Word." How are reviewers, feature writers, editors and bloggers thinking and writing about encaustic? And what are they saying? In the Q&A and breakout sessions with the panelists, you can learn more about how to get on their radar. Panelists are:
Gail Gregg, New York painter and frequent contributor of feature-length articles to Art News and other general-interest publications
Shawn Hill, art historian, Contributing Editor to Art New England, and contributor to Berkshire Fine Arts
Christine Temin, former art critic for The Boston Globe, currently a freelance contributor to such publications as Sculpture, American Craft and the San Francisco Chronicle
Joanne Mattera, painter, author of The Art of Encaustic Painting and Joanne Mattera Art Blog
..
Open to all conferees
Friday Afternoon presentations open to everyone who is fully signed in by the time the events begin.
1:00-2:00 Julie Shaw Lutts on Assemblage: Taking Collage into Another Dimension
Demo: How can wax be used on 3-D surfaces? How can you make your pieces archival and secure? You will leave this workshop with fresh, new ideas about working dimensionally and incorporating wax into your work. .
2:30-3:30 Eileen Goldenberg on The Tea house Project
Slide talk: Eileen will take you through the process by which she applied for a grant, created the paintings, found exhibition opportunities for them, promoted the shows, and continues to do so. Inspirational and informative for all artists looking for ways to support and promote their career.
or
New: Charyl Weissbach on The Luminous Landscape
Slide talk: Charyl is one of the founders of a small collective of landscape painters working in encaustic who have been exhibiting their paintings throughout New England. She will talk about how the group came to be, show images of individual works and some installations, and talk about the business of securing exhibition venues andpromoting the shows.

Open to all conferees
Friday late-afternoon Art Opening
The opening of "On the Edge" will take place at Montserrat's 301 Gallery--three significant prizes will be announced at the opening.

Open to all conferees
Saturday evening Art Opening
The opening of Joanne's "Hue Again" show in the Schlosberg Gallery and "The Diptych Project" in the second-floor Hallway Gallery, both in the Hardie Building, will take place from 6:00 to 7:30.

Open to all conferees
Sunday afternoon Conference Wrapup
We've got a book signing and wrapup festivities, which include giveaways. More info closer to the date.


The Saturday Grid
. 001 FULL Kathryn Bevier of Enkaustikos on The Use of Hot Tools--Sunday #019 is open
. 002 FULL Nash Hyon on Warp, Weft and Wax
. 003 FULL Sara Mast on Working in Large Scale
. 004 Gallerists in Conversation: Leonie Bradbury, director of galleries at Montserrat College of Art, and Sarah Chaffee, director of McGowan Fine Art in Concord, New Hampshire, will demystify what takes place on the other side of the desk: what it takes to conceive and mount exhibitions, find artists, manage a roster and many other topics. There will be plenty of time for Q&A. Additional info on sidebar.
. 005 Rodney Thompson on Packaging and Packing Work in Encaustic
Demo: Rodney will share his method of creating storage/presentation/shipping boxes for the protection and transport of encaustic paintings. He will show how to make boxes from cardboard as well as to construct a simple sturdy wooden crate for shipping. Additional info on sidebar.
. 006 Susan Fader on Creating and Marketing Fine Art Digital Prints
Talk: The founder of Ditto Editions in Marblehead, Mass., will talk about ways you might explore the giclee process to create multiple editions of your work. Additional info on sidebar.
. 007 FULL Linda Womack on Painting with Masks and Stencils
. 008 FULL Nathan Margalit on Collage Painting
. 009 Almost full John Dilsizian and Richard Frumess on Wax
Ask the Expert: John, a second-generation wax refiner, and Richard, a paintmaker, will answer your questions about beeswax and other compatible waxes, such as carnauba and microcrystalline, as they relate to use in medium and paint. They will also address your concerns about archival issues and safety. Additional info on sidebar.
. 010 FULL Cindy Stockton-Moore on Alternative Grounds and Supports
. 011 Laura Tyler's Massachusetts premier of Sister Bee
Film: Curious about honeybees? You're invited to a special screening of Sister Bee, a lyrical documentary about six beekeepers who find startling beauty and spiritual truth in their work with honeybees. Q & A will follow with the director. Additional info on sidebar.
. 012 Shana Dumont on the exhibition "On the Edge"
Gallery talk: Shana, assistant director of galleries at Montserrat College of Art, will have supervised this exhibition from conception to arrival to installation and promotion. The title of her talk is How the Work in 'On the Edge' Relates to Trends in the Larger Contemporary Art World. Additional info on sidebar.
. 013 FULL Paula Roland on Encaustic Monotypes
. 014 FULL Sandi Miot on Working the Surface
. 015 Hylla Evans on Paint
Ask the Expert: Why do mixed colors separate? Why does each color group behave differently in wax than it behaves in other mediums? What is a basic working palette ? This Q&A session is sure to spur discussion among the artists on all things related to colors in wax. Additional info on sidebar.
. 016 Gallerists in Conversation: Darla Bjork, a member of SoHo 20 cooperative gallery in New York City, and Miles Conrad, owner of the Conrad Wilde Gallery in Tucson, will demystify what takes place on the other side of the desk. Additional info on sidebar.
. 017 Cari Hernandez and Nancy Natale on The Diptych Project
Gallery talk: This bicoastal, two-organization project was conceived last year at the conference and will be on exhibition. Cari, a founding member of International Encaustic Artists, and Nancy, New England Wax member and project manager for the recent East Coast installations, will talk about the project together. If you're curious about the process and the logistics of this project, come and hear Cari and Nancy talk about both sides of this undertaking. Additional info on sidebar.
. 018 FULL Mary Hart on Text into Wax
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The Sunday Grid.
. 019 Almost full Kathryn Bevier of Enkaustikos on The Use of Hot Tools
Demo: Learn about the tools developed especially for painting with hot wax, such as brushes and pens--and how to use them . Additional info on sidebar.
. 020 FULL Daniella Woolf on Encaustic with a Textile Sensibility
. 021 FULL Howard Hersh on Working in Large Scale
.022 Gallerists in Conversation: John Colan, owner/director of HallSpace, Boston, and Laura Moriarty, director of the Gallery at R&F in Kingston, New York, will demystify what takes place on the other side of the desk. Additional info on sidebar.
. 023 Rodney Thompson on Packing and Shipping Encaustic Work--see Saturday 005
. 024 Susan Fader on Creating and Marketing Fine Art Digital Prints--see Saturday 006
. 025 FULL Linda Womack on Painting with Masks and Stencils
. 026 FULL Russell Thurston on Integrating Oil Paint, Oil Stick and Pigment
. 027 FULL Hylla Evans on Color Mixing
. 028 FULL Nancy Azara on Sculpture with Encaustic
. 029 Laura Tyler's screening of Sister Bee--see Saturday 011
. 030 NEWLY UPDATED! Three Artists Talk About Their Work: Kim Bernard, Donna Hamil Talman and Lorraine Glessner. They will be joined in conversation by exhibition juror Laura Moriarty
. 031 FULL Paula Roland on Encaustic Monotypes
. 032 FULL Tracy Spadafora on Transfer Processes on Wax
. 033 Richard Frumess on Paint
The founder of R&F Paints will talk about his operation and what you can learn from it, whether you make your own paints or work with commercially prepared paints. Every color has a story and you'll learn about a few. Come with questions. Additional info on sidebar.
. 034 Gallerists in Conversation: Cherie Mittenthal, director of the Castle Hill Center for the Arts, Cape Cod, and Susan Halter, executive director of LynnArts, Lynn., Mass., will demystify what takes place on the other side of the desk. Additional info on sidebar.
. 035 FULL Kim Bernard on Transfer Processes
. 036 Maura Joy Lustig on Getting Real: An Exploration of Realism in Encaustic
Slide talk: Learn how artists who paint with encaustic create works that depict a variety of representational subject matter in a variety of styles. Included will be the works of Kevin Frank, Mona Shahid, Chris McCauley, Cat Crotchett, Dale O. Roberts, Charyl Weissbach and Maura Joy Lustig. Additional info and images on sidebar.

Vendors will be open during all breaks (and breaks will be 30 minutes between sessions)
Confirmed:
Ditto Editions, giclee prints
Evans Encaustics, paint, medium, gesso
R&F Paints, paint, medium, oil sticks, tools, books
Rodney Thompson, cradled panels
The Fine Art Store (Enkaustikos), paint and painting tools
Linda Womack, Embracing Encaustic book and book signing

See Schedule grid below

Conference Schedule, June 6-8

Bold: Events Open to All
Red: Conference sign-in times
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THURSDAY, 5
3:00-7:00pm Dorm and conference sign in if you have dorm accommodations
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FRIDAY, 6
11:00—5:00 Conference sign in for everyone/ Vendors open
1:00—2:00 Earlybird demo with Julie Shaw Lutts on Encaustic Assemblage
2:30—3:30 Earlybird talks
. . . . . . . . . . . Eileen Goldenberg on her "Teahouse Series"
. . . . . . . . . . . Charyl Weissbach on "The Luminous Landscape"
4:00—6:00 Opening of the juried exhibition, "On the Edge"
. . . . . . . . . . . Awarding of Juror's Prize, Director's Prize and Montserrat Prize
6:00—7:30 Dinner on your own in town
7:30—9:30 Welcome and Keynote: Kay WalkingStick
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SATURDAY, 7
9:00—10:00 Coffee and Late sign in/ Vendors open
10:00—1:00 Morning panel: "Waxen Image, Written Word"
1:00—2:00 Lunch/Vendors, gallery open
2:00—3:00 A Schedule
. . . . . . . . . . . 001 Kathryn Bevier: The Use of Hot Tools
. . . . . . . . . . . 002 Nash Hyon: Warp, Weft and Wax
. . . . . . . . . . . 003 Sara Mast: Working Large
. . . . . . . . . . . 004 Leonie Bradbury and Sarah Chaffee: Gallerists
. . . . . . . . . . . 005 Rodney Thompson: Packaging, Packing Encaustic
. . . . . . . . . . . 006 Susan Fader: Digital Art Prints
3:00—3:30 Break/ Vendors, gallery open
3:30—4:30 B Schedule
. . . . . . . . . . . 007 Linda Womack: Painting w/ Masks and Stencils
. . . . . . . . . . . 008 Nathan Margalit: Collage Painting
. . . . . . . . . . . 009 John Dilsizian and Richard Frumess: Wax
. . . . . . . . . . . 010 Cindy Stockton Moore: Grounds and Supports
. . . . . . . . . . . 011 Laura Tyler: Film, "Sister Bee"
. . . . . . . . . . . 012 Shana Dumont: Gallery Talk, "Contemporary Trends"
4:30—5:00 Break/ Vendors, gallery open
5:00—6:00 C Schedule
. . . . . . . . . . . 013 Paula Roland: Encaustic Monotypes
. . . . . . . . . . . 014 Sandi Miot: Working the Surface
. . . . . . . . . . . 015 Hylla Evans: Paint
. . . . . . . . . . . 016 Darla Bjork and Miles Conrad: Gallerists
. . . . . . . . . . . 017 Cari Hernandez and Nancy Natale: Diptych Project
. . . . . . . . . . . 018 Mary Hart: Text into Wax
6:00—7:30 New: Opening of Hue Again and The Diptych Project
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SUNDAY, 8
9:00—10:00 Coffee and Really Late sign in/ Vendors open
10:00—11:00 AA Schedule
. . . . . . . . . . . 019 Kathryn Bevier: The Use of Hot Tools
. . . . . . . . . . . 020 Daniella Woolf: Wax w/Textile Sensibility
. . . . . . . . . . . 021 Howard Hersh: Working Large
. . . . . . . . . . . 022 John Colan and Laura Moriarty: Gallerists
. . . . . . . . . . . 023 Rodney Thompson: Packaging, Packing Encaustic
. . . . . . . . . . . 024 Susan Fader: Digital Art Prints
11:00—11:30 Break/ Vendors open
11:30—12:30 BB Schedule
. . . . . . . . . . . 025 Linda Womack: Painting w. Masks and Stencils
. . . . . . . . . . . 026 Russell Thurston: Oil Paint, Oil Stick, Pigment
. . . . . . . . . . . 027 Hylla Evans: Color Mixing
. . . . . . . . . . . 028 Nancy Azara: Encaustic Sculpture
. . . . . . . . . . . 029 Laura Tyler: Film, "Sister Bee"
. . . . . . . . . . . 030 UPDATED Kim Bernard, Donna Hamil Talman and
. . . . . . . . . . . Lorraine Glessner talk about their work in "On the Edge." They will be
. . . . . . . . . . . joined in the 301 Gallery by juror Laura Moriarty
12:30—1:30 Lunch/ Vendors, gallery open
1:30—2:30 CC Schedule
. . . . . . . . . . . 031 Paula Roland: Encaustic Monotypes
. . . . . . . . . . . 032 Tracy Spadafora: Transfer Processes
. . . . . . . . . . . 033 Richard Frumess: Paint
. . . . . . . . . . . 034 Cherie Mittenthal and Susan Halter: Gallerists
. . . . . . . . . . . 035 Kim Bernard: Transfer Processes
. . . . . . . . . . . 036 Maura Joy Lustig: Realism
2:30—4:00 Break/ Vendors, gallery open
. . . . . . . . . . . New: Joint meeting of N.E.W. and IEA (2:30-3:30) in the
. . . . . . . . . . . third floor Student Lounge
. . . . . . . . . . . Any other ad hoc meetings?
. . . . . . . . . . . Book signing with Linda Womack (3:15-4:00 at the Church)
4:00—6:00 Conference Wrapup--With drawings for giveaways!
. . . . . . . . . . . You must be present to win:
. . . . . . . . . . . Ditto Editions will donate a certificate for a digital capture
. . . . . . . . . . . (a $150-$300 value)
. . . . . . . . . . . New England Wax will donate a copy of The Diptych Project:
. . . . . . . . . . . A Collaboration in Wax, a 52-page softcover book, created
. . . . . . . . . . . by Nancy Natale, with photos and info for
. . . . . . . . . . . all the diptychs plus photos from the two Portland openings.
. . . . . . . . . . . Joanne will donate copies of The Art of Encaustic Painting,
. . . . . . . . . . . courtesy of Watson-Guptill
. . . . . . . . . . . Montserrat will draw for a free ticket to next year's conference.

Later . . . . . . . New: Food for Thought and Vice Versa: conferee Ally Richter
. . . . . . . . . . . is planning a dinner discussion for those who would like to
. . . . . . . . . . . continue talking after the conference. This is a no-host dinner
. . . . . . . . . . . at a local restaurant (i.e. everyone picks up their own
. . . . . . . . . . . tab). Ally is preparing some topics and will lead the discussion.
. . . . . . . . . . . We'll have specifics at the Conference Wrapup.

Friday Afternoon Presentations

New this year: There are three presentations on Friday afternoon to accommodate early arrivals. You do not need to pre-register for them, but you will need to be fully and officially signed in at the college by the time each event is about to begin. Entry will be by conference ID.

Please note that in deference to both presenters and participants, there will be no entry to the presentation once it has begun. If you arrive in time to register early, you will get to attend both. If you're too late for the first hour, you may be able to attend the second. (We just added a second talk in the second hour to make sure that everyone who's signed in can be accommodated.)

The Vendor Room will be open all afternoon, and the opening to "On the Edge," the juried show, will begin at 4:00 pm.

Here's the Friday presentation schedule:

1:00--2:00: Encaustic Assemblage, a demonstration by Julie Shaw Lutts
Break
2:30--3:30 The Tea House Project, a slide talk by Eileen Goldenberg
or
2:30--3:30 The Luminous Landscape, a slide talk by Charyl Weissbach

Saturday Schedule Grid

Here is the schedule grid for Saturday, June 7. Below that you'll find the grid for Sunday, June 8. Click onto each grid to see the enlarged version. (If you had trouble enlarging Sunday's grid, try again. I've given it a separate post and that seems to have fixed the problem.) I suggest you print out each grid for reference; you'll need to print in "Landscape" orientation.

Many events have filled. If you see an event marked as FULL please don't ask our registrar to enroll you anyway. She can't. She won't. Our classrooms can accommodate only so many people. There are many wonderful alternative to choose from--see sidebar left.

Grid for Saturday, June 7 (click to enlarge)

Sunday Schedule Grid

And here's the one for Sunday. If you print out the schedules for both days and overlap them, you'll see how similar the events are in the corresponding time slots. That way if you miss an event one day, there's a good chance you'll get it the next. Be sure to print them in the "Landscape" orientation so that all six events will get onto the page.

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Please note this change: in the CC time slot, "The Diptych Project" talk will not be given. The slot has become Section 2 of Transfer Processes, and both sections are FULL. On Saturday, in the counterpart C time slot, Cari Hernandez and Kim Bernard will speak on "The Diptych Project."

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The events are filling up. If you see one marked FULL, we cannot accommodate you. Squeezing too many folks into a demo makes viewing difficult for everyone. Thank you for your understanding.

Registration and Fees

We're capping registration at 300--or as soon as the events are filled.

There are many great demos and workshops, as well as post-conference workshops available. See sidebar for additional info on some of them. Registration fee is $450, and post-conference workshops are $175 per full-day event

Campus accommodations are full, but there are hotels in the area, some with conference discounts and specials. See Getting Around for info.

Fee schedule:
. $450: May 16 through June 5, pending availability
. $500: At the door, pending availability

Withdrawals and Refunds: Participants wishing to withdraw from the conference must contact Evangeline Egizi, eegizi@montserrat.edu

Refund policy: We're trying to be as fair as possible. However since registration is limited and we're expecting a sellout, juggling refunds with waiting lists will be an onerous administrative task
. May 2 – May 31: refund minus $150 processing
. June 1 on: no refunds
. Although we strongly discourage it for administrative reasons, you will be able to transfer your registration to another person--a transaction that will take place between you and the person who is willing to purchase your registration--only if you registered as an Early Bird, that is, by November 30, 2007. It will be up to you and your purchaser to provide full information to Evangeline Egizi. Processing fee is $75, but no transfer can take place after June 1.
. We do not offer refunds for illness or inclement weather
. Please allow 3-4 weeks for all refunds to be processed

Access: Montserrat does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability in the admission of and access to its programs and activities. Montserrat College of Art is handicapped accessible.

Professional Development for Teachers (PDP’s): Montserrat College of Art is approved by the Massachusetts Department of Education as a Professional Development Provider. If you interested in obtaining PDP’s for the conference, please contact the Encaustic Conference Office at 978-921-4242, ext. 1314

Registration Questions? Contact Evangeline Egizi at Montserrat: eegizi@montserrat.edu

Registration Form

Here's the most updated version of the Registration Form. Click onto the form to enlarge it, print it out, fill it out and fax it to the Registrar at 978-922-4268 or send it to the address on the form. Please note that I periodically post a revised version of this registration form to reflect the current availability of events. It's possible that an event will fill and close between the time you print out the form and the time it is received at the college, because many events are almoooooooost full. Evangeline will do her best to accommodate your requests, but a filled-up event means there's simply no more room around the demonstration table, or no more seats in a presentation room--so as much as she'd like to squeeze you in, she can't because there's just no more room. Thank you for understanding.

Questions? E-mail Evangeline Egizi at eegizi@montserrat.edu

Dormitory and Campus Accommodations; Library; Parking

We’re looking forward to the conference! This post contains information on housing, the campus and parking. Much additional information is contained in my Getting Around post as well.
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Signing In
Most of the events will take place at Montserrat’s Hardie Building, 23 Essex Street, Beverly, Mass. (If you are using a GPS or Mapquesting, this is the address you will use.) There are also directions on the Montserrat website.

For Non-resident Conferees
Sign in will take place on Friday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm (and for latecomers, on Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 10:00 before registered events begin). We’ll have a sign-in table where you will pick up your campus ID and info packet. Once you have signed in you are free to attend Friday afternoon sessions. Other campus options are listed below.
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If You Are Staying on Campus
You may sign in on Thursday from 3:00-7:00 pm. (Later arrivals: we'll post an emergency number for you to call, but it’s best for you to plan to arrive during the time when the staff will be around to greet you.) Otherwise, the sign-in times are the same as above.
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In addition to receiving your Campus ID and info packet, you will slide over to the next table to meet Mark Bester, Director of Residential Life, who will give you your room key and answer any questions you may have about the campus. A student helper will show you to your accommodations.
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Your room will be in a campus home in the immediate vicinity of the Hardie Building. The accommodations are set up for dorm living:
. There are typically two single beds to a room (unless you were able to score a single) and a bureau for each resident.
. You’ll find a packet of linens on the bed, which you will make yourself.
. The packet contains a blanket, sheets, pillowcase, plus bath, hand and face towels. (If you are staying for the post-conference workshops, your package will contain extra towels.)
. There will be a brand-new pillow on the bed.
. The rooms will have been professionally cleaned.
. Each bedroom will contain a box fan. (The temperature is typically comfortable in early June, especially at night when the air is cooled by the ocean, which is half a mile away.)
. The bathroom will contain a new shower curtain, a supply of TP, and hand soap.
. The kitchen will have a table and chairs. There are no small appliances, since these are things students normally bring themselves. If you are driving and wish to take a coffeemaker or small microwave with you, feel free. The fridge will be plugged in, so you’ll be able to lay in a supply of beverages if you wish.
. A note about bathrooms: Given the large number of folks on campus during the weekend and the small number of bathrooms in the Hardie Building (one per floor), if your housing is across the street, would you consider using your residential bathroom? Thanks ever so.
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Amenities on Campus
. Wireless is available throughout most of the campus
. The Student Lounge on the third floor of the Hardie Building has AC and lots of comfortable chairs. It will be open during the conference and in the evening. There’s a big-screen TV that’s cable-connected, and there’s equipment for playing DVDs. (The lounge will be used for a few events during the conference, but certainly it will be free in the early evening.)
. Cheri Coe, Montserrat's librarian, has announced that the library will be open throughout the conference. It's on the first floor of the Hardie Building. Consider it a quiet spot amid the bustle of the conference. There are computers set up, so you can check your e-mail.
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Library hours during the conference:
. . . . . . Friday, June 6 11am – 5 pm
. . . . . . Saturday, June 7 1 – 5 pm
. . . . . . Sunday, June 8 11am – 4 pm
Hours during the post-conference
. . . . . . Mon.–Wed., June 9 - 11 7:30 am – 3 pm
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Amenities in Town
Right next door to the college is Beverly Commons, a small greensward that you're welcome to use .
"Downtown" is the next street over, Cabot Street. There you’ll find restaurants, coffee and sandwich shops, a few bars, several churches and a gas station. Walking, even at night, is totally safe. The Montserrat website has a section called Around Town.
. Farther afield, about a mile or so, you’ll find a Stop & Shop, CVS and other stores.
. The beach is a few minutes' walk--about half a mile. The water is June is typically too cold for swimming but it's a pretty walk and a pretty view.
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Salem, Boston and Elsewhere
. The Getting Around section has lots of information and links.
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Photographing and Blogging
. You are free to photograph. However, do not use flash when you are photographing a speaker or demonstrator; it’s distracting to everyone in the room and it may temporarily interfere with a demonstrator’s vision.
. Want to blog about the event? Go right ahead.

A Note About New England Weather
If you're wondering what to wear, you should consider bringing a small range of clothing to handle a range of weather, including a tank top, a turtleneck, a sweater, an umbrella, a sun visor. In other words, in the space of a weekend in early June, it may be warm, hot, cool, dry, wet, sunny and/or rainy. Typically the day range is about 60-80, and the night is cooler. You might need a sweater for evening.
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Parking
Below is a map of the campus, with the Pond Street parking lots noted, as well as the nearby streets. Some of these streets, such as Butman and Dane, do not have meters; just check street signs to see what the parking regulations are. If you save this map in "My Pictures," you will then be able to print it out to full size and take it with you. (Resolution won't be so great at full size, but it will at least get you parked for your initial arrival. We'll have full-size, more readable maps when you sign in. )
Note:
. Please do not use the college lot, as it’s for staff and faculty
. At least one of the municipal lots on Pond Street is free
. Cabot Street parking is meter-fed, and the police will ticket if the meter is expired; tickets are $10

Post-Conference Workshops, June 9-11

Three days of post-conference workshops will give you an opportunity to extend the camaraderie of the conference with intense learning in small groups taught by well-known and experienced instructors.
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The basics:
. Three full-day workshops each day
. Cost is $175 per workshop
. Enrollment is limited. Some workshops have filled, as indicated.
. Registrants will be contacted closer to the conference to be given specific information about materials
. Please Note: Occasionally one of these post-conference workshops marked 'Full' will have a cancellation. It's too confusing to keep changing the status. If you are interested in one so marked, e-mail Evangeline at eegizi@montserrat.edu to inquire of availability. No promises, but you never know.

Here’s the lineup with descriptions and brief instructor bios:
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Monday, June 9
ENC 037 FULL Critical Feedback with Kay WalkingStick
This is a rare opportunity for mid-career artists looking for serious critical dialog about their work to meet with a widely exhibited painter of international renown (see sidebar left). Participation is by application submission.
. Enrollment is limited to 10
. Once Kay makes her selections, Joanne will contact you to let you know your status. If you have been selected, she will have information on how to best prepare for the session.
Kay is the keynote speaker at this year's conference. Her work is included in the collections of numerous museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and has been in Janson's History of Art. She is represented by the June Kelly Gallery in New York City. You can see her work at www.kaywalkingstick.com
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ENC 038 FULL Color Chart Workshop with Hylla Evans
Working with a palette provided by Evans Encaustics, you will explore color mixing and note how colors behave when encaustic paints are mixed and tinted. Color charts will be made by each participant. You will also develop a three-color mix uniquely suited to your own work and have that color named after you.
. Paints and materials for the day will be provided for $25 per artist
. Heated palettes and fusing tools will be provided
. Enrollment is limited to 20
Hylla is a paintmaker, the founder of of Evans Encaustics. She teaches encaustic painting to working artists in the US and Holland. You can see more at http://www.evansencaustics.com/
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ENC 039 FULL Off the Wall: Encaustic in 3-D with Miles Conrad
Texture! One of the intrinsic qualities of the medium is sparking an exciting new aesthetic. Artists are exploring relief-based works on panel, hybrids of both painting and sculpture. Some have abandoned the panel altogether and are creating sculptural works made of entirely of encaustic and/or incorporating mixed media and found objects. This hands-on workshop will cover the technical fundamentals for creating innovative three-dimensional works in encaustic. We will also discuss additional considerations for packing, shipping, photographing, presenting, installing and exhibiting 3-D works.
. Heated palettes and fusing tools will be provided
. Miles will be in touch with registrants closer to the date about materials
. Enrollment is limited to 15
Miles has been working in encaustic medium for 15 years and has exhibited his 3-D works nationally. He regularly offers classes in encaustic at all levels at his Tucson studio.
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Tuesday, June 10
ENC 040 FULL Critical Feedback with Shawn Hill and Joanne Mattera
Between them, Shawn and Joanne are an art historian, artist, critic, writer, teacher, juror and curator. In an interactive group setting, they will use this experience to offer supportive critical and technical evaulation of your work and suggest ways to develop both the work and your thinking about it. Application to this workshop will be simply by registration, but you should be serious artists committed to advancing professionally.
. Enrollment is limited to 15.
. You may come with actual work or a CD/slides. Shawn or Joanne will contact you closer to suggest how to best prepare for the session.
Shawn has been writing about art in the Boston area since 1990. He received an MA in Art History from Tufts University in 2000, specializing in art since 1850. Currently he teaches art history as an instructor at Montserrat College of Art. He is a Contributing Editor at Art New England; his columns, reviews and features often focus on photography and installation art. He is also the Boston correspondent for the western Massachusetts-based website berkshirefinearts.com.
Joanne, a widely exhibited painter, is the founder of this conference. You can see more of her work at www.joannemattera.com or visit the Joanne Mattera Art Blog
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ENC041 FULL Working the Surface with Sandi Miot
In this workshop Sandi will focus on the myriad ways to create enhancements and embellishments, including how to build up the surface with wax; image transfers; use of drawing materials; application of metal leaf; collaging dried materials and different kinds of papers; and the integration of nonporous elements such as metal and stone. This is an opportunity to study with a teacher whose generosity and enthusiasm are legendary in Marin County.
. Heated palettes and fusing tools will be provided
. Sandi will be in touch with participants closer to the date about materials
. Enrollment is limited to 15
Sandi is a full-time artist living and working in Northern California. Her paintings have appeared on the sets of popular TV shows such as Friends, ER, and CSI: Miami. She is represented in California by Art Pic in North Hollywood and Lauryn Taylor Fine Art in Carmel. Sandi teaches at the Marin Museum of Contemporary Art and Mendocino Art Center and is active in the artist community of Marin County. See her work at http://www.sandimiot.com/
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ENC 042 Painting the Still Life with Alexandre Masino
Still life painting is truly a rich genre offering a tremendous range of possibilities both philosophically and esthetically. This workshop will use still life painting as a leading thread to discuss conceptual elements of painting and technical aspects of encaustic. This workshop is not intended only for still life painters but for all painters who wish to refine and exchange on the rich vocabulary of painting. The day will begin with a slide presentation and lecture, leading to a hands-on approach where you will experiment and explore with different encaustic techniques.
. Heated palettes and fusing tools will be provided
. Alexandre will be in touch with participants closer to the date about materials
. Enrollment is limited to 15 Four spots are available
Alexandre Masino completed a B.F.A. with honors in Studio Art at Concordia University, Montreal. He has presented in the last 15 years various exhibitions in public and commercial galleries in Canada, the United States and France. You can see his work at http://www.alexandremasino.com/
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Wednesday, June 11
ENC 043 Painting with Stencils with George Mason
George’s well-attended demonstration was one of the hits of last year’s conference, so we’re bringing him back this year for a full-day workshop. Working on a heated palette with a variety of papers, you will learn how to create and use a variety of stencils to make unique artworks thare are part painting and part monoprint. Here, let George describe it: "My hope is to have an informal and hands-on day with the group and to explore the myriad ways to get delightfully lost in the rich and translucent chromatic splendor of encaustics. The heated palette will be the primary work surface, to mix and apply color to templates that are in turn transfered to various paper surfaces. This method of working is immediate and playful and encourages experimentation, which is a core intention for this workshop. Methods for creating cut outs will be explained and employed, so that there is an awareness of the structural considerations that make for a successful template. "
. Heated palettes and fusing tools will be provided.
. George will be in touch with participants closer to the date about materials
. Enrollment is limited to 15 Two spots are available
George Mason received BFA and MFA degrees in ceramics from Cranbrook and Alfred University. He has taught at both institutions, as well as at Haystack and elsewhere. His work has been shown at the Renwick Gallery, Everson Museum, Portland Museum of Art, and the Farnsworth Museum. George participated in the Greenhut Galleries show "Fusion", a survey of encaustic work in Maine. You can see his work at http://www.georgemasonart.com/
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ENC 044 FULL Beyond Basics: Everything You've Been Meaning to Try with Tracy Spadafora
This workshop is for the intermediate painter. Expand your knowledge and refine your technique of encaustic painting through an in-depth look at materials and tools used in the process. Learn about various grounds, waxes and resins, and explore tool options for gaining control of your wax surface. The workshop will include demonstrations of image transfer, dipping & pouring wax, combining oil paint and wax, and encaustic inlay. Other techniques can be demonstrated at the your request. You’ll then work independently on your own project, and Tracy will provide personal assistance to specific questions and technical problems.
. Palettes and fusing tools will be provided
. Tracy will be in touch with registrants closer to the date about materials
. Enrollment is limited to 15
Tracy is an encaustic painter who has been giving workshops and demonstrations of the encaustic technique for the past 11 years at locations throughout the northeast, including Peter’s Valley Craft Center, the DeCordova Museum School, Women’s Studio Workshop, and R&F Handmade Paints.
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ENC 045 10 Things Every Working Artist Needs to Know with Joanne Mattera
The focus of this workshop is not on your medium but on your career. In this interactive presentation that is part lecture, part show-and-tell, part true-and-false and part Q&A, Joanne offers insider information, strategies, anecdotes and dealer advice in a step-by-step format that will help you advance your career. We'll talk PR, pricing and presentation. We'll examine the artist/dealer relationship. We'll discuss strategies for thinking outside the box. And much more. Come prepared to take notes; laptops and audio recorders are welcome. Bring questions! Discussion encouraged!
. This workshop can accommodate 30, and we'll continue to register for it throughout the conference--if seats remain available.
Joanne teaches career development at Montserrat College of Art and Massachusetts College of Art, as well as regular workshops at Maine College of Art. She was recently a Visiting Artist at the University of Montana, Bozeman. She maintains a small practice of private consultations with midcareer artists. You can learn more about her teaching at http://www.jmschedule.blogspot.com/

Juried Exhibition Info

27 Artists Have Been Selected for "On the Edge" Juried show

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Susanne Arnold

Marilyn Banner

Kim Bernard

Miles Conrad

Lynda Cole

Linda Cordner

Karen Freedman

Shelley Gilchrist

Lorraine Glessner

Jeanne Griffin

Cari Hernandez

Howard Hersh

Deborah Kapoor

Deborah Kruger

Diane Langley

Christy Diniz Liffman

Lynda Litchfield

Nathan Margalit

Cindy Stockton-Moore

Leslie Neumann

Karen Nielsen-Fried

Paula Roland

Donna Hamil Talman

Rodney Thompson

Russel Thurston

Laura Tyler

Gregory Wright

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Laura Moriarty's Juror Statement

I want to thank all of the artists who submitted their work to be considered for On The Edge. I feel so privileged to have had the opportunity to view such a strong group of encaustic painters. I am sure that not being selected for this show is a big disappointment for many of you who will be attending the conference, so I wanted to mention just a couple of things that might cushion the blow for you.

My list of finalists was about twice as long as it could be, which means that I cut work I would like to have included. The way I made that difficult decision was to go back to the original concept for the show – On the Edge. First I read the prospectus about pushing past one's comfort zone, and then I read the submitted statements from each artist to see how they addressed that concept, and how their work supported it. Many created work especially for this call, and got extra-credit points for that effort.

My experience with juried shows is that they often have a tendency to put themselves together, and that began to happen with this show. At a certain point in the process, after looking at everyone's work for the fourth or fifth go-round, relationships and tensions began to reveal themselves. I have a personal preference for exhibitions that explore ideas, rather than sprawling surveys, so I allowed those relationships and tensions to guide me and define the show. That is a nice way of saying that some work, even though it was very good, just didn't seem to fit in with the group vibe as well as others did.

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Laura Moriarty is Director of Exhibitions at the Gallery at R&F. She is a painter and printmaker whose curious works bridge the boundary between painting and sculpture. Her work is exhibited widely and included in many collections and publications. As Director of the Gallery at R&F in Kingston, New York, Laura has been deeply involved in the curation of encaustic exhibitions for the past nine years, and has organized several installments of "Encaustic Works", the international juried encaustic biennial exhibition sponsored by R&F Handmade Paints.
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Prizes (see below)

This year, we are pleased to announce that there will be three prizes: the Juror’s Prize, selected by Laura Moriarty; the Montserrat Prize, selected by Shana Dumont, Assistant Director of the Montserrat Galleries; and the Director’s Prize, selected by conference director, Joanne Mattera.
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The three prize recipients will be announced at the opening.
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Talks About the Exhibition

. Shana’s gallery talk, How the Work in 'On the Edge' Relates to Trends in the Larger Contemporary Art World, will take place on Saturday in the 3:30-4:30 slot.
. Laura Moriarty will talk about the show with three artists from the exhibition. We'll post those three names shortly. This talk will take place on Sunday in the 11:30-12:30 time slot.


Acknowledgments
We wish to thank our vendors for their generosity in supporting the conference and this show.
(And for one more, stick around for the Sunday wrapup when Ditto Editions will draw a name for a digital capture.)

TheConference is grateful to Shana Dumont, Assistant Curator of the Galleries at Montserrat, who is overseeing this exhibition.

Prizes

Three Awards This Year

We are pleased to announce three exhibition prizes with the "On the Edge" show: the Juror’s Award, selected by Laura Moriarty; the Montserrat Prize, selected by Shana Dumont, Assistant Director of the Montserrat Galleries; and the Director’s Prize, selected by conference director, Joanne Mattera.

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We are grateful to our wonderful vendors for their generosity. You can learn more about them by clicking onto their names, below, which are linked to their websites.

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Each award includes:

. A monetary gift of $100 from Montserrat College of Art , below:

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. $100 gift certificate from Evans Encaustics, below:

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. $100 gift certificate from R&F Paints, below:

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. An Enkaustikos Contemporary Set from Enkaustikos! Wax Art Supplies, which includes hot tools, paint and medium, a $189 value, below:

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. A 12 x 12" beechwood-frame recessed panel by panelmaker Rodney Thompson , below:

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. A signed copy of Embracing Encaustic by Linda Womack, courtesy of the author, below:

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. A signed copy of The Art of Encaustic Painting by Joanne Mattera, courtesy of Watson-Guptill, below:

The three prize recipients will be announced at the opening. Of course you don't have to be present to win, but it certainly will be more fun if you're there.

THREE MORE Exhibitions During the Conference

This year's conference boasts three exhibition in addition to On the Edge. Here's a roundup of all four. I'll update opening info as it becomes available.

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On the Edge: A Juried Show of New Work in Encaustic

Juror: Laura Moriarty, Director, The Gallery at R&F, Kingston, New York

Organized by Shana Dumont, Assistant Director, Montserrat College of Art Galleries

Location: The 301 Gallery, 301Cabot Street

Exhibition dates: June 6 - July 3

Opening: Friday, June 6, 4:00 - 6:00 (awarding of prizes will begin at 5:00)

For this juried show, conference organizers challenged entrants to push to the edge of their comfort zone—and perhaps a bit farther—to see what happens when ideas, materials and processes are nudged into new territory. Some 87 entries were received.

As soon as selections are made, we'll post a complete list of participating artists and a representative group of images. Please check back here in early May for a peek.

Please note that Shana Dumont's talk on the work in the show, "How the Work in 'On the Edge' Relates to Trends in the Larger Contemporary Art World," will take place in the 301 Gallery on Saturday, June7, from 3:30 to 4:30. You must be registered for the event to attend it.

In the meantime, here's news of the other exhibitions that will be up:

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The Diptych Project

Location: Hallway Gallery, second floor in the Hardie Building

Exhibition dates: June 6 - 8 (Note the dates: the show runs only during the conference)
Opening: Saturday, 6:00 - 7:30 pm

What happens when two groups meet to discuss similar goals? Tandem shows of tandem work: The Diptych Project. We're particularly pleased to host this exhibition, because the idea for the twin shows emerged out of a meeting held during the Conference last year between International Encaustic Artists and New England Wax.

Nancy Natale, a New England Wax member who served as project manager for the N.E.W. side, describes the parameters: "The artists were randomly paired...There were no restrictions or conditions except for panel size [each bicoastal duo worked on the same-size panel] and completion deadlines. The artist who finished the diptych--the N.E.W. artists in the case of the 36 pieces in the Montserrat show--decided how the pieces were to be displayed and framed."

Inaugural exhibitions took place simultaneously in April in two Portlands--Brian Marki Fine Art, Oregon, and Whitney Art Works, Maine. Selected works from the project will tour nationally in shows originating from both coasts. A partial schedule of exhibitions after Montserrat includes the Conrad Wilde Gallery in Tucson, Arizona, in September; and the Steamboat Springs Arts Council in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, in November.

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West Coast-based IEA and East Coast-based N.E.W are professional associations that share similar missions to further excellence in art created in the medium of encaustic.

Please note that Cari Hernandez, one of the founders of IEA, and Nancy Natale, N.E.W. project manager, will give a talk about The Diptych Project on Saturday, June 7 from 5:00 to 6:00 in the Hallway Gallery. You must be registered for the event to attend it.

Here's a look at some of the diptychs in the exhibition:

Mary Farmer (IEA) and Janet Bartlett Goodman (N.E.W.): The Journey of 231 Years, 2007-2008, encaustic with gold leaf, 24 x 36 inches

Below, Daniella Woolf (IEA) and Kimberly Curry (N.E.W.): Studio Rendezvous, 2007-2008, encaustic with collage and stitching, 14 x 28 inches

Phyllis Lasche (IEA) and Rick Green (N.E.W.): Coastal Birdseye Views, 2007-2008, encaustic with collage, 18 x 36 inches

Below, Julia Pinsky (IEA) and Nancy Natale (N.E.W.), Elegy for Emily, encaustic with collage, cord, plant materials, 32 x 16 inches

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Hue Again: Paintings by Joanne Mattera

Location: Schlosberg Gallery, first floor of the Hardie Building

Exhibition dates: June 6 - July 3

Opening: Saturday, 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Ciel Rouge (Uttar 249), 2004, encaustic on four panels, 48 x 67 inches

I'm thrilled to tell you that gallery directors Leonie Bradbury and Shana Dumont have invited me to show in the Schlosberg Gallery, and they have curated a selection of my work from the Uttar and Silk Road series. "Hue Again" is about color, as is the essence of my practice. My painting embraces the rich materiality of waxen color and the reductive geometry that carries it. I call my work lush minimalism. It is an honor to show at an institution where I teach, and doubly so at a time when both my Montserrat colleagues and Encaustic Conference friends will be present. I am grateful to Montserrat College of Art and to Leonie and Shana for inviting me, and to Arden Gallery, Boston, for their support.

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Therefore & Because: Decoding Norman Laliberte'
Location: Montserrat Gallery, first floor of the Hardie Gallery
Exhibition dates: June 6 - July 26
Opening: Friday, June 6, 5:30 - 7:30

Spanning several decades of work, this exhibition features paintings, sculptures and artist books from the private collection of the artist. All the works in this show will be exhibited publicly for the first time.

Below, Norman Laliberte', Therefore, 1998, acrylic on wood, 24 x 24 inches

Frequently Asked Questions

These Q&As have been edited so that only the still-relevant ones remain. New info in pink.

When can I register?
Now! Click onto Registration and Fees
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What happens if I register early and then need to withdraw?
The full refund policy is now listed under Registration and Fees.

Is there a student rate?
The early registration prices were as low as we could go. Grad students and upper classpersons at the college level are certainly welcome, but please note that since this conference is for practicing professionals, we're assuming a certain level of expertise with the medium.
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