Eighth Biennial Convention
Albuquerque, New Mexico
MAY 28–31, 2009
The 2009 IAPS convention was a huge success; many people commented that it was the best convention ever. Demonstrations, workshops, lectures and hands-on classes were all well attended, with many filled to capacity, and participants came away with new ideas and information. The air of excitement and energy
in the hotel was amazing.
Hotel Albuquerque offered us an excellent venue for the convention; its wide halls and seating areas, together with the covered outdoor seating and view of the garden area gave people pleaseant spaces to sit and talk. The larger trade show space allowed for wider aisles and less crowding, and the new product demonstration area was quite successful. We are pleased to be able to return to this hotel in 2011.
The photos can’t do justice to the event itself—in order to really appreciate it, you truly “just had to be there.”
Preparation
On Wednesday, volunteers spent many hours preparing registration packets.
IAPS officers and Executive Director Susan Webster met with hotel staff to review all aspects of the convention and coordinate plans.
CLASSES/DEMONSTRATIONS
Master classes and pre-convention workshops gave people a chance for more in-depth instruction. Here, instructor Richard McKinley comments on Emily Goldfield’s painting.
Kim Lordier discusses technique as she paints her demonstration painting.
Margaret Evans traveled from Perthshire, Scotland, to attend and teach at the convention.
Maggie Price’s post-convention plein air class spent two days painting in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains.
On Thursday, before the official opening of the convention, a free presentation by members of Australian pastel societies was well attended by early arrivals.
Thursday afternoon’s PaintAround kicked off the convention. As the crowds cheered and the clock ticked, each artist began a painting, worked for ten minutes, then moved to the next easel for ten minutes, and on to the next, until returning to the original starting position for the final ten minutes. The resulting paintings, signed by all five artists, were auctioned off, with the proceeds going to the scholarship fund.
Top to bottom, each with the painting he or she started and finished, Sean Dye, Alan Flattmann, Maggie Price, Rae Smith and Urania Christy Tarbet.
BANQUET
Isabelle Roché gave the keynote speech at the banquet, presenting a video about how the Roché pastels are made by hand in her family’s tradition. Here she is pictured with Mike Leczinsky of Rochester, NY.
Urania Christy Tarbet, founder of IAPS, announced her resignation as President after 15 years in that position, and the promotion of Maggie Price to that position. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Maggie presented this award (shown at left) to Urania in recognition of her contribution to pastel. At right, Urania Christy Tarbet with Maggie Price.