REGIONAL CONFERENCE

FALL 2006 Conference News

Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, and Watkins College of Art and Design are thrilled to be joining forces to host next year's regional SPE conference:

SPESC Members-

We are gearing up for the Nashville conference and would love to see you here.

We have had to make one change since the preliminary programing and we thought you should be aware of it...
We were thrilled by the amount of proposals we received for lectures and artist talks, as a result, we have had to eliminate the Saturday free time that we had originally alloted to area field trips. We do still recommend that you check out these sites on Thursday before things rev up. The Frist recommends that you call ahead for a reservation as the big Egyptian Exhibition will be in its last days and the Nashvilleans will be out in full force. The Steiglitz collection at Fisk is still under construction at this time, their renovations took longer than anticipated, so unfortunately this trip we won't be able to se it. Area galleries, The Country Music Hall of Fame, and other sites should be open for business as usual so feel free to poke around downtown before things really get going at 6:00. We will have more information available at the check-in table on Thursday for all of these possibilities.

Speaking of check-in...a conference representative will be on site at the conference hotel on Thursday, Oct. 5 from 3:00-5:30 PM to allow you to check-in and to pick up your conference materials. Please ask at the desk when you register with them and they will direct you our way. We will also have a check-in station available between 6:00 and 7:00 PM at Watkins College of Art&Design during the reception prior to Clarissa Sligh's talk on Thursday evening, and on Friday morning at Watkins College of Art&Design between 8:00 and 10:00 am. If you will be arriving at another time, please feel free to email Libby Rowe at so that she can have your welcome packet and name tag with her when you arrive. Schedule of Events

See you next week!

SPESC ’06 Nashville

October 5-7

Past Meets Present: Alternative Views of Photography

Conference Information and Forms

Co-Chair Contacts:

Teresa Van Hatten-Granath, Belmont University

Libby Rowe, Vanderbilt University

Joy McKenzie, Watkins College of Art&Design

Important Dates:  Mark your calendars!  Please note changes from SPE flier info!

July 14            Post Mark Deadline for presentation submissions

August 30        Shipping Deadline for faculty exhibition submissions

August 31        Deadline for hotel reservations at SPEcial rate

Sept. 1              Post Mark Deadline for early registrations

Sept. 22            Arrive by Deadline for student work submissions           

Oct. 5-7            SPESC in Nashville

Registration form

Speakers:

Clarissa Sligh is a widely exhibited artist whose work is based on personal and community stories. Using photographs, artist books installations and mixed media, her work asks questions about family, society, ethnicity and gender.  She has received several awards, including an NEA Fellowship and she teaches in the photography program at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA and at the Tisch School at New York University, NYC, NY.  Clarissa will speak on Thursday, October 5 at Watkins College of Art&Design at 7:00 PM.

Susan Dunkerley lives in Waco, Texas, where she currently works as an associate professor, teaching in the department of art at Baylor University. Her photographs of small set-ups have been widely exhibited.  Susan will speak on Friday, October 6 at Vanderbilt University at 7:00 PM.

A native of the south, Jack Spencer is a painter and musician, as well as a self-taught photographer. His photographs have been compared to the writings of William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy, and Flannery O'Connor, all sharing the ability to etch the mood and character of Southern life into their works.  Jack will speak on Saturday, October 7 at Belmont University at 7:00 PM.

Hotel:

Springhill Marriott Suites

250 Athens Way, Nashville, TN 37728

Call 1(800)287-9400 to get special SPE rate of $99.00/ night.

Springhill Marriott Suites offers rooms with either a king-size bed or 2 double beds.  All rooms have a pantry area with refrigerator, sink and microwave, coffee maker, iron, pull out sofa and complimentary breakfast buffet.  In addition they offer an outdoor/indoor pool, whirlpool, and exercise room. 

PLEASE NOTE: Reservations must be made by August 31, 2006 to get the SPEcial rate! After this date rooms will be $138.00 /night + tax.

Presentation Submissions:

Current trends in photography are highlighting the merge of past techniques with contemporary technologies and theories.  We welcome submissions on all interpretations of our theme, Past Meets Present: Alternative Views of Photography, that both look backward while moving forward.  All proposals should include three copies of each the following materials: a completed submissions form, a 300 (max) word abstract, a 50 word (max) biography, a single page of visual support in one of two formats: slides or thumbnail images, SASE for return of slides only.  If your session includes more than one presenter, include biographies for each presenter.  Please only include one page of visual support per group submission.  Contact Joy McKenzie at jmckenzie@watkins.edu with questions. Send completed submission packets to:  Joy McKenzie, Watkins College of Art&Design, 2298 Metro Center Boulevard, Nashville, TN 37228.

Submission form

Submissions should be postmarked by July 14, 2006.

Faculty Exhibition:

All faculty members are invited to submit one ready-to-hang piece for exhibition in the brand new gallery in Vanderbilt University's Ingram Studio Art Center.  We encourage faculty to submit work that explores the Past Meets Present theme of this conference.  However, artists whose work does not fit within this theme will be included, as the main goal of this exhibition is to celebrate the strength of our South Central faculty.  All work must be ready-to-hang.  Artists with three-dimensional work or special installation needs should contact Libby Rowe at libby.rowe@vanderbilt.edu for approval prior to submitting the work.  All work must be shipped via UPS or FedEx in reusable cartons and must include prepaid return shipping documents.  The exhibition will run from September 8-October 8 with an evening reception on October 6th.

Submission Form 

All work must be postmarked by August 30, 2006.

Student Exhibition:           

All student members who plan to attend the Nashville conference are invited to submit one ready-to-hang piece for exhibition in Gallery 121 in the Leu Center for the Visual Arts at Belmont University.  We encourage students to submit work that explores the Past Meets Present theme of this conference.  However, artists whose work does not fit within this theme will be included, as the main goal of this exhibition is to celebrate the strength of our South Central students.  All work must be ready-to-hang.  Artists with three-dimensional work or special installation needs should contact Teresa at vanhattent@mail.belmont.edu for approval prior to submitting the work.  All work must be shipped via UPS or FedEx and must be taken home at the end of the conference.  Students also may make arrangements to ship their work back at the end of the conference.  Work that is not ready-to-hang or work that arrives later than Friday, September 22, 2006 will be ineligible for exhibition.  The exhibition will run from September 25 - October 7 with a reception on Saturday evening during the conference.

Submission Form

All work must ARRIVE AT THE GALLERY by September 22.

Location: Nashville, Tennessee, or Music City as it is known, is a city rich in the tradition of supporting the arts.  From the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, to the Country Music Hall of Fame, to the Grand Old Opry, the Ryman Auditorium and the Parthenon, Nashville embraces all forms of artistic expression.  Come experience this unique culture of music, food, and Southern hospitality!  While in town, check out the art, the barbeque, and possibly spot one of our many local country music stars the honky tonk hot-spots.

Field Trips:

We have scheduled three field trips to help you check out the hot spots of Nashville on Saturday afternoon. In addition to the spots listed below, we will have gallery listings available for those free spirits who wish to strike out on their own to explore our local art galleries.  Find details about your options online and mark your top choice on the form. 

Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Hatch Show Print, Stieglitz's Collection at Fisk University, A comprehensive collection of Stieglitz photographs donated to Fisk by Georgia O'Keefe after Steiglitz’s death.

Y’all come down now, ya hear?!