Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York: July 20-26, 2008
Make a date in 2008 for the next GNSI conference!
**Contact Info on this Page** (click the link on the left to jump to the list)
The Region and Venue:
The Finger Lakes area of Upstate New York has long been a popular tourist destination. Famous for its natural beauty, the region boasts scenic lakes, waterfalls, geologically fascinating gorges, abundant wildlife and wonderful biodiversity; all of which make it a superb destination for visitors, and for artists and scientific illustrators in particular!
Ithaca sits at the southern end of Cayuga Lake (the largest of the Finger Lakes). Three well-respected institutions of higher education have made Ithaca their home: Cornell University, Ithaca College and Tompkins Cortland Community College. Ithaca College (http://www.ithaca.edu/) will be our host for the 2008 conference. The College sits atop South Hill with majestic views of Cayuga Lake, the city of Ithaca and the surrounding hillsides. The cost of accommodation at the College is expected to be $41.50 for a single standard dorm room, per person, per day, and $36.50 for a double standard dorm room, per person, per day. (Other housing options are available-see below under “state parks information”.) Parking on campus will be free and easy for those arriving by car.
The variety of educational institutions, as well as a thriving community of artists of all kinds, help to create a culturally rich atmosphere in Ithaca and contribute to a community well known for its progressive, friendly attitude. In addition, this rich culture and the many organic farms that surround the city have created a wealth of different restaurants and eateries offering wonderful local food (including vegetarian fare offered at the well-known Moosewood Restaurant- http://www.moosewoodrestaurant.com/index.html). So whatever you do, be sure to bring an extra stomach to the GNSI conference 2008 and remember the motto of one of our local ice-cream parlours… “ Life is short, eat dessert first!”
In addition to wonderful food, the Finger Lakes are dotted with wineries and for many, a wine tasting tour is a must when visiting the area. We plan to hold the conference banquet at a local winery, Sheldrake Point (http://www.sheldrakepoint.com/sp_wine.php) which sits on the western shore of Cayuga lake. Try some wine tasting with your appetizers before dinner and after dinner you can roam the gardens and vineyard surrounding the winery or walk across the street to watch the sunset on the lake. Entertainment is scheduled by local musicians and Ithaca is known for its abundance of musical talent.
Activities:
We hope you will be spoilt for choice here! Ithaca is ideally situated for easy exploration of the region’s natural and cultural highlights. Its position on the shores of Cayuga Lake means that boat tours are a possibility, so bring your sea-legs! Boat tours depart from the steamboat landing, which also plays host to the Ithaca Farmers Market (http://www.ithacamarket.com/home.php), which will be in full swing in time for the conference. The market is a fantastic opportunity to shop for local arts, crafts, foods and to soak up the atmosphere, which as the locals will tell you, is “very Ithaca.”
You might also want to pack your hiking boots for the guided tours around Cornell University campus (http://www.cornell.edu/visiting/ithaca/) and the Johnson Museum of Art (http://www.museum.cornell.edu/) In addition to these tours, we are planning sketching trips to local gorges, waterfalls and nature preserves, including Sapsucker woods: (http://www.birds.cornell.edu/About/BuildingAndSanctuary/SapsuckerWoodsSanctuary.html ), which is part of the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University. Trips to Sapsucker woods and the Lab should be a wonderful experience, both for budding birders and anyone who is interested in getting a peek at the extensive collections and cutting edge work being done at this well-known hub for ornithological research.
Tours are also being planned around the lovely Cornell Plantations (http://www.plantations.cornell.edu/) and the Arboretum (http://www.plantations.cornell.edu/). More hiking and sketching opportunities are available at several local and accessible state parks.
State Parks information:
Ithaca College is just 3 miles from the State Park of Buttermilk Falls (named for the foaming waterfall that cascades down into the lower portion of the park.) Other state parks are a short bus or car ride away and most parks have cabins as well as tent sites. Summer dates fill quickly, and reservations can be made now. Buttermilk Falls State Park, being the closest to Ithaca College, is probably the best option for anyone wishing to make it a camping/cabin trip. Delegates can visit http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/ for more state park information. New York State Parks camping cabin reservations can be made by calling 1-800-456-2267. The direct line to Buttermilk Falls State Park and Robert H Treman State Park is 607-273-3440. Taughannock Falls State Park can be contacted on 607-387-6739.
For those seeking alternative accommodation, http://www.visitithaca.com/ is a useful resource. Click on “visitor info” for local hotels, bed and breakfasts (and camping) information. top of page
Other attractions:
As well as trips to state parks, delegates may wish to pay a visit to
The Corning Glass museum (http://www.cmog.org/), which is a short drive from Ithaca and contains amazing displays of glass work from all over the world. You can even make your own glass flower, beads or etched glass art-the ideal souvenir!
The Paleontological Research Institute (http://www.priweb.org/) located just north of Ithaca is a natural history research institution concentrating on the geology and paleontology of the Northeastern United States. Unique exhibits can be found at the wonderful Museum of the Earth (part of PRI) and include skeletons of the Hyde Park Mastodon and Right Whale.
Call for Instructors and Presenters:
The program committee for the 2008 conference is looking for participants! We are looking for presenters/instructors with expertise in the following areas:
- “Tech Support” - two separate presentations
1. Purchasing the right computer for your Illustration needs.
2. Keeping up with the digital era.
- ”Dead and Alive” - Workshop or presentation to demonstrate the evolution of drawing from a preserved plant or animal specimens to a lifelike rendering or final painting.
- “Animation Techniques” - Workshop
- “Web page Design” - Workshop
The program committee would also like to welcome recommendations for workshop, presenter, and Technique Showcase ideas. If you have a specialized skill that you would like to share at this year’s conference please contact Paula DiSanto, Program Committee Chair. Email:pdisanto@twcny.rr.com
The annual GNSI conference is one of the highlights of our event calendar and it’s clear that many members look forward to each and every one with keen anticipation! We hope that the 2008 Ithaca conference will more than live up to the wonderful conferences that have taken place in past years. Every conference presents members with an invaluable opportunity to meet new and interesting people in the field of science illustration and to become part of the unique, community of artists that make up the GNSI. It is a wonderful chance to explore new and exciting developments in both traditional and digital illustration techniques, meet up with friends old and new and to showcase your own work in a supportive, knowledgeable atmosphere.
We would like to encourage readers to keep their eyes peeled for more details which will appear in future newsletters as the conference program develops. More information will be available soon, including details of how to register for the conference and enter the annual exhibit. We look forward to welcoming you to Ithaca in 2008!
2008 Conference Contacts:
Conference Chair - Camille Doucet, doucetcamille@yahoo.com
Conference Co-Chair - Lucy Gagliardo, lfg1@cornell.edu
Housing and Conference site - Lucy Gagliardo, lfg1@cornell.edu
Registration - Sue Williams, susannewilliams8@gmail.com
Finances - Frances Fawcett, ffawcett@twcny.rr.com
Program - Paula Bensadoun (traditional presentations and workshops),
pdisanto@twcny.rr.com,
Margy Nelson (digital presentations and workshops), rumfygraf@twcny.rr.com,
Louisa Sandvik louisasandvik@hotmail.com,
and
Elizabeth Morales, lulytoon@zoom-dsl.com
Annual Exhibit - Margy Nelson, rumfygraf@twcny.rr.com and Frances Fawcett, ffawcett@twcny.rr.com
Field Trips - Henrike Burton, henrike.burton@gmail.com,
Kathy Schlough, ptkathys@twcny.rr.com,
and Linda Babcock, llarsenbabcock@infinisol.org
GNSI Newsletter updates - Peg Nocciolino, pnocciolino@hotmail.com
Banquet - Shirley Hogg, shirleyhogg@yahoo.com,
Henrike Burton, henrike.burton@gmail.com,
and Kathy Schlough, ptkathys@twcny.rr.com
Merchandise - Elizabeth Morales, lulytoon@zoom-dsl.com
Auction - Christi Sobel, sobel@clarityconnect.com
Website- Lynn Usack, lusack@sg23.com
Informers (relay info to newsletter, board and webmaster)
Marcia Eames-Sheavly, me14@cornell.edu,
Gretchen Halpert, ghalpert@verizon.net
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