SAQA 2013 Conference - Expanding Horizons
This was the 6th SAQA conference I have attended and not
surprisingly, it was the first that was sold out. I worked with the Special
Events Committee as the local organizer since October 2011 so it was very
gratifying to see it all come together nicely after 18 months of planning.
I had urged Martha Sielman to arrive a little before the
conference to better acclimate to the elevation since she lives in Connecticut,
so she and her husband, David, arrived on Sunday afternoon and stayed in
Albuquerque until Tuesday when they drove up the Turquoise Trail to enjoy a
lovely and relaxed drive to Santa Fe. They came to visit my studio on Sunday
and then we went out for dinner at the Flying Star. On Monday, Jack and I took
them touring to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Old Town, Nob Hill, and then
up through the Bosque to do a short walk to see some of the petroglyphs at
Petroglyph National Monument. To wrap up a great day, they took me to an
Isotopes game and they won 8 - 1.
In addition to organizing the Vendor's Marketplace, I
researched the hotel facilities and we were so pleased to have the conference
at the Lodge at Santa Fe - they were great to work with and a very nice place
to be. I also sold the advertising for the program guide (and then arranged to
have the attendees carpool to the Santa Fe shops that advertised, helped design
the program guide, arranged for all the printing of materials, and researched
the bus companies so we chose Star Limo in Albuquerque and they were great
working with me to develop a good route and schedule for the museum/gallery
tours on Saturday and their drivers were wonderful I heard.
Although I was quite busy during the Vendor's Marketplace
with my own booth, I managed to get photos of the event, which was quite well
attended and all the vendors told me that their sales were good.
On both Thursday and Friday afternoon, we ran shuttles to
see New Mexico: Unfolding at the Capitol and many attendees went to see it
several times. Everyone, especially the Board members, were very impressed with
the show.
Having the conference in Santa Fe was a big draw not only
for out-of-towners, but many local members attended who would not normally
attend a SAQA conference and they all told me that they had a great time meeting
such fun and talented members and guests. I always enjoy seeing old friends and
making new ones. On Sunday, I did a little hike in Tent Rocks on the way back
to Albuquerque with Martha Wolfe and Eileen Doughty.
