Category Archive

Pasadena is a great place to see Arts and Crafts architecture and furniture. And because it’s the centennial year for Greene and Greene’s Gamble House, there are several related events happening. Easiest to see for conference participants is the comprehensive exhibit on Greene and Greene’s work that will open at the Huntington on October 18.It will be up in the Boone Gallery while you’re here and promises to be fabulous. Also, the Pasadena Museum of History is exhibiting two Arts and Crafts shows: one on Arts and Crafts textile design; and another about the lives of Greene and Greene in Pasadena. The Pasadena Museum of California Art is presenting a collection of photos of Greene and Green Architecture.

The Pasadena Vistor and Convention Bureau (right across from the Hilton) has maps of the ARTS buses that will take you to these three museums. The visitor bureau also has maps of walking tours of the arts and crafts neighborhoods in Pasadena if you’re interested in trying to squeeze one in. Pasadena Heritage also does these tours for groups, so leave a comment here if you’re interested in going with a group to see some of these wonderful houses.

First thing, stop by the convention bureau table and pickup information about restaurants that are convenient to the Hilton. If you want to focus on healthy food, there are several restaurants in the Paseo Colorado (just half a block north of the Hilton) you might want to check out. California Crisp focuses on salads and healthy sandwiches. Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe specializes in wraps and salads. The Paseo Colorado is also the location of Gelson’s–a high end market that includes salad and sushi bars, a full-service bakery, and a deli. There’s an outdoor eating area alongside the market. It might be a good option when you need to have a quick meal and want to keep it healthy. Go to the Paseo Colorado Web site at www.paseocoloradopasadena.com and click on restaurants and food to look at menus, hours and locations for all three of these options.

Restaurants in Old Pasadena, which is also nearby, tend to be more about celebrating food than keeping your cholesterol low. With effort, you can find healthy dishes on the many menus featuring cuisine from around the world. One of my favorite places for a light and healthy meal is the take-out area at the back of Il Fornaio. They have homemade soup every day and their amazing, hearty breads to go with it. There are tables outside rather tucked away from the bustle of Old Pasadena.

If you’re at the Huntington for a workshop, you will probably only have time for lunch at the Huntington Cafe located in the gardens. It has a limited menu, but always has at least one kind of homemade soup and fresh fruit and salads. Even though the menu is limited, one of my favorite parts of workshops at the Huntington is spending a pleasant lunchtime in the shady, outdoor dining area and having time for chats with the other artists.

If you’re not taking a class on Friday morning, join a group for breakfast at Clocker’s Corner at Santa Anita Racetrack in nearby Arcadia. A Santa Anita landmark, Clocker’s Corner is a trackside, open-air café that is open from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m, Monday thru Friday. Enjoy an early morning breakfast and mingle with the horsemen as the horses go through their morning workouts. Workouts continue at Santa Anita Racetrack, even though the season closes on October 26. Send e-mail to asbavisitors@sbcglobal.net if you would like to go.

For more information about the racetrack and its beautiful location, go to the track website.

It’s here! The ASBA 14th Annual Meeting and Conference Online Registration Web site is live and running. Click on the link to learn more about the exciting workshops, field trips, and special events planned for this year’s conference. This year we’ll all meet at the Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, CA, and at the Pasadena Hilton, from October 30 – November 1, 2008.

Visit the conference website often! We will be updating the Exhibitors’ Hall, instructors’ bios and images and will also be posting class materials lists on the website. Bookmark the site and keep up with what’s new.

We are also having pre- and post- conference classes, sponsored by BAGSC. Anne-Marie Evans will be teaching her five-day class right before the conference. It’s a great way to get started. After the conference, Alexander “Sasha” Viazmensky will teach a three-day mushroom class. Jenny Phillips and Pandora Sellars will each teach a five-day class. To sign up, contact Deborah Shaw. Additional information about each of the pre- and post-conference classes will be posted in the next few days.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in October!

The March 1st Committee Meeting for the 2008 ASBA conference will be held at Deborah Shaw’s house at 10:00 am. All are welcome! Please call or email Deb to RSVP. Address and phone numbers can be found in the roster, and an email blast will be sent as well. See you there!

On February 2nd, the 2008 Conference Committee met at El Adobe Restaurant in historic San Juan Capistrano to discuss the myriad of tasks that need to be addressed in preparation for the 14th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Botanical Artists scheduled for October 30 – November 1, 2008 at the Huntington Library, Art Collection and Botanical Gardens and the Pasadena Hilton. As a result of their efforts during their working lunch, many sub-committees were established. The following committees were created at this meeting: Chapter Conference Poster & Signage; Exhibit Reception/Banquet; Banquet Decorations; ASBA Evening Entertainment; Small Works Exhibit; Transportation & Field Trips; Holiday Themes; Instructors & Classes; Portfolio Sharing; Registration; Silent Auction; Techniques Showcase; Volunteer Task List; and Conference Websites.

Conference co-chairs, Deborah Shaw and Tania Marien, are still looking for volunteers to head up the following tasks:

• Activities for Spouses & Kids: One person is needed to gather information about activities for spouses and children traveling with ASBA members. This person would not be making reservations or making detailed arrangements. They would simply serve as the go-to person who would direct spouses and children towards activities that may be of interest to them.

• Advertising/Vendors’ Exhibit: There will be an Exhibitors’ Hall this year. At least two people are required to assist with coordinating vendors, advertisers and sponsors.

• Homestays & Roommates: One person is needed to help ASBA members, interested in sharing costs with a roommate, pair up with their conference roomie.

If you would like to assist with any of the tasks above, please contact Tania Marien.

The 2008 Conference Committee will meet next on March 1, 2008. Details are forthcoming.

One hundred twenty acres of gardens, twelve eager volunteers, 11 meeting rooms, 9 classrooms, two patios, one fireplace, one ballroom, one arcade, and one invaluable project management application. This sums up the meeting that kicked off Conference Year 2008.

On January 5th, an eager group of conference volunteers toured both venues of the 2008 ASBA conference. Members of the Conference Committee were led on a tour of all classroom and exhibit spaces that the ASBA will use during the conference. Melanie Thorpe provided detailed information about the Huntington’s classroom as she led the committee through the botanical center. Melanie also lead the group through the Teaching Greenhouse, the Head House, and the conservatory.

Upon completing the tour of the botanical center, committee members carpooled to the Pasadena Hilton where they met with Nancy Ceballos, Convention Services Manager, who gave a guided tour of the meeting rooms that will serve as the settings for half-day and full-day workshops, the Portfolio Sharing session, the Techniques Showcase, the Silent Auction and the annual banquet. Committee members also received a sneak peek of the very comfortable guest rooms that will be waiting for conference participants when they arrive later this year.

The Conference Committee continued their meeting over lunch at the hotel restaurant. Deborah Shaw introduced the committee to Basecamp, the Web-based project management application that is being used to organize the many, many, many tasks related to the conference. Deborah demonstrated how committee members can access Basecamp to complete assigned tasks and how they can notify fellow members so that all committee members remain informed about the committee’s progress. Committee members who attended the meeting were given access to Basecamp and are ready to receive conference information. Guild members who were unable to attend the meeting will be given access and a tutorial at future meetings. So do not feel left out. There is plenty of room for you at Basecamp!

Learn more about the conference at the January 19th Guild meeting. A detailed task list will be distributed and discussed. If you are unable to attend this meeting, but would like to volunteer, please contact Tania Marien.

The Conference Committee will meet again on February 2, 2008. Details will be announced shortly.

Special Acknowledgment
The 2008 Conference Committee would like to genuinely thank Melanie Thorpe and Nancy Ceballos for making time to meet with them on January 5th.

Join us as we tour both venues for the 2008 ASBA Conference. We will begin at the Huntington with a tour of the botanical center to view the classrooms and the exhibit spaces we will be using. We will then travel to the Pasadena Hilton to view the meeting spaces and the hotel in general. Here we will have lunch at Trevo’s restaurant and learn how to use Basecamp, the easy-to-learn and wonderful web-based project management application set up for our use by Deborah Shaw.

Join us and other conference volunteers as we kick off Conference Year 2008!

Schedule and Agenda:

9:30 a.m.
Meet at:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108
626-405-2100
Park in public parking area and meet your fellow conference committee members in the drop-off area outside of the botanical center. Tour of the classrooms and exhibit spaces.

11:00 a.m.
Leave Huntington and carpool to Hilton. (Parking at the Hilton is $8/vehicle. Members can leave their cars at the Huntington if they want to avoid parking charges at the Hilton. Please let us know if you would like to be included in the carpool arrangements, or if you would like to be a driver. Tania Marien and Deborah Shaw can each take six members in their cars.)

11:30 a.m.
Meet at
Hilton Pasadena
168 South Los Robles Avenue
Pasadena, California, USA 91101
Tel: 626.577.1000
Fax: 626.584.3148
Tour of the classrooms and banquet hall.

12:30 p.m.
Lunch at the Hilton’s Trevo restaurant. Lunch is in the range of $15 – $18. Demonstration of Basecamp computer program to manage conference planning and tasks.

Please RSVP to Tania Marien at bagscnews@earthlink.net

The conference committee will hold monthly meetings on the following dates:

January 5 (at the Huntington and Hilton to see our venues)

February 2

March 1

April 5

May 10

June 7

July 5

August 2

September 6

October 4

Some meetings will be face-to-face; others will be by conference call. Come join the planning (and fun)! Contact Tania Marien or Deborah Shaw to sign up and for details.

The 2008 ASBA Conference will be held from:
October 29 – November 1, 2008
at the Huntington Library in San Marino, California and the Hilton on Los Robles, in Pasadena, California.

The Conference Co-Chairs are Tania Marien and Deborah Shaw.

The conference committee had a successfully “kick-off” conference call on December 1st. Planning meetings will start in earnest in January (please see the Conference Committee Meeting Dates for a list of meetings). There’s lots to do, and it already looks like an exciting three days. Please contact Tania or Deb to volunteer, and watch this blog for updates.