News: VRA Conference Report

The 17th Annual Visual Resources Conference was held February 9-13, 1999 in Los Angeles. Highlights of the Conference included a day trip to the new Getty Center, where participants were able to tour the various buildings, the Information Institute, and the Slide Library. Strong winds had cleared out the clouds and smog, and the view was incredible in all directions. Georgia Harper, legal counsel for the University of Texas System, provided valuable insights and instruction on copyright issues during an afternoon session at the Getty. The following evening the ever-popular Tansey Travel Award Fundraising dinner was held at Ciao Trattoria, and Luraine Tansey entertained the large gathering with stories of her many trips abroad. Closing out the week was a trip to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art to view the Van Gogh exhibition and attend an open house in the Slide Library, hosted by Naomi Weiss.

Many of the sessions and round tables centered on issues of image management, such as database software, access to digital images, and copyright, as well as the need for closer collaboration between artists, historians, and information professionals as image management evolves through applications of new technology. Participants were also encouraged to attend sessions at the College Art Association, which was being held at the Convention Center. The CAA session sponsored by VRA was entitled "The Changing World of Visual Resources: Where Will We Find Our Teaching Images?" and was moderated by Renate Wiedenhoeft of Saskia Cultural Documentation, Ltd.

VRA-ers also took advantage of the wonderful weather and explored Los Angeles and the surrounding areas. Several tours were organized, including trips to the Huntington Library, the LA Public Library's Central Library, and the Norton Simon Museum.

The Conference/Local Arrangements Committees did an outstanding job, and are to be commended for their tremendous efforts.