ASBA’s 24th Annual Meeting and Conference takes us to St. Louis, Missouri: a city of history, art, architecture, and home to the Missouri Botanical Garden - one of the world’s top botanical gardens. Founded in 1859, it is the nation's oldest continuously-operating botanical garden and a National Historic Landmark. It offers 79 acres of horticultural displays, including a 14-acre Japanese garden; the Climatron®, the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory which houses 1,400 tropical species; the Linnaean House’s camellia, citrus and desert collections; the Temperate House of Mediterranean plants, English Woodland Garden; the Center for Home Gardening; and a variety of internationally-themed and specimen gardens. More than 51,000 plants in the Missouri Botanical Garden’s live collection await you.
Come early or stay late!
Take A Pre- and Post-Conference Workshop or tour in and around St. Louis
Two renowned botanical watercolor artists will offer exciting two-day pre-conference workshop opportunities: Margaret Best will teach watercolor basics for beginners as well as for more experienced artists who want to refresh their skills. Martin Allen will teach experienced artists to achieve more accurate color, followed by techniques required to make images look more realistic. Stay for the chance to spend three days with master artist Lizzie Sanders, coming from Scotland to share her celebrated watercolor technique in a post-conference class.
A city tour of St. Louis planned for Wednesday will include landmarks that make "The Gateway City" a popular tourism destination. Some are well-known, like the 625-foot-high Gateway Arch, Anheuser Busch Brewery, and Clydesdales. Lesser known gems include the world’s largest glass mosaic installation in the Cathedral Basilica, Tiffany glass installations in Union Station’s Grand Hall, and the Art Deco Jewel Box Conservatory in Forest Park. If unwinding on your own in a natural setting appeals to you, Missouri’s natural beauty, with the Ozark National Scenic Riverways National Park, Shaw Nature Reserve, and many unique state parks within a few hours’ drive of the city beckon you to explore. And it will be the midst of Octoberfest, so the area’s many established vineyards and wineries, some dating back to the region’s early French and German settlers, will eagerly welcome you for a tasting.
Small Works Exhibition
All ASBA Members who register for the conference are eligible to participate in the Confluence small works exhibition. Submissions are due by August 6.
Click on the Gateway Arch below to view a slide show of St. Louis highlights:
Hilton St. Louis Frontenac
1335 South Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, Missouri 63131
Telephone: 314.993.1100
Located next to Plaza Frontenac (famous for its dining, shopping, and entertainment options) The Hilton St. Louis Frontenac provides complimentary airport transportation and free parking. Room rates are $139 per night plus applicable taxes. This rate applies to stays from October 7 through 16, 2018.
For reservations call 1.800.325.7800 and refer to the group, “American Society of Botanical Artists.”
If you have problems or questions about your hotel reservation, contact Rose Ann Gruchala, Conference Services Manager, Hilton St. Louis Frontenac at 314.824.6045 or email her at RoseAnn.Gruchala@Hilton.com.
Wish to share expenses? Betsy Rogers-Knox (brogersknox@gmail.com) has agreed to be roommate coordinator for the conference again this year. Having a roommate is a great way to share expenses and fun, especially if this is your first conference. If you have already reserved a room and would like to share with another member, please let Betsy know.
Please advise the hotel directly (and at least two weeks before the conference) of any special dietary requirements or allergies you may have. It may not be possible to accommodate last-minute requests. The Hilton St. Louis Frontenac is a nine-mile drive from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. A complimentary Courtesy Bus between Lambert-St. Louis International Airport and the hotel is available from 7am to 11pm. A taxi ride from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is about $30 (one way).
The hotel offers complimentary parking if you choose to drive to St. Louis.
Tuesday, Oct 9, 9am-4pm
Wednesday, Oct 10, 9am-4pm
Tuesday, Oct 9, 6pm-8pm
Wednesday, Oct 10, 8:30am-4:30pm
Wednesday, Oct 10, 5:30pm-7:30pm
Thursday, Oct 11, 7am-8:30am
Thursday, Oct 11, 8:30am-9:30am
Thursday, Oct 11, 8:30am-10:30am
Thursday, Oct 11, 9am-4:30pm
Thursday, Oct 11, 9:45am-10:45am
Thursday, Oct 11, 11am-1pm
Thursday, Oct 11, 1pm-4pm
Thursday, Oct 11, 1:30pm-4:30pm
Thursday, Oct 11, 5:30pm-8pm
Friday, Oct 12, 7am-8:30am
Friday, Oct 12, 8:30am-8:30am
Friday, Oct 12, 9am-12pm
Friday, Oct 12, 9am-4pm
Friday, Oct 12, 9am-9pm
Friday, Oct 12, 12pm-1pm
Friday, Oct 12, 1pm-1pm
Friday, Oct 12, 1pm-4pm
Friday, Oct 12, 1:30pm-4pm
Friday, Oct 12, 5pm-6pm
Friday, Oct 12, 6pm-7pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 7am-8:30am
Saturday, Oct 13, 8:30am-10am
Saturday, Oct 13, 9am-12pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 9am-4pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 9am-5pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 10:30am-12pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 12pm-1pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 1pm-2:15pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 1pm-4pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 2:30pm-4pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 5pm-7pm
Saturday, Oct 13, 7:30pm-9:30pm
Sunday, Oct 14, 9am-4pm
Monday, Oct 15, 9am-4pm
Tuesday, Oct 16, 9am-4pm
Helen Allen
Helen Allen has been drawing, painting and studying plants for as long as she can remember. Her great joy is in sharing with others her love of all things botanical.
Martin Allen
Martin has been teaching and lecturing for over ten years, in watercolour, and mainly by discussing options for students to improve their work however they wish to do so. He is an RHS Gold Medallist, Emeritus Fellow of the Chelsea Physic Garden Florilegium Society, and trustee of the Association of Botanical Artists with paintings in the collection of the Hunt Institute and the Shirley Sherwood Collection. He works in UK native plant conservation, has a degree in Environmental Horticulture, and is currently writing a book about England's Ancient Grasslands.
Anne Bebbington
Anne a botany tutor on the SBA’s Long Distance Learning Diploma is a founder member and past President of the Institute for Analytical Plant Illustration. She regularly gives talks and runs botanical workshops for Art Groups. Her book ‘Understanding the Flowering Plants’ was published in 2014.Margaret Best
An art educator most of her life, Margaret Best has been dedicated to the practice and teaching of botanical art in graphite, coloured pencil and watercolour for the past twenty years in over ten countries. Margaret is well known for her extensive knowledge of colour and her excellent handout material for both in-person and online teaching. Most of her own artwork now reflects plant life in her home setting in Nova Scotia, Canada. She has also enjoyed painting a diverse range of plant subjects related to teaching travels to her home country South Africa also Bermuda, Italy and UK. Margaret’s work has been featured in numerous ASBA juried international exhibitions and is included in the Hunt Institute, RBG Sydney Florilegium and many private collections around the globe. To date, over 20 of her coin designs of Canadian flora have been selected by the Royal Canadian Mint. Margaret has authored numerous e-booklets on topics of technique and colour that have been well received by botanical artists in over 30 countries.Mary Dillon
Mary Dillon is an award winning Irish botanical artist. Her work belongs in the collection of the Hunt Institute of Botanical Art and Documentation in Pittsburgh and The Dr. Shirley Sherwood Collection in The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. The National Gallery of Ireland chose Mary's work as the signature image for their exhibition, 'Drawn From Nature'. Along with exhibiting and teaching botanical art in Ireland Mary also enjoys opportunities to teach in Greece, Spain, the UK and the US. Mary finds teaching botanical art the perfect opportunity to bring together her three passions of painting, plants and working with people.Shevaun Doherty
Shevaun Doherty is an Irish botanical and natural history artist painting in watercolour on paper and vellum. She is the current President of the Society of Botanical Artists. An award-winning artist, she regularly exhibits in Ireland and internationally. In 2020 her painting of Golden-eye lichen was exhibited at the National Gallery Ireland. She designs Flora and Fauna National postage stamps for An Post, recently completing her third set. Her bumblebee painting is the cover image for the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. She considers herself a visual storyteller, using her skills as botanical artist to raise awareness about endangered species and habitat loss.Bonnie Driggers
Bonnie’s experience as an English teacher, writer, editor, and publications manager enabled her to guide development of the BAEE book. Her paintings of native plants have been in juried national and international shows. A long-time ASBA member, she now serves on the Board of Directors.Jean Emmons
An avid gardener, Emmons has won two Gold Medals and "Best Painting of Show" from the Royal Horticultural Society, London. Also, the ASBA Founders Award for Excellence in Botanical Art. Recent awards include the Jurors' Award at the 20th Botanical Art Exhibition at Filoli and "Best in Show" at the ASBA's 21st International. Recent books featuring her work include Plant: The Art and Science of Botany by Phaidon Press, RHS Botanical Illustration, The Gold Medal Winners by Charlotte Brooks, The Shirley Sherwood Collection, Modern Masterpieces of Botanical Art by Shirley Sherwood.Akiko Enokido
Akiko completed the certificate course at the New York Botanical Garden in 2004. Her artworks have been shown in International Exhibition at Hunt institution, ASBA annual and Triennial exhibitions, and the London Royal Horticultural Society show in 2016, for which she was awarded a Gold Medal.Sharon Field
After careers as a secondary school teacher, working in Australia's aid program in the Pacific and Africa, and the Australian civil service, Sharon Field began full time painting in 2008. She lives in the Australian bush, loves working in graphite and watercolor, and is interested in botanical art as it relates to environmental issues. Sharon’s work appears in the Out of the Woods exhibition.Susan T. Fisher
Susan T. Fisher is the former Coordinator for the Botanical Program at Denver Botanic Gardens, the former Director of the Art Institute at the Desert Museum in Tucson,AZ and a former President of the ASBA. She has been consulting and teaching botanical art related classes since 1998.Lara Call Gastinger
Lara Call Gastinger is an artist and botanical illustrator from Charlottesville, Virginia and was the chief illustrator of the Flora of Virginia, a botanical reference. She has her undergraduate degree in Biology from the University of Virginia and a master's degree in plant ecology from Virginia Tech. She has been awarded two gold medals (2007, 2018) at the Royal Horticultural Society Botanical Art shows in London and her work is in the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. Her artwork appears in the latest Peterson's Field Guide to Mushrooms and ASBA's Botanical Art Techniques Handbook.Wendy Hollender
Wendy Hollender is a botanical artist, author, and instructor and leads workshops throughout the world as well as having an online instructional program (Draw Botanical.) Due to Covid Draw Botanical has launched a series of Zoom Workshops that have been highly successful and meaningful during this challenging time. Hollender’s illustrations have been published extensively. Her work has been in numerous ASBA International Exhibitions, the Hunt Institute and the Shirley Sherwood Gallery. Wendy has four books on Botanical DrawingVincent Jeannerot
Vincent Jeannerot was born in Lyon in France and studied at the National School of Fine Arts of Lyon. He is member of “La Maison des Artistes”, the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA), the French Society of Botanical Illustration (SFIB), and the Society of French Watercolor (SFA). He has exhibited in Paris, London, Melbourne and Moscow and he runs international workshops in USA, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Italy, Russia, and Japan. He published several books and exhibits in his own permanent gallery in Lyon.Robin Jess
Robin Jess is the former Executive Director of ASBA. She is fluent in graphite, watercolor, pen and ink, and etching and is the Coordinator of The New York Botanical Garden’s Botanical Art and Illustration Program.Patricia Jonas
Patricia Jonas is American Society of Botanical Artists exhibitions committee chair, former board member, and recipient of the James White Service Award for Dedication to Botanical Art. She has been a juror for ASBA Annual International exhibitions and for Filoli, and was curator of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium. She was also curator of "Drawing from Life: Maud H. Purdy and 90 Years of Women Artists at Brooklyn Botanic Garden,” and author of the accompanying exhibition catalog. She has been author and editor of ASBA exhibition catalogs, and was one of the authors of the recent Plant: Exploring the Botanical World. Among her other writing credits was the weekly gardening advice for the "Cuttings" column in the New York Times.Martha Kemp
Martha Kemp is a self-taught artist who specializes in using graphite pencil for detailed botanical drawings. She is the recipient of the ASBA Bouchier Award (1999), five Royal Horticultural Society Gold Medals and two “Best Drawing in Show” awards at the ASBA/HSNY Annual Exhibitions.Heeyoung Kim
Known as a wildflower painter, Heeyoung Kim documents native plants of prairies and woodlands of Midwestern USA. Her works are identifiable by the precise depiction of the botanical aspects of the plant species in unique compositions. She won RHS gold medal, Best in Show of HSNY/ASBA, and Diane Bouchier Artist Award for Excellence in Botanical Art by ASBA, among others. Her works are in various collections including Transylvania Florilegium. Kim founded Heeyoung Kim Botanical Art Academy at Brushwood Center, Riverwoods, IL., and teaches the traditional art form in watercolor, crow quill pen and ink, and graphite pencil with the focus on the serious/professional development of individual student’s projects by providing in-depth instructions and feedback with continuation.Karen Kluglein
Karen Kluglein was a freelance illustrator before concentrating on botanical art. She exhibits regularly with the ASBA and won the ASBA Diane Bouchier Artist Award for Excellence in Botanical Art in 2010. Her work is in many private collections and is licensed with Caspari Inc.Libby Kyer
Libby creates artworks reflecting her love of realism, believing humans are hardwired to create order from chaos. Her works are in numerous art and science publications including her volume Today’s Botanical Artists, and in private, corporate and museum collections. She delights in teaching botanical art.Eileen Malone-Brown
Eileen Malone-Brown received her Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration from the Corcoran College of Art and Design in 2010. She is the President of BAEE, and a member of ASBA and BASNCR. Her work has been shown at Monticello's Jefferson Library; the Delaware Art Museum; the Garden Museum in London, England; and in ASBA’s America’s Flora exhibition, at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C.Robert McNeill
Robert McNeill is an award-winning international botanical artist renowned for his exceptional use of light and rigorous attention to detail. He has work in the collections of Dr Shirley Sherwood and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Illustration.Kathie Miranda
Kathie Miranda is an award-winning artist, juror and educator of botanical art. She teaches at The Art Students League in New York City and art institutions around the US. She is an active member of the Colored Pencil Society of America and the Connecticut Watercolor Society.Rhonda Nass
My high school art teacher's declaration "You could never be an artist" catapulted me into the field of art, initially with a UW-Madison art degree producing commercial illustration, currently through botanical works (primarily) for museums, private commissions, exhibitions, publications, and for national workshop instruction.John Pastoriza-Piñol
John is a contemporary artist based in Melbourne, Australia and very much a neo-conservative rebel as his practice departs from the precise discipline of Naturalism and continues to investigate not just pure dichotomies such as man and nature, science and art, but their complex and dynamic interrelationships.Rose Pellicano
Rose Pellicano has participated in many ASBA International Exhibitions and the Royal Horticultural Society. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Hunt Institute. A member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Florilegium Society , her work has appeared in magazines and the publications, Todays Botanical Artists and Native Plants of the Mid Atlantic.Kandy Vermeer Phillips
Kandy Vermeer Phillips enjoys the precision of silverpoint useful for depicting illustrations of plants from herbarium sheets. She believes that silverpoint’s natural tendency to develop a patina over time provides a metaphor for a plant’s evolving environmental status. Her work is in the collection of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation.Betsy Rogers-Knox
Betsy earned a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from The NYBG and is enchanted by the full lifecycle of plants and their habitats. Her work has been shown widely in the US including the 13th-21st ASBA International Exhibitions, the NYBG Triennial , Out of the Woods, and the RHS Botanical Art Exhibit in London in 2016 and 2018 where she received the Judges Special Award for the educational and ecological value of the work. Her work is held in the collection at the RHS Lindley Library in London.Lizzie Sanders
Lizzie lives in Edinburgh, near the Royal Botanic Garden, where she tutors the Diploma Course in Botanical Illustration and from where she sources her specimens. Favorites are unusual, dramatic plants to be interpreted in a dynamic, contemporary style. She has three gold medals from the RHS and in 2004 she was honored to receive the Diane Bouchier Award for Excellence from ASBA.Margaret Saylor
Mushrooms and fungi have become Margaret Saylor's signature subject. Featured in watercolor, graphite, and egg tempera, Margaret forages in her native Berks County, Pennsylvania, or wherever she happens to be. Observation, good drawing skills, and enthusiasm are key to any botanical painting and Margaret conveys this to her students in a fun and engaging manner. For 10 years, she has taught both in person and now online for many venues, including public gardens, art institutes, and botanical art societies. She was awarded a certificate, with distinction, in botanical art from the New York Botanical Garden. Margaret exhibits her work but gets the most satisfaction from finding the perfect subject and painting it for the love of art.Deborah Shaw
Deborah Shaw has a degree in fine art as well as studying botany, native California flora and scientific illustration. Ms. Shaw is a member of ASBA, two ASBA chapters, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators. She teaches botanical art, and taught illustration, design and information design at UC Irvine Extension, where she was recipient of the "Distinguished Instructor" award. Deborah's work is in the permanent collection at the Hunt and in private collections. Her preferred media include graphite, watercolor, colored pencil, scratchboard, Illustrator and Photoshop.Fiona Strickland
Fiona Strickland is recognized as a leading international multi award winning contemporary botanical artist, highly respected within the genre, Fiona studied Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh College of Art. An RHS Gold Medalist, her botanical work is held in many prestigious collections.Carol Woodin
Carol Woodin enjoys spending time out in the gardens, fields and forests looking at and making studies of plants for future paintings. Her paintings in watercolor on vellum have been collected and exhibited around the world. She has taught botanical watercolor for over 25 years, and is co-editor of the ‘new standard’ botanical art instruction book Botanical Art Techniques, A Comprehensive Guide, published by ASBA and Timber Press. She received a Gold Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1995, the 1998 ASBA Diane Bouchier Artist Award, the 2016 Orchid Digest Medal of Honor.Conference Fee: $395.00
Registration Deadline: 08/31/2018
Fee Includes:
Most meals are covered by the conference fee including breakfast and lunch on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and the Saturday evening banquet. Light refreshments will be served at the Welcome Reception on Wednesday and the Out of the Woods Reception on Thursday. Many activities are free, including Portfolio Sharing, Juror Training, Open Studio, Beyond the Studio, Beyond Accuracy presentation, and many of the lectures.
How to Register:
We are using a new online registration process this year. Here are some tips for a successful registration experience.
•Use the Registration Form in the pullout section of the June issue of The Botanical Artist Journal to plan your conference schedule, filling in first choices and alternate choices for workshops and events. You may also download the Registration Form
HERE For members with appointment times •Those who used the Appointment Request site to indicate interest in Early Registration will receive an ASBA email on July 7, which will contain your randomly assigned appointment time for Early Registration along with a link and password to access the Conference Registration site. Appointment times will be scheduled in 15-minute allotments beginning July 21, and continuing through July 22 and July 23.
•You must register during your assigned registration appointment time.
•Be ready to enter your selections using your completed Registration Form. Have your credit card ready before registering.
•If for some reason your assigned appointment time is not convenient, you are encouraged to give your Registration Form and credit card info to a friend who can register for you.
•To keep the process fair, randomly assigned appointment times may not be changed. Those who miss their Early Registration appointment times will be able to register during the Open Registration period.
For members registering during Open Registration beginning July 28 •Members who do not participate in Early Registration may register in the Open Registration period beginning July 28, 7:00 a.m Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) without an appointment time.
•Open registration runs July 28 through August 31, 2018. Registration closes at midnight EDT on August 31, 2018, and additional registrations will not be accepted.
TWO WAYS TO REGISTER
1. Use the online registration process above: Register and pay with a credit card (MC/Visa). Nearly 100% of registrants used the online registration website last year. Changes have been made to improve the registration experience. Detailed instructions on the registration process will be sent to you through our Constant Contact monthly email newsletter Highlights. (Please note: if you have unsubscribed from ASBA emails, you will not receive these important emails. Contact Leanne Kershaw for assistance in re-subscribing: memberservices@asba-art.org).
Please be sure that your membership is up to date (2018 dues paid) in advance of registering or you will not receive email notifications regarding conference registration.
2. By mail: Clip, copy, or download the Registration Form from the June issue of The Botanical Artist Journal. Complete form and mail with your check payable to ASBA to: ASBA 24th Annual Meeting, 2900 Southern Blvd., Bronx, NY 10458-5126.
You may register online or by mail. Mail-in registrations will be processed when received, not according to postmark date. Mail-ins postmarked prior to opening day of registration (July 21) will not be processed until after July 21.
Confirmation: Sent via email to those registering online; by US Postal Service to those registering by mail only if an email address is not provided.
Email is the best way to get questions answered quickly. If you have questions: regarding selection of classes, email annualmeeting@asba-art.org; regarding a change in your registration, email conf.registration@asba-art.org or contact the ASBA office at 1.866.691.9080.
Policy:
1. Current ASBA membership is required for registration. Please be sure that your membership dues are paid well in advance of July 21, 2018, when registration opens or you will not receive email notifications about conference registration details.
2. The ASBA Annual Meeting and Conference is a three-day event. Partial registration is not available.
3. Registration Fee: $395
4. Registration Deadline:
Registration is closed as of August 31, 2018. No registrations are accepted after that time, no exceptions.
5. Refund and Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation on or before August 12, 2018 - $75 fee. All workshop fees refunded. Cancellation after August 12 through August 21, 2018- $150 fee plus 80% of workshop fees will be refunded. Cancellation after August 21 through August 31, 2018 - $200 fee plus 50% of workshop fees will be refunded.
Cancellation Pre-and Post-Conference Workshops on or before August 12, 2018 – 50% of fee. Pre- and Post-Conference Workshop cancellation after August 12, 2018 – no refund.
No refunds of registration fee or workshops dropped after August 31, 2018.
Health emergency or death in the immediate family: Refunds will be the same as above except cancellation on or after October 1 through October 10, 2018, $200 of the basic registration fee and 50% of all other fees will be refunded to the registrant. If a guest cancels due to health emergency or death in the immediate family on or after October 1, 2018, 75% of guest meal fees and 50% of any other fees will be refunded.
ASBA reserves the right to cancel any workshop that does not meet a minimum registration, and to substitute an instructor in the event that the scheduled instructor is unable to fulfill the teaching obligation.
6. Hilton St. Louis Frontenac - See the information under Hotel Information for details. Cancellation of hotel reservations is the responsibility of the registrant. You must ask for the American Society of Botanical Artists block to receive the conference rate. The ASBA block rate is good if booked by September 16, 2018. After that, the discount rate will no longer be available. If you stay somewhere other than the hotel, ASBA is not responsible for your hotel arrangements nor for transportation to/from your hotel
The Art Bazaar on Saturday evening before the banquet gives you the options to donate, sell your items, and snatch up new treasures. All are opportunities for you to benefit while supporting ASBA’s mission. Check out the Conference website for more information. Sign up to sell your artwork at the Art Bazaar (you must agree to donate 30% of your sale proceeds to ASBA).
William Cowley of London will be selling vellum at the conference with a percentage being donated back to the ASBA. The more you buy, the bigger the donation!
To Donate: Download and complete the Art Bazaar Donation Form and scan and email it to
ArtBazaar@asba-art.org. Or send a note and include the following information in an email: name, full mailing address, email, phone, description of donated item, value of donated item, selling price (if different from value), and whether you intend to hand deliver or ship your items. Shipped items are to be sent to Jody Williams at the following address prior to Wednesday, October 1, 2018: Studios 2 and 3, Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main Center, St. Charles, Missouri 63301 USA. Tel: (314)341.0225 Email: Fieldstone_jody@sbcglobal.net