Join us in St. Paul for ASBA’s 31st Annual Conference. Headquartered at the InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront hotel above the banks of the mighty Mississippi River.Come early or stay late
Take a Pre- or Post-Conference Workshop or tour the Minnesota Museum of Art with a guided tour of the museum and an exclusive visit to their Print Room.
Two illustrious botanical artists will offer exciting two-day pre- conference workshop opportunities on Tuesday and Wednesday. Julia Trickey dives into “Celebrating Imperfection” and David Morrison will take time to “Discover the Beauty of Botanical Textures”.
Stay after the conference and plan to paint "Hazelnuts and Acorns on Vellum" in this three-day post-conference workshop with Denise Walser-Kolar.
The 2025 ASBA Conference will be a great blend of hands-on workshops, demonstrations, lectures, tours, and social gatherings. Guaranteed there will be something for everyone!
The complete 2025 conference schedule and registration information will be posted on the ASBA website in June and in the June issue of The Botanical Artist. Registration appointment requests will begin June 1st. Watch for emails that will alert you to this information well in advance.
We are looking forward to the 31st ASBA Conference in Saint Paul this fall and hope to see you there!
Welcome to St. Paul, Minnesota from ASBA and the Great River Chapter!
What most often stands out to first-time visitors to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul is the strong connection to nature. This large and sophisticated metropolitan area is studded with lakes, rivers, parks and preserves. Minnesota is known for cold winters and hot summers, but you’ll find that people here tend to embrace the outdoors no matter what the weather holds.
While the region is often associated with Scandinavian or northern European heritage, the name “Minnesota” is derived from its Dakota name “Mni Sota Makoce,” which is translated to mean “land where waters are so clear they reflect the clouds.” Today, our metropolitan area is still home to Dakota and Anishinaabe descendants in addition to thriving multicultural communities, and we look forward to leading you through many facets of Minnesota at ASBA 2025.
Our conference theme, “Home of the Headwaters” pays homage to the Mississippi River, which originates in northern Minnesota and flows through the downtowns of both Minneapolis and St. Paul, making its way to the Gulf of Mexico. A secondary theme that has emerged for this year’s conference revolves around what happens when scientists, artists, and conservators work together. Botanical artists can fully appreciate this confluence, so conference programming will lean into that theme.
Although the smaller of the Twin Cities, St. Paul is the State Capitol with its own colorful history. Nearby restaurants provide great dining opportunities in charming atmospheres, and other restaurant options are just a short ride from the hotel. Here’s a link to encourage your wanderings: https://www.visitsaintpaul.com.
Should you need a break from painting, consider meandering a few blocks away to have tea at the historic St. Paul Hotel, take in a concert at the Ordway Center for Performing Arts or just stand in historic Rice Park and smile at the bronze Peanuts Gang statues, where Schroeder plays his piano and Lucy doesn’t hear a note. Maybe you can catch a hockey game at the Excel Energy Center or, if you want to go further afield, take a walk or drive along St. Paul’s Summit Avenue, which passes by the St. Paul Cathedral and runs to the Mississippi River, boasting the longest stretch of Victorian-era mansions in the country. On the Minneapolis side of the metro area, the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Birding Sanctuary is the oldest public wildflower garden in the country. It’s well worth a visit in the spring and summer.
Fun fact – did you know that Minnesota is home to both Honey Crisp and Sweet Tango apples, developed by the University of Minnesota at the award-winning Minnesota Landscape Arboretum? One of our conference courses will take you deeper into the world of apple research at “The Arb.” While there, you’ll have a chance to visit the amazing Andersen Horticultural Library. ASBA 2025 will also include opportunities to visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Bell Museum of Natural History (which will be hosting the Curious Allies exhibit during ASBA 2025), as well as the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park. A small group will have an opportunity to do a nature sketching adventure at a rich fen, and let’s not forget the simple but enriching opportunities throughout the conference to meet and mingle with other botanical artists – a perennial highlight of ASBA!
As you can see, we’ve designed exciting programming that features the amazing classes and presentations for which ASBA Conferences are always known, while giving you the chance to explore the local flavor and essence of what makes Minnesota – the Home of the Headwaters – so special.
HOTEL INFORMATION
InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel
11 E Kellogg Blvd, St Paul, MN 55101
The InterContinental Hotel (our conference venue) is perched high above the Mississippi River in downtown St. Paul, close to historic Rice Park and other architectural treasures. Nearby restaurants provide great dining opportunities in charming atmospheres, and exploring other restaurant options is just a short ride from the hotel.
The ASBA Conference room rate is $159 plus applicable taxes. This rate applies to either King or to Two Queen standard rooms. The rate of $159 per night is extended to ASBA for the period October 12th – 22nd.
Rooms fill quickly, so make your reservation as soon as possible.
Please use this link to book your stay and receive the ASBA Group Rate
https://www.intercontinental.com/redirect?path=rates&brandCode=IC&localeCode=en®ionCode=1&hotelCode=MSPSP&checkInDate=12&checkInMonthYear=092025&checkOutDate=22&checkOutMonthYear=092025&_PMID=99801505&GPC=X7O&cn=no&viewfullsite=true
Check-in: 3:00 pm
Check-out: 11:00 am
Smoke Free Property
On-Site curbside valet parking daily: $20.00 ($30.00 for oversize)
This rate includes unlimited in and out access
Additional Parking options: There are some public parking ramps in the area that have rates around $20.00 overnight. The Victory Ramp is recommended.
AIRPORT INFORMATION
InterContinental Saint Paul Riverfront is 7.3 miles from Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP).
https://www.mspairport.com
SEEKING A ROOMMATE?
You can connect directly with other members seeking a roommate. Follow these simple stems and connect:
1. If you are not already logged in, log into the ASBA website https://www.asba-art.org/
2. Locate the “Member Features” menu
3. Click on “View > Member Interests”
4. Click on the down arrow next to “Annual Conference Hotel Room Sharing”
5. Click “View Members”. You will be able to see all members who are seeking a roommate.
6. To add your name to the list, click on "Sign Me Up"
7. Coordinate room sharing with any listed members by contacting them directly.
8. Once you have finalized plans with your roommate, don't forget to remove your name from the list by clicking "Remove Me"
2025 Conference Registration Timeline
Key Dates
June 1: Conference information published on the ASBA website for St. Paul
June 1-30: Members planning to attend conference may request a registration appointment
June 23: Reminder email sent to members who have not yet requested an Early Registration appointment
June 1: Small Works entries open to members planning to attend St. Paul conference
July 8-9: Members will receive their randomly generated early registration appointment time and a link and password for the Early Registration site
July 20-24: Early Registration for members with appointments to register for conference
July 31-Aug 31: Open Registration – any member may register for the St. Paul conference
August 31: Small Works exhibition entry deadline
October 1: Small Works exhibition entry MUST BE RECEIVED at designated shipping address
October 16: 2025 St. Paul Conference opens
tips for a successful registration experience
On
June 1, ASBA members will receive an email with instructions on how to request an appointment for Early Registration. The Appointment Request period runs through
June 30.
For members with appointment times
•On
July 8 through July 9, all who made an Appointment Request will receive an email that contains your randomly assigned appointment time for Early Registration as well as a link and password for the Early Registration site. Appointment times are scheduled in fifteen-minute allotments during the Early Registration period of
July 20-24.
Please do not discard this email.
•You must register during your assigned registration appointment time.
•Be ready with your Session and Meal choices and your credit card 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 beginning
July 31.
•Members who do not participate in Early Registration may register in the Open Registration period beginning
July 31, 7:00am Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) without an appointment time.
•Open registration runs
July 31 through August 31, 2025. Registration closes at midnight EDT on
August 31, 2025 and additional registrations will not be accepted.
Please be sure that your membership is up to date (2025 dues paid) in advance of registering or you will not receive email notifications regarding conference registration.
Policy
1.
Current ASBA membership is required for registration. Please be sure that your membership dues are paid in advance of June 1 to ensure you receive email notifications about conference registration details.
2.
The ASBA conference is a three-day event. Partial registration is not available.
3.
Base Registration Fee is $460 for ASBA members, $25 for guests.
4.
Base Registration for ASBA Members covers the Welcome reception on Wednesday, breakfast and lunch Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, dinner on Saturday evening, and some activities including Portfolio Sharing, Open Studio if offered, and vendor sales. Additional fees are charged for conference workshops, pre- and post- conference workshops and some lectures. See prices listed in the Sessions tab of the ASBA website. Price does not include lodging or transportation.
5.
Base Registration for guests entitles guests to be registered for meals, receptions, tours, lectures, or other sessions open to guests at an additional charge. Guests may not register for workshops.
6.
Registration Deadline: 11:00pm Eastern Time on August 31, 2025. No registrations will be accepted after that time, no exceptions.
7.
Cancellation and Refunds
•
Cancellation on/or before 11:00pm Eastern on August 31
o
$250 cancellation fee will be retained by ASBA
o Balance will be refunded
•
Cancellation after August 31 and before 11:00pm Eastern on September 30
o
$250 cancellation fee will be retained by ASBA
o
50% of total registration will be retained by ASBA
o
Balance will be refunded
•
Cancellation on/after October 1: No refund
•
Cancellation at any time due to member experiencing a serious medical issue prohibiting their attendance or death in the immediate family
o
$250 cancellation fee will be retained by ASBA
o
Balance will be refunded
ASBA reserves the right to cancel any workshop due to unforeseen circumstances or substitute an instructor if the scheduled instructor is unable to fulfill the teaching obligation. In the event a workshop is cancelled, the fee will be refunded. No refunds will be given due to the change of instructor.
If any discrepancies exist between policies described in the Journal and those online, the policies appearing online take precedence.
Volunteer
Consider volunteering at the Annual Conference. This is a great way to meet and interact with ASBA members!
Check back soon for volunteer opportunities.
ASBA is committed to the health and safety of conference attendees. ASBA and the Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square will follow Health and Safety laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines established by the State of Pennsylvania, the city of Pittsburgh, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (collectively, the “Regulations”). We will ask conference attendees to agree to comply with all regulations in effect at the time of the conference.
*
ASBA does its best to keep costs down, particularly for our Annual Conference. Registration fees are used to cover costs that ASBA incurs for hotel meals, receptions, lecture and workshop room rentals and A/V services as well as transportation to offsite programs. We do not make money off conference registrations. Although we know that our members' costs to attend the conference are substantial, we believe there is still great value in gathering in person, initiating, and building lasting friendships, and sharing our common passion for botanical art - in person!