Annual Conference

2008 Annual Conference
September 24-27
University of New Orleans (New Orleans, Louisiana)

The Big Easy: SECAC 2008 in New Orleans

SECAC will meet in New Orleans this fall for the third time in its history, and the first after Hurricane Katrina. The University of New Orleans will be hosting the September 24-27 meeting (please note the earlier-than-usual date!).

Our conference headquarters will be the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center. Housed in a restored, mid-19th century cotton mill, the hotel is located just steps from the famous French Quarter and Warehouse Arts District. It is also close to the city’s world-class restaurants, shopping and Harrah’s Casino, Louisiana’s only land-based gambling establishment. While New Orleans still struggles to recover from the catastrophic aftermath of Katrina, SECAC members will find all the history, charm and culture the city is justly famous for still intact and thriving.

Many details of the conference are still pending, but we are planning an opening reception on Thursday night at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art where conference participants can also see the annual members’ exhibition as well as SECAC Artist Fellowship recipient Jason Lee’s solo show at the Contemporary Arts Center. The SECAC Awards will be presented on Friday evening, followed by the presentation by the conference’s keynote speaker, David Joselit, professor of contemporary art and chair of the art history department at Yale University. These early evening events will be preceded by a wine and cheese reception at the hotel. Conference attendees will have special opportunities on Saturday afternoon including tours of the historic French Quarter and Garden District and a visit to Mardi Gras World where the city’s most elaborate parade floats are made and stored. Other activities are being planned, and our calendar of events will be updated in the April issue of the SECAC Newsletter. Information will also be continually revised online at www.secollegeart.org.

Fees: Conference registration fees will be $130 for individual members who register as early birds and $160 for regular registration. Student member can register early for $45 or at the regular rate of $60. SECAC membership is required for conference attendance.

Hotel: Our conference hotel is the New Orleans Marriott at the Convention Center at 859 Convention Center Boulevard. All sessions and the SECAC Awards and keynote address will be held here. The room rate is $165 for one or two people; $185 for 3 people; $205 for 4 people; plus 13% tax and a $2 room occupancy fee per night. Reservations may be made by calling 1-800-MARRIOTT. Please make sure you indicate you are with the Southeastern College Art Conference and specify the name and address of the Marriott hotel (there are eight of them in New Orleans). Please reserve early. If you are driving, the hotel provides valet parking only at a rate of $28 per night.

Transportation: The conference hotel can be easily reached from Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY) by taxi or shuttle service. Taxi fares from the airport are fixed at $28 for one or two people and $12 per person for three or more (as of January 2008). Transportation is also available on the Airport Shuttle that goes to all major downtown hotels. The fare is $13 one-way or $26 roundtrip. Tickets can be purchased at booths in the baggage claim area. More information on the shuttle can be had by calling 1-866-596-2699. Driving directions to the hotel are available on the Marriott website at www.Marriott.com.

2008 Members Exhibition: Drs. Richard Gruber, Director, and David Houston, Curator, of the Ogden Museum of Southern Art will jury the SECAC Members’ Exhibition. It will be held at the Ogden Museum and will open in August for the Arts District annual White Linen Nights. A reception will be held at the Museum on Thursday evening, September 25, to mark the closing of the exhibition. A best of show selection will be made. The deadline for submitting entries for the show is April 1, 2008.

Conference Program/Call for Papers: The deadline for submitting proposals to all session chairs is April 20, 2008. This deadline is non-negotiable. Proposals must be sent by email directly to the chair(s) listed for each session. A paper proposal submission form is available on the SECAC website (www.secollegeart.com); it must include an abstract of the paper (no more than 200 words) and a current CV. Notices of acceptance or rejection of proposals will be sent via email by session chairs on or before May 9, 2008. Your session chair will inform you of your time allocation (usually limited to a maximum of 20 minutes) as well as other critical information. If your participation in the conference is limited to a particular day and/or time, you must indicate that in your submission. While every effort will be made to accommodate your requirements, there are many factors that determine the final schedule, and it may not be possible to meet your individual needs. Also, any special audio-visual needs must be included in your paper proposal submissions. The conference director makes all final determinations about audio-visual needs based on budget restrictions. No slide projectors will be available.

The conference director is Lawrence Jenkens. He can be reached at ajenkens@uno.edu or 504-280-6411.


FUTURE CONFERENCES

October 21-24, 2009
University of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama)

October 20-23, 2010 (Joint conference with MACAA)
Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond, Virginia)

November 9-12, 2011
Savannah College of Art and Design (Savannah, Georgia)

2012
Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)


PAST CONFERENCES

For a list of past SECAC conference locations, dates, and chairs, see Annual Conference History.