Convergence Conference, Reno NV, 2018. To start, I did a terrible job at taking photos while we were there. So this is just a little run-down of our 5 days in July and my first year being a Leader with Handweaver's Guild of America's Convergence Conference at the Peppermill Casino and Resort.
HGA did a wonderful job with the Conference and Gallery Guides. The map of the hotel/casino in the back of the booklet was indispensable. It took us a bit to get a grasp on the hotel layout after being on the road since 4am.
I failed to take any photos of my room set-up for my 90-minute seminar on "Traveling Bead Studio" I had a full class of 15. I think I'd open this up to 20-25 people in the future, but it was nice being able to have a small group with great conversation flow and easy to show my traveling studio set-ups in person. I had a lot of wonderful response from the class, thank you!
This happened to be the first time I've flown with my jewelry set-up. It also travels in cases like my mini studios. I usually have a ton of displays and hat boxes for showing and storing things but for sanity's sake I simplified ( see above). It was really nice to have the opportunity to show my work in the Leader's Booth and speak to the people who took my Seminar along with meeting other weavers and fiber artists. I was a bit overwhemled with all of my running around and talking to people that I didn't market myself very well. In 2020, I need to put FB back on my phone so I can use the Convergence Conference Attendees Page better. I am loving that people are posting their finished projects from classes as they get home and get back to them.
The fashion show...again, not great photos, but the energy was so amazing at it, I didn't want my phone in front of my face the whole time:
On our last day Bryan and I went up to the very top floor with the suites. What a view Reno!
We also made it to Reno City Hall where the Complex Weaver's Exhibit was being shown. I swoon at the talent we have in all of our national guilds! (We did see the Exhibits at the Conference, Mixed Media, Garment, etc... again, I failed to take photos and happened to be really tired that day).
Complex Weavers Exhibits
And we took a Lyft out to the Wilbur D. May Museum to visit the Small Expressions Exhibit and see my 2 pieces there, only to find them closed on Monday. :( We walked the ground though and found some dinosaurs and a bright figurative silk display.
When in downtown Reno, we did the tourist-thing and visited the Silver Legacy, Circus Circus (saw a short act there) and the National Bowling Stadium (it wasn't open for anything).
And one of the days had an AMAZING lunch from Miguel's!
Thank you so much to HGA, weavers, fiber artists and colleagues for another great Convergence Conference. See you in Knoxville 2020!
(And in 2020 I won't be battling a cold! I feel like I missed a lot due to naps to get over a cold, but I held it together for my talk which was the most important!)
