This is part 1 of the 2011 IAPS recap by our treasurer, Anne Kiefaber.
When I decided to go to the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS for short) I did not know what to expect since the only other convention I had attended was the National Portrait Society. It exceeded expectations beyond anything I had imagined and I have come away with new ideas to try as well as the realization that entering juried shows is very important from the standpoint of any sort of recognition.
Since there is so much to tell, I have decided to write a series of articles on IAPS in order to do justice to all my impressions of my first—but definitely not my only—IAPS convention.
Hotel Albuquerque stands on the outskirts of Old Town, the oldest part of Albuquerque, whose adobe construction and winding alleyways are charming and fun to explore. The 12-story hotel itself is constructed in a similar style with an adobe-like material and laid out in the traditional spanish style around a cloister-like courtyard.
The courtyard reminded me of monasteries since a lovely porch or walkway ran all the way around an enclosed grassy space whose outskirts were profuse with flowers. At the far end was a lovely arbor where trumpet vines climbed happily in profusion. Near there is another little courtyard where you find Luana and me in this photo above. Behind us is the pool but, of course, we didn’t figure that out till nearly our last day.
Inside the hotel are tiled floors, a casual café and restaurants where we ended up eating many of our meals. There was also another higher-end eating area, complete with white tablecloths, adjacent to the café. Then, there was the candy store, a euphemism for the vendors room. You can of course imagine why- we were all like kids in a candy store when we entered that room.
Terry Ludwig was well represented with a sensual array of all his pastels in all their wonderful nuances. Girault, Schminke, Holbien, Unison and the wonderful if pricey Henri Roche pastels were well represented. Vendors featuring papers of U-art, Richeson and the lovely pastelmat were also there. There were all sorts of artists demonstrating at the various booths, which was interesting to watch.
In our free time, we wandered through “Old Town” with its winding streets, fun shops and interesting courtyards. There is also a museum, which is both an art museum and a bit of a historical museum as well.
