Society for Photographic Education
44th National Conference in Miami

2007 Portfolio Review Sessions

PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO SESSIONS & STUDENT PORTFOLIO CRITIQUES

The program previously known as “Portfolio Reviews” will continue in Miami with some fine-tuning. The goal of providing a low-key environment for artists to get valuable feedback on their artistic work at no cost remains the same. While this opportunity remains free of charge to registered conference attendees, SPACE IS LIMITED.

Two separate tracks will be offered: Professional Portfolio Sessions on Friday, March 16 will be reserved for professionals only, and Student Portfolio Critiques on Saturday, March 17 will be dedicated to students only.**  Reviewers will meet with professional and student artists attending the SPE national conference to offer a range of potential discussions, including critique of artwork, possible selection of work for exhibition or publication and information and review for candidates of MFA programs.

Please read the guidelines below carefully! These guidelines are designed to create equal opportunity and ensure a positive experience for all registered participants.

**Professional status is determined by membership level. All levels of membership are considered professional, except student. Participation in professional activities will require membership and conference registration beyond the student level.

SUNDAY PORTFOLIO SHARING “WALK-THROUGH”

Changes to the Program—Please Note: Sunday Portfolio sharing is a popular event at our national conferences. To optimize the opportunity, SPE is inviting local curators, collectors and galley owners, as well as our own professional curators, collectors, historians and scholars to join us for a new style of “Walk-Through” Sharing.

To accommodate our growing numbers, we will have a larger space this year. Separate spaces for professionals and students will be provided to encourage participation by all attendees.** We ask all participants to share tables with two or three others. Bring your portfolios to Miami and expose your work to new audiences of art movers and shakers.

SCHEDULE FOR PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO SESSIONS
& STUDENT PORTFOLIO CRITIQUES:

Friday, March 16 – PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO SESSIONS ONLY
Alto                               Check-in for Professional Sessions begins at 8:30 a
Soprano & Tenor          Profession Portfolio Sessions: 9:00 a – 3:30 p

Saturday, March 17 – STUDENT PORTFOLIO CRITIQUES ONLY
Alto                               Check-in for Student Critiques begins: 8:30 a
Soprano & Tenor          Student Portfolio Critiques: 9:00 a – 3:00 p
        

IMPORTANT: Please plan to arrive at least five minutes prior to your scheduled session or critique time.

PLEASE NOTE:  The deadline for confirmed professional participants to submit reviewer request forms for Professional Portfolio Sessions is by 4:00 pm on Thursday, March 15. 

The deadline for confirmed student participants to submit reviewer request forms Student Portfolio Critiques is by 4:00 pm on Friday, March 16.

GUIDELINES FOR PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO SESSIONS
& STUDENT PORTFOLIO CRITIQUES

HOW TO SIGN UP: To register for either the Professional Portfolio Sessions or the Student Portfolio Critiques you MUST check the box on the conference registration form indicating that you would like to participate. There are a limited number of time slots, so registering early will be to your benefit if you wish to make the Professional Portfolio Sessions or Student Portfolio Critiques a part of your conference experience.  Once time slots have been filled to capacity, no more time slots will be available, even if it is before the registration deadline. Conference receipts indicate whether registrants are confirmed participants or if the sessions are FULL.  If you were unable to register for a review prior to the conference, it is still possible to get on a waiting list at the conference (please read on for details).

Am I registered? - Carefully review your conference registration receipt to see if you are eligible to participate.  This document will indicate your participation with an X in the box next to either Professional Portfolio Sessions or Student Portfolio Critiques.  If your receipt does not have an X in the box by the Professional Portfolio Sessions or Student Portfolio Critiques or is marked FULL, you are not a registered participant for the sessions or critiques.

How do I get on the waiting list? - Cancelled and forfeited slots will be available on a first-come basis to participants on a “stand by” waiting list. To be added to the “stand by” list, please see a Portfolio Sessions & Critiques staff member onsite. “Stand by” participants must be present when their name is called or forfeit their place on the list.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE ONCE REGISTERED: Conference attendees who are registered for the Professional Portfolio Sessions or Student Portfolio Critiques will have the opportunity to sign-up for 20 minutes of feedback on their portfolio. Typically participants receive two 20 minute sessions. To sign up for reviews, confirmed participants must fill out a Reviewer Request Form.  Reviewer Request Forms are available onsite at the conference hotel in the Alto room in the portfolio check-in area.  Reviewer Request Forms must be turned in by the specified deadline in the box marked “Reviewer Request Forms” in the Alto room. PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO SESSION Request Forms are BLUE and are due THURSDAY, MARCH 15 before 4:00 pm. STUDENT PORTFOLIO CRITIQUE Request Forms are YELLOW and are due FRIDAY, MARCH 16, before 4:00 pm.

SELECTING REVIEWERS:  Reviewer biographies are listed in the Conference Program Guide on pages 42 and 43.  An addendum to the list of reviewers in the guide will be in your conference bag along with inserts announcing the scheduled times for each reviewers and any additions or cancellations.  Extra copies, late additions or cancellations and other “up to the minute” changes will be posted on bulletin boards at the desk in the Alto room. All reviewers have indicated whether they want to meet with students AND/OR professionals.  An asterisk (*) before the reviewer’s name indicates they will be looking at student work only; a double-asterisk (**) indicates that they will be looking at professional artists’ work only.  No mark indicates that they will look at both student and non-student work. Please pay attention to this information - if you are a student and ask to meet with a reviewer who is only meeting with professionals (or vice versa), this will invalidate one of your requests.  Please read the reviewers’ bios in the Conference Program Guide and on the addendum before filling out your Reviewer Request Form to make sure your preferences match the reviewers’ preferences.

FILLING OUT THE REVIEWER REQUEST FORM:  On the appropriate form, provide a ranked list of your preferred reviewers and their time slots.  (For example: 1st choice: Jean Caslin 9:00-11:00; 2nd choice: Dennis High 11:15-1:15; and so forth). If a reviewer is available at two different sessions on the same day, you may list them twice. (For example: 1st choice: Jean Caslin: 9:00-11:00; 2nd choice: Jean Caslin 1:30-3:30). If none of your preferred reviewers are available, you will not be scheduled for a session. We cannot assign reviewers randomly because many reviewers request specific kinds of work. To ensure your best chance at receiving a session, please fill out the Reviewer Request Form COMPLETELY!

What if I can’t submit a Reviewer Request Form? If an attendee is unable to personally submit a Reviewer Request Form, please contact the Portfolio Sessions & Critiques Coordinators for assistance onsite or by email at nl@natelarson.com.

SCHEDULING:  The scheduling process for both Professional Portfolio Sessions and Student Portfolio Critiques will be facilitated in the same way on different days.  On Thursday, March 15 after 4:00 pm the Professional Portfolio Sessions schedule will be created and on Friday, March 16 after 4:00 pm the Student Portfolio Critiques schedule will be created using the appropriate Reviewer Request Forms.  The Portfolio Sessions & Critiques Coordinators and their volunteers will assemble and process the forms in a random order in order to create equal opportunity for all registered participants.  The coordinators will match registered participants with their requested reviewers using the submitted request forms. Using a lottery system, everyone will have the same opportunity to receive at least one session of his or her choice. If all registrants get one session and more remain, a second session will be given in a new random order. The schedule for these sessions will be posted by 8:00 pm on Thursday, March 15 for Professional Portfolio Sessions and by 8:00 pm on Friday, March 16 for Student Portfolio Critiques. The schedules will be posted in the Alto room.  Please check the schedule to confirm your scheduled session(s) and time(s).

What if I cannot attend my schedule session? If you cannot attend your scheduled session, please contact Portfolio Sessions & Critiques Coordinators ASAP. Individuals who are five minutes late for their appointment to meet with a reviewer will forfeit their session.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: DON’T FORGET!

Reviewer Request Forms for Professional Portfolio Sessions are due before 4:00 pm on Thursday, March 15 in the box in the portfolio check-in area in the Alto room.  This form should only include Professional Portfolio Session requests for Friday from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm.

Reviewer Request Forms for Student Portfolio Critiques are due before 4:00 pm on Friday, March 16 in the box in the portfolio check-in area in the Alto room. This form should only include Student Critique Session requests for Saturday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.