Conference Information

Registration is now closed.

 NO ONSITE registration will be available

The conference room discounted rate block is FULL at the Marriott and extra rooms at the Hyatt have sold out.

Keynote Speakers
Friday

Juan Angel Chavez
Chávez is a Mexican born artist who focuses in the creation of larger scale projects that deal with the conundrum of survival and surveillance and the interpretation of the battle against permanence. Chávez has been exposed to the concepts of survival and surveillance from a very early age. In his native Mexico, at the age of eleven he had to pack a pistol to protect his mother on her way home after closing their family store. At the age of 12, when his father left Mexico to seek new horizons in USA, he did anything to earn money for his family. He stole hubcaps, hood ornaments and mirrors from cars and trucks. He collected metals and cardboard throughout the city and eventually he landed a job as a jockey for cartel members where he won many races, due of his natural riding ability. His initial interest in the arts did not start until his arrival in the USA. His mom and teachers got him involved in art extracurricular activities, which eventually got him to attend The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Early College Program where he continued his studies, but did not obtain a degree. Rather, he began developing his professional art experience by immersing himself in the underground culture of art, music and skateboarding. He found employment as an intern, in the Education and Performing Arts departments of The National Museum of Mexican Art, where he participated in artists’ exchange programs and exhibitions. He established himself as a leading force in Chicago public art, through his involvement in The Chicago Public Art Group, where he left an impressive trajectory of murals and mosaics throughout Chicago’s neighborhood schools, community centers, libraries and CTA train stations. In 2001, leaving an impressive body of work behind. He transformed his practice form public art to 3D collage to develop his broader vision of art. He began a series of Non-Permission projects throughout city abandoned buildings and fields which got him art world recognition. Which further lead to his current focus of interactive, larger then life, assemblages, sculptures and installations made of found materials, light and sound, that blend public art interaction practices with contemporary concepts of sculpture and installation.

He has exhibited in Chicago at the Museum of Contemporary Art, The National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Hyde Park Art Center, among many others. Nationally, his work has been exhibited at venues in Los Angeles, California; Burlington, Vermont; Columbus Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and New York, NY. His exhibitions abroad have been, in Copenhagen, Denmark; Wellington, Christchurch, NZ; and Bangkok, Thailand. He has been recognized with the prestigious Richard H. Driehaus Individual Artist Award and the Louis Comfort Tiffany award in NY. He has also participated in artist residencies at Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, The University of Southern Indiana, New Harmony, Indiana and Apex Art, NY, NY/Bangkok Project. Now, Juan is an active participant in Chicago’s arts community and has served as an Arts Representative on the City of Chicago’s Public Art Committee. He currently holds a faculty position in the Sculpture Department at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Saturday

Charles Gniech
Charles Gniech is an Associate Professor of Graphic Design at Joliet Junior College and has been teaching at various colleges and universities for more than twenty-five years. From 2002-2013, while teaching at The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago, Gniech served as Curator of the Institute’s galleries and acted as the Collections Curator for the Corporate Fine Art Collection.

In 2013, acting as Curator-at-Large, Gniech launched “The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions” a group exhibition that addresses human rights issues by utilizing nonthreatening art objects that allude to atrocities. The initiative was meant to encourage the audience to consider alternative perspectives and begin dialogue in an attempt to promote social change. Gniech has participated in multiple panel discussions relating to the exhibition and has lectured—at length—on his curatorial process.

In March 2016, Gniech participated as a member of a four-member panel at the United Nations – Commission on the Status of Women, 60th session in New York; presenting a session titled “Change Artists-Using the Arts to Leverage Change.” In February of 2017, Gniech acted as the Session Chair at the College Art Association, 105th Annual Conference in New York, where the three-member panel defined the ability of fine art to confront social issues on a global scale.

Charles Gniech holds a Master of Fine Art degree with an emphasis in painting and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in illustration, both from Northern Illinois University. While teaching, curating, and consulting, Gniech continues to paint and exhibits at the national level. The paintings of Charles Gniech have been included into numerous gallery and museum exhibitions. His work has been acquired for multiple public and private collections, with a large canvas purchased for the Permanent Collection of The Fort Wayne Museum of Art. Gniech is represented by the Hofheimer Gallery in Chicago.

Cheryl Jefferson
Cheryl Jefferson is a writer, TED speaker, and the executive producer of The Art of Influence: Breaking Criminal Traditions, a social justice fine art initiative dedicated to impacting child marriage, honor killing, acid violence, and other human rights issues in the US and abroad. To meet this challenge, Cheryl applies everything she’s learned as a writer/producer at ABC TV, J Walter Thompson, Britannica Films, and PBS; as the author of seven books; winner of two major national writing competitions plus Ragdale and Wurlitzer Foundation writing residencies; as a multiyear participant in the UN Commission on the Status of Women; and a graduate of Landmark Education and the University of Illinois. Ultimately, Cheryl believes that art can raise consciousness as the first step toward change.

Richard Laurent
Originally from Colorado, Richard received his formal education at IIT-Institute of Design and worked as a graphic design consultant for various Chicago area clients. In 1975, he joined Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation as an associate design director and later achieved the position of Creative Director for the film division. As part of that assignment, he oversaw the animation unit and later had his portfolio accepted by Disney Feature Animation in Florida.

After leaving Britannica, Richard established a thriving illustration business working for national magazines and newspapers. As part of this process, he was invited to audition for editorial cartoonist position at the Chicago Sun-Times. Richard won the job and drew daily editorial cartoons while teaching at Columbia College in the Art+Design Department.

Currently, Richard works out of his studio in the historic Fine Arts Building in Chicago. He has studied the oil painting process for over twenty years and has contributed his work to numerous exhibitions including Salon International Museum of Contemporary Masters, Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibitions, Chicago Artists Interpret Shakespeare and in 2018, a solo show at Laluz Gallery. His paintings are in the collections of City of Denver, City of Schaumburg, Deloitte Consulting, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Illinois Institute of Art, Wells-Fargo and his work is included in two monographs: Contemporary American Painting and Contemporary American Drawing, published by Jilin Fine Art.

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• What if I need to cancel my conference registration?
  • If you must cancel your Early Bird conference registration, you must submit your request in writing (i.e. email) to Conference Registrar Melissa Righter by November 1st, 2018.  A $50.00 cancellation fee will be applied to your refund. After November 1st, no refunds are accepted, but you can authorize in writing to have a colleague attend in your place. Email cancellation requests to: registrar@ilaea.org. Workshop fees are final and not refunded unless IAEA cancels a workshop. Allow 4 – 6 weeks after the conference to receive an authorized refund.
• What does my conference registration include?
  • Your paid registration includes your admission to all sessions and meal functions. Some sessions are pre-ticketed and may require an additional fee.
• What should I bring to the conference to pick up my materials?
  • Bring a copy of your online registration receipt  with you. Printed registration receipts will NOT be provided at the conference. Your confirmation email will serve as your receipt and proof of registration. Make sure your email address is current and accurate.
• What does my conference registration include?
  • Your paid registration includes your admission to all sessions and meal functions. Some sessions are pre-ticketed and may require an additional fee.
• Can I bring a guest to lunch?
  • For an additional fee. Additional guest tickets may be ordered on the Early Bird registration form. Include all names of paid guests so guest badges can be made. Lunch events are for our adult attendees.
• Are accommodations available for those with dietary restrictions?
  • A section has been added onto the Early Bird registration form to indicate those needs.  If you do not register by October 1st online OR do not indicate your dietary needs, we may not be able to accommodate dietary requests made on-site due to hotel catering limitations.
• My school district will be registering me online, what information do they need to do so?
  • If your district or school is registering and/or paying for your registration, make sure YOUR name is included in the registration information so you will be included in the records.
  • Please make sure that the person that will be registering you has all your pertinent information such as email address, desired workshops, dietary restrictions, etc.
• Do you accept Checks as a form of payment?
  • Please select the ‘CHECK’ option when finalizing your online registration. Please be aware that your online registration and workshop reservation will NOT be confirmed until your check has been received. If check is not received within 7 days of registration submission, participant’s registration and selected workshops will be cancelled. Checks can be made payable to IAEA and sent to:Melissa Righter, IAEA Conference Registrar,
  • 1321 Morningstar Ct., Naperville, IL 60564
• Do you accept Purchase Orders (PO) as a form of payment?
  • Purchase Orders are not accepted by IAEA
• Can I still sign up for workshops when I arrive at the conference?
  • Yes, remaining workshop tickets will be available for selection on-site at the conference. However each workshop has limited spots available and they tend to fill up during Early Bird registration. It is highly encouraged to select workshops during early bird registration. Workshops/ special events are NOT REFUNDABLE. If you find you cannot attend a ticketed event, you may authorize in writing for a colleague to attend in your place.
• What if I need to cancel my conference registration?

If you must cancel your Early Bird conference registration, you must submit your request in writing (i.e. email) to Conference Registrar Melissa Righter by November 1st, 2018.  A $50 cancellation fee will be applied to your refund. After October 1st, no refunds are accepted, but you can authorize in writing to have a colleague attend in your place. Email cancellation requests to: registrar@ilaea.org. Workshop fees are final and not refunded unless IAEA cancels a workshop. Allow 4 – 6 weeks after the conference to receive an authorized refund.