Take a peek back in time, learn how the Conference started and evolved.
2007 - 2015: The History of the Encaustic Conference by Joanne Mattera
2016: Conference #10 at the Provincetown Inn
Keynote Speaker: Mary Birmingham
Juried Show: The Mark of the Brush, juror: Christine McCarthy
With the emphasis in encaustic on techniques such as scraping and pouring, melting and smoothing, the tra- ditional act of painting with a brush often gets overlooked. For this exhibition we challenge you to create works in which the composition has been created with a brush, in which there is strong evidence of paint application by a brush and by what the brush can do. While the subject matter need not be traditional, the means by which it is realized should demonstrate traditional paint handling. Printmakers, your brush marks would be in the matrix or on the plate, so while the surface of your prints won’t necessarily have texture, your image will bear the result of the brush. Sculptors, even dimensional work can evidence a surface marked by the brush.
2017: Conference #11 at the Provincetown Inn
Keynote Speaker: Sharon Louden
Juried Show: Sense of Place, juror: Patricia Miranda
A sense of place is something that we ourselves create in the course of time. It is the result of habit or custom.... A sense of place is reinforced by what might be called a sense of recurring events. A particular experience of a person in a particular setting (feeling stimulated, excited, joyous, expansive..
2018: Conference #12 at the Provincetown Inn
Keynote Speaker: Sharon Butler
Juried Show: Trans, juror: Tim Doud
Trans: a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin transcend; transfix; on this model, used with the meanings “across”, “beyond,” “through,” “changing thoroughly,” “transverse,” in combination with elements of any origin: or a prefix meaning “on the other side of,” referring to the misalignment of one’s gender identity with one’s biological sex assigned at birth: Other words include: transaction, transfer, transferred, transformer, transparent, transitive, translated, transpose, transverse, transsexual, translation... so many options!
2019: Conference #13 at the Provincetown Inn
Keynote Speaker: Judy Pfaff
Juried Show: Anything But Flat, juror: Joanne Mattera
The challenge for this year’s juried show is to create a work that has a tangible, physical presence. Of course you can submit paintings, but we’d like to see depth or dimension in your paintings, whether the surface is built up, carved into, embellished, or assembled in some way. Sculpture by its very nature is dimensional, so show us how you handle space. Mixed media works are welcome, as are book objects.
2020: Conference CANCELLED due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2021: Conference #14 goes Virtual! This year, we presented a new format due to Covid-19.
Keynote Speaker: Joan Snyder
Juried Show: Pushing Boundaries: Bent, Cut, Cracked, Stapled, Smashed and Hammered, juror: Kaveh Mojtabai
The creative process is not judged and seen all the way through, a transformation happens. The work can hang from the ceiling, on the wall or sit on the floor or on a pedestal. This show is to think outside the box, think about ways one gets to the final process. Work must have encaustic in it, but it isn't limited to encaustic alone
2022: Conference #15 at the Provincetown Inn
Keynote Speaker: Michael David
Juried Show: Lucky Charms, Mojos, Signs, Cyphers and Zodiacs, juror: Deborah Dancy
2023: Conference #16 at the Provincetown Inn
Keynote Speaker: Hrag Vartanian
Juried Show: Sweet 16, juror: Adam Peck
2024: Conference #17 at the Provincetown Inn
Keynote Speaker: Petah Coyne
Juried Show: Inspiration, with juror Barbara O’Brien
“Inspiration” is the theme of this year’s conference exhibition, to be held at Truro Center for the Arts Gallery. The juror, Barbara O’Brien, is well-known to the community of artists who work in encaustic. This year’s keynote speaker, Petah Coyne, has taken inspiration from the myriad possibilities of working with wax to create sculptures of startling originality. Who or what inspires you? Being a studio artist is often a solitary experience built upon years of education, ambition, and discipline. Returning to this place of creation (ranging from a kitchen table to a large warehouse) and then putting one’s creations out into the world takes a leap of faith. Motivation can come from looking at the work of a living artist, or exploring the lineage of an art historical movement. Insight can emerge from a connection to powerful social and political issues. The Muse can be found walking along the shoreline, across a wide field or through a crowded cityscape. I want to know what inspires you to find your voice, create art, and continue along a challenging path.