21st May 2010, 08:44 PM
As far as I know the IfA weren't going to put it to their membership, and there wouldn't be a change of name (again) for the IfA.
e-mail address is: ecmgardner@gmail.com
For full membership of AAI&S you have to show full proficiency and experience in your chosen area of illustration and/or survey, submit a portfolio and undertake an assessment interview with a panel. You also have to submit a sample of your drawings for publication in the AAI&S newsletter 'Graphic Archaeology'. You cannot apply to join the association at full membership level, you have to be a Licentiate first.
You couldn't and I believe shouldn't assess an illustrator on the same blanket criteria as a field archaeologist - the same for an osteologist or any other specialist. It doesn't mean an archaeological illustrator is any less of an archaeologist. However, it's a good point and one suggestion put forward in discussion is that there should be some kind of sub-division of IfA membership if this was to go through to denote whether you're a specialist or a field archaeologist.
I'd love to nail my colours to the mast but my trouble is I'm undecided myself and am trying to stay that way so I can stay firmly perched on the fence while talking to people about the whole suggestion but here are my current thoughts. Forgive the stream of consciousness:
I can see the advantage of as an illustrator having it finally recognised through being a MIfA (which the old IfA system would never have let me get to.. despite being self-employed with my own client base etc etc) that I am in fact a specialist with a skill I have worked hard at with 8 years of experience from fieldwork to the drawing desk.
On the other hand, that's exactly what the AAI&S strives to do and becoming just another sub-division of the IfA, are we going to loose that ability to stand up and be counted separately in that way? From an AAI&S council member's perpective, we're all volunteers and most of us very busy - even given the current economic climate. Finding time for the admin which prevents the association from moving forward in other ways would no longer be a problem because of the full time administrative support the IfA has. (For example, I try to maintain the website but alongside working I have a 1 year old son and am six and a half months pregnant with number 2. Paid work and my family come first and the website is woefully inadequate, but there's no-one else who's stepped forward to help...crack out the violins ;o)
Then again, there are many people with vaild negative experiences of IfA who would opt completely out if the AAI&S merged and that's not going to be constructive...
Frankly I dunno.
e-mail address is: ecmgardner@gmail.com
For full membership of AAI&S you have to show full proficiency and experience in your chosen area of illustration and/or survey, submit a portfolio and undertake an assessment interview with a panel. You also have to submit a sample of your drawings for publication in the AAI&S newsletter 'Graphic Archaeology'. You cannot apply to join the association at full membership level, you have to be a Licentiate first.
You couldn't and I believe shouldn't assess an illustrator on the same blanket criteria as a field archaeologist - the same for an osteologist or any other specialist. It doesn't mean an archaeological illustrator is any less of an archaeologist. However, it's a good point and one suggestion put forward in discussion is that there should be some kind of sub-division of IfA membership if this was to go through to denote whether you're a specialist or a field archaeologist.
I'd love to nail my colours to the mast but my trouble is I'm undecided myself and am trying to stay that way so I can stay firmly perched on the fence while talking to people about the whole suggestion but here are my current thoughts. Forgive the stream of consciousness:
I can see the advantage of as an illustrator having it finally recognised through being a MIfA (which the old IfA system would never have let me get to.. despite being self-employed with my own client base etc etc) that I am in fact a specialist with a skill I have worked hard at with 8 years of experience from fieldwork to the drawing desk.
On the other hand, that's exactly what the AAI&S strives to do and becoming just another sub-division of the IfA, are we going to loose that ability to stand up and be counted separately in that way? From an AAI&S council member's perpective, we're all volunteers and most of us very busy - even given the current economic climate. Finding time for the admin which prevents the association from moving forward in other ways would no longer be a problem because of the full time administrative support the IfA has. (For example, I try to maintain the website but alongside working I have a 1 year old son and am six and a half months pregnant with number 2. Paid work and my family come first and the website is woefully inadequate, but there's no-one else who's stepped forward to help...crack out the violins ;o)
Then again, there are many people with vaild negative experiences of IfA who would opt completely out if the AAI&S merged and that's not going to be constructive...
Frankly I dunno.