4th October 2010, 07:17 PM
The trouble is.... The IfA don't have specialism built in.... you are either a MIfA or not... how you got your MIfAdom is not explained... representing sub disciplines is not the same as what it all means... Colin talks about what MIFA was supposed to mean at the start... back when it was Field Archaeology... I agree it could mean you are at teh top of your chosen branch... but has that yet been codified... ? not that I can see.
The concept is that us illustrators will become instant MIFAs whoo hooo... but I can also do other things, indeed when I first went for membership I was offered PIFA... as I was an illustrator... and only published archs could get MIFA... showing they were competant at producing a written report... not a pretty pic... which I was good at... Later I became a MIFA... but still not because of my illustration or survey skills... but becasue I could whop some reports on the table wot I had wrote.
Now it seems that if you are good at anything in archaeology this equals MIFA... ? confused!
I still believe in either Associate or Member Grades... simples... but with some idea of what skills you have... (back to the skills passport here!)
Could it benefit Illustrators... not really... I note there are lots of specialist groups who have SIGs in teh IfA but don't need to merge with it. IS it about members? :face-huh:
ps... Julie... I know exactly what you mean... and good post...
Unit... illustration and its place in archaeology and importance is a long discussion... every book and report is enhanced by good ones... supported by useful ones and is only part of what it could be without them... I am both an illustrator and an archaeologist... I am what I am when I need to be. sometimes at the same time
The concept is that us illustrators will become instant MIFAs whoo hooo... but I can also do other things, indeed when I first went for membership I was offered PIFA... as I was an illustrator... and only published archs could get MIFA... showing they were competant at producing a written report... not a pretty pic... which I was good at... Later I became a MIFA... but still not because of my illustration or survey skills... but becasue I could whop some reports on the table wot I had wrote.
Now it seems that if you are good at anything in archaeology this equals MIFA... ? confused!
I still believe in either Associate or Member Grades... simples... but with some idea of what skills you have... (back to the skills passport here!)
Could it benefit Illustrators... not really... I note there are lots of specialist groups who have SIGs in teh IfA but don't need to merge with it. IS it about members? :face-huh:
ps... Julie... I know exactly what you mean... and good post...
Unit... illustration and its place in archaeology and importance is a long discussion... every book and report is enhanced by good ones... supported by useful ones and is only part of what it could be without them... I am both an illustrator and an archaeologist... I am what I am when I need to be. sometimes at the same time