Here’s me enjoying the sunny weather in San Jose.  I went to Adobe HQ to get a photo for Andy.  Why was I in California?  A local organization got a grant to take 30+ artists from Minneapolis to the National Arts Marketing Conference in San Jose.  I am not an arts marketer, but I do all of our technology at the Textile Center, so I was selected to go along.  Some really good sessions, some not so great sessions.  It was a great experience and a huge benefit for our little organization that can’t really afford conferences like this.

Things I noticed:

Knitting at a conference is unusual.  It isn’t unusual for me, I listen better.  I bring things that don’t require lots of attention – no lace knitting during meetings.   Almost every meeting I have at the Textile Center has someone knitting or stitching or working on something. I got 2/3 of a sweater finished!
Knitting is possibly not ok, but spending the entire session on your cell phone or laptop is ok and, in fact, encouraged.  I was the topic of conversation:

No one asked me what I was knitting.  If I had been in MN, 38 people would have asked me what I was knitting and who it was for.  In 4 days, and a conference of 500+, one person asked me about it.  The people on the plane just looked at me askance.

    Finally, not related to San Jose, for those that were looking out to vote for my shuttle needlework piece, we are all out of luck.  I didn’t make the semifinalists.  I didn’t know they were narrowing it down quite so much on the first round.  There are two quilts that made it to the top 50, so I am happy fiber art is represented.