e-Pulsar - Apr

e-Pulsar Apr - May 00

Fellowship News

From The Board

It is a great privilege to inform our general membership of the results of our recent ballot nominations for our distinguished Fellowship category - our model of the professionalism we as astronomical artists aspire towards.

Approximately 40% of our membership had participated in casting their ballots for their recommendation to this illustrious level of expertise, dedication and professionalism. The Board hereby adopts your TOP-TEN recommendations, as the will of the Committee of the Whole, to form our initial set of Fellows.

They are, in alphabetical order (not the rank of the number of votes received):

Alan Bean

Michael Carroll

Don Davis

Don Dixon

Bob Eggleton

David A. Hardy

William K. Hartmann

Ron Miller

Robert T. McCall

Kim Poor

Pat Rawlings

This list contains eleven names as the tenth place was a tie.

This Special Committee of Fellows will receive their Articles of Responsibilities, hereby empowered by the Board, to review, to jury and to select other artists of merit for this Fellowship status. During the initial deliberations of our new committee agreed unanimously to accept the nine members who were 'runners-up' in the recent voting as Fellows. They are:

Lynnette Cook

Kelly Freas

B.E. Johnson

Pam Lee

Jon Lomberg

Rick Sternbach

Kara Szathmary

Joe Tucciarone

Arthur Woods

All of these are recognized throughout the IAAA for their skills and high standard as space artists and/or their contributions to the IAAA, to our genre and to the public awareness of astronomical art, and well deserve this honor. It was felt to be both superfluous and unnecessary for them to have to submit their work in order to be accepted!

The Board wishes to thank our membership for your participation in exercising your responsibility in this historic vote. The IAAA is now transformed into an official three-tier membership structure.

Finally, to our Fellows, a hearty congratulations to you! You are and have been an inspiration to us all. And in that light, the IAAA would be honored in your use of the "FIAAA" initials after your name to identify you as our Fellow marquee artist. This is a privileged vestige we acknowledge for your use ONLY -- our Fellows of the IAAA.

Kara Szathmary, IAAA Chairman of the Board

David A. Hardy, President, IAAA

Asteriod Life

Asteroid Life By Chris Dawson

An energy-based life form floats through a ring of debris around a distant planet.

The Special Committee has completed its deliberations (for the moment) and can announce the following procedures for the future election of Fellows:

1. The jurying will take place in February of each year, so that we know that all nominees are paid-up Artist members.

2. A member of the current BOARD will collect and tabulate all the Fellows' votes, to ensure impartiality.

3. The Rules for Fellowship are as already announced by e-mail and in PULSAR: Artists/ illustrators, who will either have submitted their work to a jury, or have been recommended to this grade by at least two other "Fellow Members" because of their known contributions to our genre, and been approved by a Special Committee of Fellows. These members will be entitled to use the initials "FIAAA" after their name. Dues $50.

This means that normally it is up to our members (in advance of the jurying date) to recommend to the Special Committee (via myself, as Chair) other members whom they feel qualify for this honor. Nominations must supply written material for support as well as art work. A website will be accepted as part of submission for Fellowship, providing images are large enough for appraisal. (Note: This is not a *requirement*, simply a method of speeding up the selection process if available. Digital images or, if necessary, slides are other methods.)

New Fellows will be accepted on the basis of (a) quality of painting and artistic excellence, (b) scientific accuracy when producing space art (which does not of course rule out abstract, impressionistic, symbolic or other forms of art, providing it is astronomically-informed), (c) their contributions (written, organizational, etc.) to the IAAA and our genre. Or any combination of the above.