OpenEd 09 is getting all artsy and stuff…

Vancouver Art Gallery shared CC by Camilo Arango

When we decided to hold the Open Education Conference in downtown Vancouver, it was our hope we would take advantage of some of what the area had to offer. I’m especially excited to be partnering with the magnificent Vancouver Art Gallery (right next door to the OpenEd Robson Square location) on three special bonuses for our beloved conference delegates and volunteers.

First off, the much-anticipated but little-hyped full-day dialogue between Stephen Downes and David Wiley will be held in an old courtroom at the VAG August 11th, the day before the conference officially opens. I’ll be honest, I have only the dimmest idea what these two guys will be talking about, but I’m quite sure it will not be boring. We can only accommodate 40 attendees, so sign up now.

Second, we are pleased to present a special panel on “Expression, appropriation and the law” with screenings of clips from a variety of copyright-conflicted works, as well as a discussion led by Vancouver-based artists and policy experts. This session will be hosted at the VAG on the Thursday evening of the conference (August 13th), 7-9, and is open to the public with free admission.

Finally, I am am very pleased to say that your OpenEd Conference badge will get you one FREE pass to see the exhibits at the Gallery any time while the conference is running August 12-14. There are some amazing exhibitions coinciding with OpenEd 09, including Vermeer, Rembrandt and the Golden Age of Dutch Art. And as a Vancouverite I would urge you to check out the works of Emily Carr and Jack Shadbolt as well.

I should note that we can only offer the free Gallery pass to conference attendees who have pre-registered online. Pre-registration closes this Saturday, August 8th. Are you really going to miss out on this?