Nearly one hundred scientific illustrators from around the world will gather at Arcadia University for the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI) Conference and Annual Meeting in July. Sponsored by Arcadia, DB Shaw Studios, and the Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators, the core conference runs Monday, July 6 to Wednesday, July 8, with select workshops and nearby field trips on the days before and after.

This year’s conference features a keynote presentation by award-winning historical reenactor Kirk R. Brown, an art technique showcase, and the 2015 juried exhibition of scientific art (open to the public all week in the Art Gallery), as well as sessions on digital sculpture, military medical simulations, storytelling through illustration, and other subjects. Field trips to such places as the Philadelphia Zoo and the Morris Arboretum round out a full week of activities.

Scott Rawlins, professor of art and design at Arcadia University and coordinator for this year’s conference, will deliver his talk, “An Eleutherian Adventure,” on July 7. The presentation will explore a trip he and two Arcadia students took to the Bahamas last December to create illustrations of newly discovered marine isopod species. Arcadia’s Sheryl Smith, associate professor of biology, also will give a talk at the conference entitled “Biodesign Atacama,” alongside her husband, Jerry Habarth, who organized an exhibition of the same name in the Commons Gallery.

The Guild of Natural Science Illustrators annual conference serves as an opportunity for members and non-members to exchange knowledge, refine skills, and network with other scientific illustrators. Register for full or partial attendance on the GNSI conference website.