2009

Inaugural Association of Architecture Organizations and A+DEN Conference a Huge Success!

This past November 5 -7, 150 people representing 92 organizations and 5 countries gathered together in Chicago to discuss new issues and ideas, to share with others who are engaged in the education of our youth and public about architecture and design, and to learn more about starting the public dialogue about the built environment. This was the first gathering of the Association of Architecture Organizations (AAO), which was held in conjunction with the annual A+DEN conference. AAO, whose mission is to foster the development of an alliance of like-minded non-profit organizations who educate the public about architecture and the built environment, will serve as a forum for national and international dialogue and the sharing of best practices, materials and ideas. A+DEN will now serve as the education special interest network within the larger AAO organization, and will have it's own dedicated listserv and online resource center.  Both of these services and more will be launched in 2010 as AAO continues to grow and expand.

The AAO portion of the conference was held November 5 – 6, and the A+DEN gathering was November 6 – 7. There was overlap programming on November 6, which provided a valuable networking opportunity for both groups.  We'll be posting MP3's of some sessions, handouts and documents, and other tools and resources that were gathered during the conference.  Please be sure to come back often as we update the site!  You can also follow AAO on Flickr and Facebook, so please check the most recent photos and information at those sites as well!

If you are interested in learning more about AAO please contact Jill Perney via email, or at (312)922-3432 x. 260.

The conference was made possible through the generous support of the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, The National Endowment for the Arts, and Target.

AAO conference programming was presented by the Chicago Architecture Foundation and the Architectural League of New York.