ISALTA Quarter Century Conference 2006  

Dr. Carleton Palmer, November 13, 2006

Formally established in 1981, ISALTA has been a participant in and focus of the work of artist-researchers in traditional arts for a quarter of a century. Many of these artist-researchers are scholars whose doctoral studies at NYU brought them to this private organization. Many others are artists whose creative missions found a home with ISALTA.

Without an academic center at NYU provided by Dr. Ecker, now Professor Emeritus at NYU, the nature of the organization has changed. Also, in the twenty-five years since it was incorporated in New York State the original Board of Directors has experienced attrition without regeneration. Drs. Ecker and Palmer met for five days in September to confer and “brainstorm” directions for the International Society for the Advancement of Living Traditions in Art, and to evolve a strategy for developing a new and independent core for the organization.

The meeting was held in New Hampshire, USA, where Dr. Ecker has worked to create a conferencing center, residence, studios and gallery. To this date all of the many projects involving this organization have been paid for by cooperating organizations or the most concerned individuals themselves. Governments, foundations, The United Nations and universities have sponsored conferencing, research, travel, exhibits and events for ISALTA, but this organization has never sought a financial base for itself. In creating the New Hampshire conferencing center, Dr. Ecker has not only financed the project himself, but, consistent with the ISALTA mission, he felled the trees, learned how to quarter the logs and raised the roof-beams for the structures himself. Having observed this level of commitment, Dr. Palmer offered to help develop the organization as a self-sustaining entity.

New Hampshire main residence and workshops

In preparation for this meeting, Dr. Palmer had implemented on August 1, 2006 an ISALTA Internet web-presence including a demonstration professional journal, newsletter, web-log, chat-room and content-management-system. The url http://www. isalta.com was reserved for two years, a Wikipedia entry uploaded for ISALTA, and the url was registered with several web services including Google. These resources were presented at this meeting, and it was agreed that this approach could serve to bring together the existing world-wide membership on the world-wide-web.

Guest house, barbecue, Japanese Garden

The conferees, having been well-fed and lodged, resolved to:

1. Contact the present Membership regarding the web-presence.

2. Continue exploring appropriate software.

3. Call for current news, presentations and research for publication.

4. Encourage communication using existing or newly recommended tools.

5. Develop a new Board of Directors mindful of financing the organization.

6. Encourage Membership participation in cooperative projects.

ISALTA Gallery , NH (presently known as an aircraft hangar)