SUBJECT: SVA Annual Report 2001
To: AAA
From: Harald Prins, SVA President [1999‑2001]
This report offers a brief account of pertinent events, concerns, and issues since our last meeting in San Francisco, 2000. The SVA Board and Business meetings were chaired by Harald Prins. His successor as SVA President is Carol Hermer (2001‑2003).
I: New Board Members Elected:
The past year, five new members joined the Board, namely Faye Ginsburg, Dara Culhane, Marcelo Fiorini, Steven Caton, and Marilyn Houston-Thomas. They replaced Beate Engelbrecht, Wilton Martinez, Joanne Scherer, Bruce Broce, and Past-President Malcolm Collier, who was replaced by Carol Hermer as President Elect. Our Treasurer Najwa will be leaving the SVA Board, and Marilyn Thomas-Houston has agreed to replace her. The Board was informed of this transition via e-mail and no objections were raised. I asked Anne Zeller to serve another year as Nominations Chair, working with me and Carol as Nominations Committee members. Solicitations from various sources resulted in the following slate of two candidates willing to stand for re-election, namely Cynthia Close and John Bishop, as well four new candidates, namely Regna Darnell, Richard Freeman, Beverly Singer, and Sarah Elder. Cynthia, John, and Sarah will be (re)joining the Board the coming year.
II. Membership
a. Membership:
In my report last year, I indicated that there was reason to be concerned about the future membership trend. During the past year, the membership has fluctuated between 570 and 550. Although there are no dramatic declines, the trend is no longer positive. From an all-time high of 576 in April, 2000, it has now declined to 552. The student membership went from 217 in May 2000 to 220 in April 2001, and is now down to about 200. The regular membership fluctuates around 350 members.
With respect to lapsed memberships, there is a disturbing negative trend, both with respect to regular and student members, and now totals 268, up from 125 in September 125.
Related to this is the decline in VAR subscribers, especially after November 2000, from a high of 155 to 120 in January. That sudden drop of more than 20 percent is troubling, especially because of the decline the previous year. As of August 2001, there were only 124 subscribers. Since these subscribers provide SVA with important revenues, we cannot afford the luxury of letting such slides continue.
In short, the membership issue has become of major concern and I strongly recommend that the SVA Board will try to reverse this eroding trend, which seems directly related to the fact that VAR is far behind scheduling. Also related, I suspect, is the fact that the SVA has now for the second year in a row not organized workshops at the annual meetings.
III. Financial Status.
Because of the fact that the SVA has remained very frugal in its operations and continues to engage in a policy of underspending, our financial status remains very good. Our net assets, based on revenues derived from membership dues, subscriptions, and Film Festival entry fees surpass our expenditures.
The strong reserve fund established during the presidency of Malcolm Collier remains in tact. With SVA’s fund balance continued rise, and with total expenditures expected to remain within budget, our treasurer reports we should earmark surplus funds without endangering SVA’s long-term goals. Last year, several new initiatives have been identified but not yet implemented.
It is our hope, however to use built up reserves periodically for finite projects that produce tangible intellectual benefits to members. Among the investments we are making are not only a special double issue of VAR, but also updating our websites. Further, given the burdens of our Film Festival jury volunteers, we have allocated some extra funding in order to facilitate the screening, selecting, and awarding process of the submitted visual media products (films, videos, and still photographs). Finally, we have budgeted $1,000 for a data base of films screened at the Film Festivals.
We have committed SVA funds towards several projects. As we use up accumulated savings, we should prioritize our various initiatives. A major concern is VAR’s publication backlog (see VAR Report). Considering anticipated membership declines due to the VAR problem, our current surplus may not last and future spending must be carefully monitored
IV: SVA Membership Committees
Of the four membership committees instituted a few years ago, only the Committee on Scholarly Contributions of Visual Anthropology has been very active. The other three (Student Issues; Archival Issues; Video and Film) have not made noticeable progress.
No progress reports were received from the Chairs of the Committee Archival Issues (John Bishop), Committee on Film and Anthropology (Cynthia Close), nor the Committee on Student Issues (?).
In contrast, the Committee on Scholarship was very active. Chaired by Jeff Himpele, it developed a highly detailed document containing Guidelines for Evaluating Merit in Visual Media (Film, Video, Audio, Photography, and Multimedia). The initiative was set into motion as a result of a motion passed two years ago, stating that the SVA must issue a position statement for dissemination to other sections and the AAA in general, arguing for the legitimacy of visual media for purposes of academic tenure and promotion. A provisional statement was prepared by Peter Biella, In subsequent phases, the drafted document was modified and improved with the help of Jeff Himpele, as well as Kelly Askew, David MacDougall, and me. It has been acknowledged as being a very important document as it touches on career issues such as hiring, tenure, and promotion. An early draft form was presented and defended by me at the AAA Meeting of the Section Assembly, April 29-30, 2000, in Arlington. After considerable discussion, Regna Darnell moved to forward the SVA Statement to the AAA Executive Board with details and guidelines for Board endorsement. This was seconded by the Archaeology Division President Deborah Nichols (current AAA Sections Convenor), and approved by over thirty section presidents (only one abstention). Earlier this year, and throughout the summer, the drafted document was finalized and has now been placed on this year’s AAA Executive Board’s agenda. As SVA President, I have been invited to explain and, if necessary, defend the statement.
V. SVA Scientific Program 2001
Overall, we can be satisfied that the SVA has once again managed to present an interesting program. Unlike last year, there are no major scheduling conflicts.
a) Invited Sessions:
Unlike last year, when the SVA presented three invited sessions (co-sponsored with other sections), and six volunteered sessions. The double Session, co-sponsored with AES, directly addressed this year’s AAA Conference theme "Anthropology’s Public Face." The SVA sponsored 2 Invited Sessions this year (one of which was co-sponsored with the Association for Africanist Anthropology)
To address the conference theme on the history of anthropology, Harald Prins and Jeff Himpele co-organized a session to expanded the history of visual anthropology beyond well-known figures in the US and Europe with panelists who are looking at histories of cross-cultural media in non-Western contexts; other panelists provided emergent ethnographic interests and technologies in visual anthropology. The second Invited Session was co-sponsored with the Association for Africanist Anthropology.
As SVA president, I have worked actively with the SVA Program organizer Jeff Himpele and SVA Board member Faye Ginsburg in getting two invited panels ready. By early March, we resolved that there were to be two sessions organized by the SVA, one to be featured as a AAA Presidential Session and sponsored by the AAA Executive Program Committee (organized by Faye Ginsburg), and the other as a SVA Invited Session "Other Media, OtherHistories" (co-organized by Jeff Himpele and Harald Prins). Only the latter was "charged" against our account, so to speak.
b) Volunteered Sessions: Unlike previous years, when the SVA presented six volunteered sessions, the SVA Program organizer received only three proposals for volunteered panel sessions (not counting the one which was reclassified as an Invited Session). Two additional session were cobbled together from 11 individually-volunteered papers, directed to the SVA for review. In other words, one volunteered session less than last year.
c) Posters: Like last year, there were no SVA poster sessions. Instead, there were only two Posters, one invited and the other volunteered.
d) Workshops: Like last year, there were no proposals for SVA-sponsored workshops. As noted last year, such events form an important part of our mission and initiatives need to be made to address this issue. These events are a valuable service to folks interested in visual media and anthropology.
Moreover, the can be a source of income for SVA. Accordingly, the SVA Board is encouraged to help identify potential topics and actively solicit possible presenters
Conclusion & Recommendations:
It appears that there was much less interest among members to propose sessions. Whereas last year we had three invited sessions (co-sponsored), we now had two, in addition to one Presidential Session. And instead of six volunteered sessions, we now had three. That means that the SVA sponsored six instead of nine sessions in total this year. I suggest that the SVA Board will support the SVA Program Editor in identifying a particular relevant or significant topic as the theme or subject of choice for at least one invited session during the annual meetings. Moreover, that it will be active in suggesting or helping organize sessions.
With respect to Poster presentations, the SVA Board should encourage colleagues as well as graduate students in visual anthropology to present posters of their work. Finally, considering the importance of Workshops, both in terms of knowledge transfer and for financial reasons, the SVA Board is strongly encouraged to identify potential topics and presenters to the SVA Program Editor.
Finally, although the major conflicting schedules we experienced last year could now be avoided, I urge the next SVA Program Editor to be vigilant and raise the issue with AAA headquarters officers Lucille Horn and other AAA
Program organizers. To our pleasure, the SVA Program Editor was able to avoid last year’s severe scheduling problems and managed to present a more balanced program without concurrent visual-anthropology related sessions and events, which should benefit presenters and audiences.
VI. VAR Journal
Last year, SVA President Collier noted that VAR "continues to be our most tangible benefit of membership BUT I have started to receive questions regarding its delivery." Essentially, the same still holds true for this year. Last year, VAR Editor David Sapir responded that the journal under his charge was "on track, just one year late." Such is still the case, as VAR 16.1 appeared on schedule precisely one year late, whereas 16.2 will not come out until December 2001 (we hope). SVA contributed extra money to help cover the copy right expenses for photos in Bouquet’s article on the "photographic condition." As Editor David Sapir informs us, there is a greater emphasis on still photography than heretofore. He suggests that this is in part due to the fact that there is a shortage of publishable manuscripts related to film and video.
The journal continues to be our most tangible benefit of membership BUT there continue to be delays in its delivery to members (currently, we are one year behind on schedule). The reasons for slow production are varied, not the least of which is the heavy load we put on the editor.
Implementing a motion that was unanimously passed during last year’s SVA Board meeting, VAR has now an Editorial Board . Conform to a resolution by the SVA Board, we have installed an international editorial board for the journal (10 members from the USA, Germany, UK, Australia, Egypt, Netherlands) . On a short term basis the Board again approved additional funding for the publications but number of solutions which will be explored during the next year. On a short term basis the Board instructed the editor to work on seeking some institutional support as the section cannot committee extra money on a permanent basis.
There has been correspondence in August and September between VAR editor David Sapir and AAA Publications Director Susan Skomal, which I communicated the Board with the urgent request to keep the information confidential. It concerned the very serious predicament of our journal. It was proposed to institute a SVA Publications Committee. Several members have indicate a willingness to serve on such a committee, which should be implemented.
One possible part-solution is that SVA publishes one or two guest-edited VAR issues. Jay Ruby has proposed to co-edit a selection of IWF papers as a special VAR journal issue.
VII: SVA Film, Video and Interactive Media Festival
The 2001 Festival received 64 entries – about 20 percent more than last year. We received productions from Australia, China, England, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as from Canada and the USA The Award for Exellence went to "Bridewealth for a Goddess" by Chris Owen and Andrew Strathearn. Eight other films received Honorable Mention and Commendation.
VIII: Section News Column in AN
New and ongoing research in different areas of visual anthropology, profiling of famous early visual anthropologists and their work, technical advice on how to use the new medi hardware and software, catalogues from photography shows, and recent dissertations are among the many types of information contributed.
Unfortunately, just as we are beginning to make significant use of our section space, the new AN Editor in Chief resolved that all section news columns will be cut by one half their former length. This means that we have only 700 words or equivalent space for graphics. Considering that this appears to have been a unilateral decision, without any consultation with our (or other?) contributing editors, we have ample reason to be dissatisfied about both this new direction. The new editor of AN has recently resigned and has been replaced.
IX: Collier Award
In recognition of the importance of still photography in anthropology, we have instituted a new prize for best still photography, to be named the John Collier Jr. Award.
The language of that award was worked out by the SVA president together with the former president Malcolm Collier in the course of past summer.
Subsequently, it was conveyed to the SVA Board and after some input, it was finalized and forwarded to our corresponding editor Mary Strong, who had it placed in the September issue of Anthropology News. This resulted in a negative reaction from Jay Ruby. This was, however, later amiably resolved.
X: Visual Research Conference
The 17th Annual Visual Research Conference has been organized by Tom Blakely and Peter Biella, who also co-organized the one last year in San Francisco.
Comform to its objectives, it includes presentations of work in progress by more than a dozen anthropologists with a focus on visual media production.
XI: SVA on the Web
During last year’s SVA Board meeting, Beate Engelbrecht, Peter Biella , and John Bishop stated that they would form an informal committee to explore the creation of a SVA Web Ring and submit their findings to the SVA President.
Directly related to this concern, a motion was passed concerning a SVA website, SVA/AAA festival database, would be explored by a committee composed of Carol Hermer, Joanne Scherer, and Peter Biella. However important, no developments on these cyber fronts have been reported to date.
XII: New SVA Logo
Last year, the SVA Board unanimously passed a motion (8), which stated: "the SVA must develop a logo, for use on all SVA publications, electronic and paper." Invitations to propose designs were e-mailed to all SVA Board members in the winter months. Only one logo design was presented for consideration. It was placed on John Bishop’s web site and everyone was invited to comment. This resulted in one suggestion, a slight modification of the original.
SVA Logo: Although the Board has commissioned a new logo for the SVA, and although two versions have been submitted for consideration, no alternative suggestions have been received or considered. Contrary to expectations that this issue would be resolved, no progress was made.
XIII: Miscellaneous
a) Staggering Two-Year Terms for Program Editor/Assistant Program Editor
Conform to existing practices in other sections, the Board agreed that there would be staggered appointments for the SVA Program Editor (PE). Because the task, as some of us well know from personal experience, is both complex and burdensome, s/he would serve two consecutive years, first as Assistant PE who can assist (and thereby learn the ropes from) the PE in charge, and then as PE. Such staggering will bring a greater measure of continuity and may help avoid making unnecessary mistakes due to unfamiliarity with the process. This modus operandi has not yet been implemented, but I urge that the SVA Board will assist the President in making this system operative.
b) Goettingen
At the IWF conference in Goettingen, on the basis of Malcolm's suggestion, and with active input from not only Peter, but also with all other past SVA officers and other leading visual anthros associated with us as members at the IWF conference, including past presidents Fadwa el Guindi, Emily de Brigard, Karl Heider, and Dick Chalfen, as well as Jay Ruby and Paul Hockings, we discussed and reached consensus on financially supporting the cash-strapped History of Visual Anthropology publishing project. Although final commitment had not been give, using the phrase "pending board approval," the SVA pledged $6,000.- (although it was originally proposed to offer $10,000 or 12,000, if I recall correctly) in support of publishing the proceedings from that conference. So, that should take of the extra project fund. I made that announcement at the end of the IWF conference. Since back in the USA I have not yet heard about what's happening.
c) Traveling Film Festival
Some Board members (Mary Strong, Najwa and Carol) have suggested to spend at leart some of the surplus fund (before we are forced to decrease our membership rates) on traveling film festival, and use some of our funds as seed money, first traveling it to institutions connected with our Board members. Idea is to get a commitment from 2-3 Board members to have a plan by January A minimal fee may be charged to recover our costs so that the traveling exhibit can become an ongoing and expandable project
c) Controversial Political Issues:
With respect to the reputation of ethnographic filmmaker Timothy Asch, as falsely represented in the controversial bestseller Darkness in El Dorado, the SVA Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution in his defense. Although there have been developments regarding the research ethics of Amazonian anthropology, the issues concerning the particular role of Asch and/or ethnographic film have not altered in any substantial manner. Having informed the SVA Board in the course of this past year of any new concerns regarding this issue, I do not consider this an item on our agenda during this annual board meeting.
d) Visa Problems
The international and national political climate appears to be deteriorating for reasons of security. That means that there are growing obstacles for those of us trying to cross borders. With respect to ThirdWorld travelers to the USA, the problems may become especially difficult, asembassies may refuse visa to attend professional conferences abroad. Suchappears to have been the case only a few weeks ago, when Chinese visualanthropologists hoping to present an ethnographic film was unable to securevisa to attend to this year’s AAA meetings in Washington DC. (slated to be screened Saturday, 12:10).
e) Publicity -
I sent an email listing of all SVA related sessions to all SVA members for whom I had email addresses for, about 350 people. The information was also placed on the SVA web site at VAR, which is linked to the AAA web site.
These are cost effective ways to reach many members and we expect to make further use of this approach.
f) Media workshop
I have agreed to have the SVA fund one of the Executive Board members (Peter, who is taking Najwa’s place) to attend the AAA-sponsored media workshop.
g) Food Catering
Because our board meeting starts during dinner time and is immediately followed by our business meeting, the Executive Board members agreed that catering a modest meal was in order.
Summary of Motions
|
Najwa Adra |
Peter Biella (Secretary) |
|
John Bishop |
Thomas D. Blakely |
|
Steven C. Caton |
Cynthia Close |
|
Dana Culhane |
Sarah Elder |
|
Marcelo Fiorini |
Jay Gabriel |
|
Faye Ginsburg |
Carol Hermer (President) |
|
Jeff Himpele |
Harald Prins (Outgoing President) |
|
Mary Strong |
Marilyn Thomas‑Houston (Treasurer) |
|
Joan Williams |
Anne Zeller |
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