The California Preservation Foundation, in partnership with Napa County Landmarks, will present its 33rd annual statewide conference in Napa Valley, April 23-26, 2008. The theme for the conference is Balance and Complexity: The Vineyard and Beyond.
Balance and Complexity will bring together over 500 state-wide educators, museum directors, Native American groups, architects, engineers, historians, authors, librarians, city and government staff, and the public. This broad attendee base will explore critical statewide historic preservation issues while also looking at historic landscapes within the Napa Valley.
The three day conference will feature over 40 sessions and workshops to highlight Napa Valley’s agricultural, historic and cultural legacy as well as addressing the integration of green sustainability within a historical context. Attendees may choose many different educational seminars, from study tours held at unique architectural wineries, gardens, caves and once renowned resorts to pertinent workshops held in historic venues, or, listen to a variety of panels.
Plenary session speaker James Conaway is an acclaimed author of ten books including The Far Side of Eden: New Money, Old Land and the Battle for Napa Valley, The Smithsonian: 150 Years of Adventure, Napa: The Story of an American Eden and his latest book, Vanishing America. Mr. Conaway is the editor at large for Preservation magazine as well as writing articles for numerous other magazines.
Balance and Complexity will explore critical questions such as: How did we come to the unique cultural landscape now known as Napa Valley and how do we successfully and sustainably build upon that tradition for the future? What was Napa like long before the world famous wine producing locale it is today? What traditions and landscapes have been lost? Are there tools, policies or strategies to preserve the past while looking to the future?
From an examination of local Native American cultures to agricultural transitions and on to Napa’s unique architectural evolution, the conference will explore what is historically and culturally unique about Napa Valley. “Napa Valley is an ideal location for this event because of it’s diverse cultural influences, it’s extraordinary array of landmark structures and the unparalleled natural beauty which provide a backdrop to showcase local issues of statewide importance,” Cindy Heitzman, President California Preservation Foundation.
A sampling of the many tours and workshops are:
- Green and Historic
- Conserving Vintage Materials
- Future Landmarks of Napa Valley
- Sustainable Agriculture and Cave Design
- Native American Cultural Landscapes
- Historic Resorts of Napa Valley
- Financing Preservation
- Resources and organizations within the state of California to help with preservation efforts
- Mare Island tour and examination
- Preservation Fundamentals
The conference will have a Bookstore and a Preservation Practice and Products Exhibit Hall showcasing relevant books, authors and products.
The California Preservation Conference is the Foundation’s annual flagship conference held every April where a California city or town is chosen to hold this significant event. Each year the conference showcases a unique, regional landscape while presenting forums for state preservation leaders to present educational sessions and current historic preservation issues.
The California Preservation Foundation, founded in 1976, is California's only statewide non-profit historic preservation education, advocacy and membership organization. It is the mission of the California Preservation Foundation to provide statewide leadership, advocacy and education to ensure the protection of California’s diverse cultural heritage and historic places.