SETIcon II: Guest Blogger Danielle Futselaar Takes Us Inside

(Last week guest blogger Danielle Futselaar told us about how she came to be the graphic designer for the SETI Institute’s SETIcon II. I’m delighted that she took the time to write about her experience at the conference and share some photos. Take it away, Danielle!) 

 I’m completely exhausted! All the impressions, and meeting all those great people overwhelming me with attention, but let me start at the beginning.

Greetings from SETI

Friday evening I stumbled in at the Hyatt Hotel after a BBQ with friends, so I was a tad late for the opening party. After I had settled into my room, I went down to the lobby where I met so, so many people from the SETI Institute; Karen Randall, Edna DeVore, Franck Marchis (finally 🙂 ), and many, many more. And seeing my work 8000 km away from home and meeting these great people made it real and worthwhile. Everything I had been working for, for those many months finally had meaning and purpose; this had been the moment I had been working so hard for.

SETIcon II: THE Event

Saturday and Sunday were incredible days. I mean, there was so much going on. I could have sat in the lobby for hours, watching the diverse group of people walk by, a melting pot of attendees, astronomers, scientists, writers, actors, etc., that alone was such a joy for me. But listening to the panels (some were so crowded that people had to stand in the hallway) was fun and very intellectually stimulating.

The Gala Dinner honoring Jill Tarter was amazing and I was speechless as I watched her receive the drawing the SETI Institute asked me make. She’s a very sweet and humane woman, someone truly worthy of admiration. Another highlight was the interview Andrew Fraknoi conducted with Frank Drake during Sunday’s lunch.

Personally, all of my illustrations sold in the auction and you can imagine how happy that made me. But when it came time for my first-ever panel discussion, about “Artists Imagining Exoplanets: Getting it Right” (in English!! I’m Dutch), I was brain-melting and armpit-gushing nervous! Somehow I managed to get through it, though I’m not sure how. Afterwards, I received many thanks for all the work I had done. It all was overwhelming and beautiful.

How About Some Photos?

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Debriefing

Tuesday morning I joined the SETIcon II committee for a debriefing about the conference. We discussed the pros and cons, and this is what I believe: this was only the second SETIcon, but this is a growing event. The SETI Institute proves itself again and again as pioneers of bringing science to the public, and here’s another instance of that. This event will continue to grow and become more extraordinary. If you’re at all interested in astronomy or this big question—is there life somewhere in the universe besides earth–I really encourage you to attend the next SETIcon, because one really must EXPERIENCE it, it’s pretty mindblowing!

Lastly

I am grateful that I could be a part of this whole experience, and I hope I can continue my association with the SETI Institute, because I made some really great new friends and met some really nice people. But no matter what happens next, this is a memory I will take with me for the rest of my life.

Danielle

Postscript

Here’s a recent Facebook status I lifted with Danielle’s permission

OK, I am going to have to tell this… This morning I was at the “aftermath” SETIcon II meeting at the SETI Institute. When I said my goodbye at the end of the meeting (being the second after Seth to leave the meeting) I got applause from all of the committee… Of course I hope that was not for leaving the meeting (joke 😉 ), but for what I have done for them… I left with pride and hope to keep on being involved, one way or another….

(Danielle Futselaar is a graphic designer and illustrator and owner of ArtSource Graphic Design. She has been — for a year now — the volunteer graphic designer for the SETI Institute. She lives in Arnhem, Netherlands.)