What's in a Logo? Tucson Conference 2016

Members of the conference committee are pleased to launch the logo for the upcoming meeeting in Tuscon, March 16-19th, 2016. The logo features an O'odham woman pulling down fruits from a giant saguaro cactus as a white-winged dove perches alongside the much loved fruits. Suzy Fish is credited for the idea of the logo based on the many stories that accompany the culturally important harvest of saguaro; for example, the wine made from the fruit is central to the summer rain making ceremonies.

© Paul Mirocha 2015

Minnesota born, and Tucson adoptee, Paul Mirchoa works on Tumamoc Hill, "I follow saguaros closely and love the traditions. [I have] harvested saguaros myself." Paul's accurately stunning protrayal of plants, gardens, landscapes and animals are an obvious fit for the time-honoured tradition of a creative conference logo design. A scroll through Paul's various illustrations will leave any ethnobiologist aweing their intricate detail and his authentic ode to traditional drawings.  

Like many of us, Paul's love affair with plants began early in life - as the son of a plant pathologist and with his naturally curious lens, Paul was brought face to face with a geometrically complex and beautiful fern leaf. As his daughter Anna notes, "ever since then, Paul has been devoted to rendering the intricacies of the natural and human worlds, finding in his subjects both scientific interest and aesthetic appeal."

To find ou more about Paul's fantastic work visit his website.

And stay tuned for more information on the 39th Annual Conference in Tucson, AZ, March 16-19.