It's hard to believe, but once again, SIGGRAPH is right around the corner.
The trade show and exhibition has called many cities around the country home for this event, and last year, Canada welcomed attendees back to Vancouver for the second time. This year, though, SIGGRAPH will be returning to its home base of sorts, Los Angeles.
Here CGW Chief Editor Karen Moltenbrey chats with Marc Barr, the 2015 SIGGRAPH chair, about his connection with this important event. For an interview with Barr about what to expect at the show this year, see the Editor's Note in the July/August 2015 issue of CGW.)
How does this year's theme resonate with you on a personal level?
The main thing that has kept me involved with SIGGRAPH is the diversity of people and ideas. I've always found the most interesting things happen at the edges and intersections of culture.
SIGGRAPH is one of the places where there is equal value placed on the sciences and arts, and how the technology brings them all together.
How has SIGGRAPH influenced you personally and professionally?
When I was a student and as an educator, I always found myself equally interested in various areas. It honestly not only caused me problems as a student, but in academia, as well. SIGGRAPH is one of the few places I've discovered that this diversity is valued. All you have to do is take a look to your left and right at our attendees and you'll just as likely see an artist as you will a computer scientist or engineer.
SIGGRAPH is a place where I have been educated, informed and inspired.
Professionally, my involvement with SIGGRAPH has been highly respected and valued by the department I teach for at my university.
I have been able to get a number of faculty and students involved, and my department chair, having had a long career in film and television, has been an attendee and always been a supporter.
It has afforded me the opportunity to meet and work with an incredible assortment of talented and creative people from across the globe that otherwise I would not have had.
On a combination personal/professional level, I have the total pleasure of working with on my committee people who I've known since they were just out of high school, who were students of mine when they were in undergraduate school and now have very successful careers of their own. For an academic, that is very worthwhile.
What positions have you held with SIGGRAPH?
I have been involved with both the SIGGRAPH organization and various conference committees for 25 years.
My first involvement was as an attendee, and then became involved with its Education Committee. I first served as its booth manager and then was elected director for education. I served on multiple review committees for education-related content.
I served on the sigKIDS committee in 1994 and was its chair in 2000 and 2002. I was chair of the Educators program in 2006 and organized a Teapot Exhibition that year, as well.
I was Education committee chair for a few terms after that, and most recently as conference chair for this year.
What will be some of the highlights?
In addition to the new and continuing venues I mentioned previously, our keynote speaker is Joi Ito, the director of the MIT Media Lab. His school and his own career embody our theme and graphic identity.
We also will be having a Special Session celebrating the 40th anniversary of ILM, hosted by multiple Academy Award-winner Dennis Muren.
I also want everyone to keep an eye out for Paulo Mechado, the Brazilian animator who, although bedridden his entire life, was able to virtually attend our conference for the first time last year through the technology of Double Robotics. He'll be back this year and will be participating in a planned tour of many film, game, and software facilities in the US and Canada.
Why should a person attend?
Unlike many conferences, we don't have single point of focus, such as games or film. We are not only a trade show, but have content in the areas of education, research, arts, and entertainment. If your interests lie in any area related to the use of computer graphics or interactive techniques, this is the one conference where you can see and experience it all.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
It's hard to believe, but once again, SIGGRAPH is right around the corner. 
