The closest airport to the Hyatt Regency Reston is the Dulles International Airport, which is about a 10-minute ride by car. The hotel does not have a shuttle from the airport taxis, shared ride services and rental cars are easily available from the airport. The hotel has discounted overnight self-parking at $10.00 per night during event dates.

Starting on Thursday, May 8 at 4:00pm come to the foyer of the Regency Ballroom. You will pick up your name badge, and the Art Materials Exhibition Hall will be open. Check the back of your plastic name badge holder for your tickets. Make sure you wear your name badge at all times during the conference as you will need it to enter classes or the General Sessions.

The Expo Hall's Grand Opening is on Thursday at 4:00pm with a wide variety of art materials and services. Hours are:

Thursday: 4:00pm-7:30pm | Friday: 10:00am-5:30pm | Saturday: 10:00am-5:00pm Sunday: 8:30am-12:30pm

Exhibitors this year are: Artefex, Blick Art Materials, Chelsea Classical Studio Fine Art Materials, General Pencil Company, Golden Artist Colors, Jack Richeson & Co., MacPherson’s Art, Michael Harding Handmade Paints, New Wave Fine Art Products, Raymar, Richard Schmid Publications, Rosemary & Co., Silver Brush Limited, smART Coach, Workshops in France, and Workshops in Yorkshire

Yes, we will be offering books and book signings by the following artists: Friday, 12:30pm (during lunch break): Virgil Elliott, Rose Frantzen and Mary Whyte. Saturday, 12:30pm (during lunch break): James Gurney, Huihan Liu, and Oliver Sin. Sunday, 10:30am: Michael Shane Neal. You will be able to purchase books shortly before and during the book signings.

The top 19 artworks from the International Portrait Competition will be on display in Lake Anne, right outside the Grand Ballroom. Don’t forget to place your vote for the People’s Choice award before Saturday at 2:00pm in the ballot box inside Lake Anne. You will receive your ballot when you pick up your name badge.

Among one of the most popular programs at the conference are the individual portfolio critiques, which will be held in the Regency Foyer. Take advantage of the artists who have generously agreed to critique portfolios during the Friday and Saturday lunch hour from 12:30-2:00pm. Feel free to share your artwork for critiques by either a physical portfolio notebook or electronically on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

A fast-paced and exciting event featuring donated artwork offered for a fixed price of $275! Our 6x9: Limited Size, Unlimited Talent Mystery Art Sale will take place Friday night, May 9, in the Grand Ballroom. Doors open for viewing at 5:30pm and the sale will begin at 6:00pm. The work being offered is created by past and current faculty, Gold Medal recipients and other award winners. The surprise comes after purchase when the buyer discovers whose painting they have acquired.

Yes, through the generosity of the artists participating in the Face-Off event, we are offering their demonstration artwork for purchase through a silent auction. It will be held immediately following the 6x9 Art Sale and the last bid will be accepted at 6:30pm on Friday. If we have active bidding right up to the 6:30pm deadline, we will go to a live auction to complete the sale. Funds raised from the auction will be used to support our scholarship program. 

There will be a Cocktail Reception with a cash bar from 6:00pm-7:00pm in the Conservatory downstairs. Doors open at 7:00pm for banquet seating. If you purchased a ticket, it will be in your name badge. Remember to bring the ticket with you to the Grand Ballroom. For a reserved seat, come to the Volunteer desk next to Registration on Friday between 8:00am-4:00p and Saturday between 8:00a-2:00p. Bring your ticket as well as others you would like to sit with, and we will reserve a table for you and attach your reserved seat to your ticket. 

There are a number of dining options available inside the Hyatt Regency Reston as well as the Regency Town Center. 

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•  Breakfast:  The hotel is offering a Grab-n-Go cash sales breakfast in the Conservatory each morning at 7:30am. Breakfast Items offered will include: Assorted Granola Bars, Seasonally Inspired Whole Breakfast Bowl, Assorted Bakeries, Greek Yogurt Parfait with Granola and Fruit Compote. Beverages offered: Regular Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee, Hot Tazo Tea Selection, Assorted Bottled Juices, Chilled, Regular, Diet and Decaffeinated Pepsi Soft Drinks, Still and Sparkling Water.

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•    Zippy Lunches will be available for pre-order and purchased on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Order forms will be available in the Ballroom Foyer each day to be turned in at 10am. Guests' names will be labeled on boxes to be picked up at 12:30pm. You will be able to pick up your lunches downstairs in the Conservatory. Zippy Lunch meal options will be provided soon.​​

•    Other Options: There are over 25 restaurants within walking distance, at a variety of prices and cuisine, including Potbelly’s Sandwich Shop, Sweetgreen, Morton’s Steakhouse, Starbucks, North Italia, and PassionFish.

Yes, buses leave for the National Portrait Gallery at 1:00pm.  If you have pre-purchased a ticket for the Sunday Bus Trip, your ticket(s) will be in your name badge.  Please be outside the lobby entrance of the Hyatt by 12:45pm on Sunday to start loading. Currently the bus trip is sold out, any available bus tickets will be posted on the bulletin board in the Registration area. If you pre-purchase a Zippy lunch for Sunday, please pick up your lunch in the ballroom foyer before loading on the bus. Buses will return to the hotel after 6:00pm.

If you register for the virtual conference, you will:

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Have access to live-stream all of the presentations and demonstrations that take place on the Mainstage in the Grand Ballroom.

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• Thursday: Live broadcast of one artist at the Face-off

• Friday’s General Sessions: Keys to Understanding: The Mouth, Nose, and Eyes with Robert Liberace, Alicia N. Ponzio and Dan Thompson AND Bringing Your Creative Vision to Life with Michelle Dunaway

• Friday’s breakout session: Dual Visions: A Portrait Demonstration in Color and Structure with Quang Ho and Kevin Macpherson

• 6x9: Unlimited Size, Unlimited Talent - A Mystery Art Sale

• Saturday’s General Sessions: Anatomy Essentials: How the Head Connects to the Neck, and More with Shane Wolf AND Capturing Youth: The Art of Painting the Childs’s Portrait with Timothy Rees and Adrienne Stein

• Saturday’s breakout class: Mastering Alla Prima: Exploring the Upper Torso and Movement with Huihan Liu (Moderated by Oliver Sin)

• GALA BANQUET and AWARDS PROGRAM

• Sunday’s General Session: Which Way to Go? With Rose Frantzen and Scott Burdick (Moderator: Quang Ho)​​​

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Because we are not set up to film outside the Grand Ballroom, the other breakout sessions or the Pre-Conference Workshops are not available. For an additional fee for artists attending in-person or virtual, you can purchase 90 days of unlimited access.