Western Ship Model Conference and Exhibit Comes to Newport Beach, March 29 to April 3, 2011

The 7^th Western Ship Model Conference and Exhibit (WSMCE) will be held in Newport Beach from March 29 to April 3, 2011. This is the largest gathering of builders of highly detailed model ships and their ship models on the Pacific Coast. The Western Ship Model Conference and Exhibit is an international event with participants coming from Europe and Asia as well as throughout the Americas. This event also attracts large numbers of spectators who appreciate the art such detailed ship models represent.

This is the first time the Western Ship Model Conference and Exhibit has come to Newport Beach. The exhibit of models will be located at the historic Balboa Pavilion, 400 Main Street, Balboa, California 92661. The Conference events will be held just a few steps away at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum on April 1 and 2. The headquarters hotel is the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach will be the site of the banquet and final roundtable discussion on Sunday April 3.

The Exhibit runs for five days and will display hundreds of ship models covering all historical eras as well as contemporary vessels. Models of this caliber are truly three-dimensional works of art. Many of these small-scale replicas feature the same construction techniques, materials, and detail as the original, full sized, vessel.

The Conference portion of the event will feature technical presentations and seminars by world-renowned experts and academics involved with maritime art, maritime archeology, historical research, and preservation of historic vessels. Programs to improve the skills and techniques of model builders will also be made and well attended.

The public is also invited to come to the Pavilion and appreciate this unique display of the art of model building. Past events have seen large numbers of appreciative spectators attend the Exhibition. There is a small admission charge for spectators.

For conference registration, please contact: [email protected]. You may also visit our website at: http://www.shipmodelersassociation.org.

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