Convention is a great way to get together with fellow enthusiasts for events and activities beyond those provided as part of the convention! On this page, you can find activities organized by members for members to take place at Convention. If you've got an announcement, send it to the website team at website [at] origamiusa.org and we'll add it to this list.

On this page:

  • Invitation to OMG-NYC
  • Self-guided Paper Tour
  • Twitter: #ousa2015
  • Pin Trade
  • Artist Trading Card Swap

Invitation to OMG-NYC for either our Tuesdays or Thursdays meetings

Arriving to New York earlier than the convention? Interested in getting as much time as possible for folding and socializing with other Origami-like minded people? Then come to a weekly meeting of the Origami Meet Up Group for New York (OMG-NY).

We officially begin at 7:30pm at either Argo Tea (75 University Place @ 11th Street near Union Square) for Tuesday or Cosi (700 6th Ave - between 23 & 22nd) on Thursday, and stay for a couple of hours. Folders of all levels are invited to come and meetup! Any questions – contact me at animemiz [at] gmail.com specifically with a subject line that says "Origami Meetup"

Self-guided paper tour

Linda Yau has put together a self-guided paper tour. A great way to spend Friday day before the evening activities!

Twitter: #ousa2015

Soon it is to be that weekend again! Last year this idea was implemented, and this year it will be tried again. Share your experiences and possibly photos on the social media with Facebook or Twitter and the usage of hashtags. Twitter as a platform is a text byte in 140 characters and less. So this year I am proposing the hash tag for this convention to be #ousa2015. So anytime during this weekend convention, you've felt like you want to say something that would be great, you can say a message, share a photo or video and then hashtag it. That way it will create a kind of digital folds of paper, origami, memories and passion anywhere. Also hash tagging it would ensure that a group of similar posts will appear. Tip to make it probably not seem as niche as I believe this subject is… add an additional hashtag for #origami.

Any questions, comments or feedback, can be made to @animemiz - just remember to hashtag it with #ousa2015!

Pin Trade

Official Un-Official Official OrigamiUSA 2015 PIN Exchange (The event that's not an event…)

Hey Folks… It's PIN-marvelous time again! Lets make some really awesome, cool, jaw dropping origami PINS to wear and impress everyone at Manhattan College and beyond! Let them all know that Origami Mania is happening! Express yourself with your PIN-tastic artwork! Anything goes! Lots of fun and blings along the way!

This year's event will be a bit different from last year's (which was organized by our own fabulous Shrikant Iyer). We have a new convention home, Manhattan College… a calmer, more peaceful tree abundant atmosphere. No PIN-damonium pressure allowed!

The amount of PINS you create is up to you… make as many or as little as you want. The more you make, the more you get to trade. Making PINS is about making our origami visible and bringing people into the fold!!!

There will be no PIN workshop, but there will be PIN-making supplies set out at a table in the hospitality room for all those last minute PIN-sters.

Pin Exhibit – will be mobile this year. It will consist of PIN-sters walking, proudly strutting our stuff, parading, dancing around campus displaying our PIN-delightful creations and singing the origami song (last part optional).

There is No Formal PIN Exchange Event – People can trade informally (which we do anyway) everywhere and anywhere we want. A gathering area will be arranged at lunchtime on Saturday and/or Sunday for those who may feel awkward about approaching soon to be friends (or those who do not like the idea of chasing after people with sharp objects). Time and location TBA.

There is no remote trading, unless you have a friend who is willing to bring your "PIN-credibles" and trade them for you.

There is no Facebook page to join or for posting sneak-peeks of our PIN-derful creations. "Let's be surprised!" More information about this trade (as it comes in) will be posted here. But please feel free to spread the world on all forms of social media. If you have any questions or would like to add something, contact me; Margaret Wong at engcocards [at] hotmail.com

Pictures of some of last year's PIN-spiring creations can be found on Leyla Torres website OrigamiSpirit.

Tenth Artist Trading Card Swap at the OUSA Convention 2015

Introduction

What are Artist Trading Cards (ATC)? Historically they've been handmade sets of cards made by a group of artists who trade their cards ending up with new sets of cards with one card from each artist. Originally these cards did not involve origami until Jean Baden-Gillette and MaryAnn Scheblein-Dawson introduced "origami" ATCs to the OUSA convention in 2006.

Origami ATCs are the same size as non-origami ATCs and baseball trading cards (2.5 x 3.5 inches or 64 x 89mm). However, these must have actual origami as part of it and be able to fit in a trading card plastic sleeve which limits the overall thickness.

Our swap recognizes the spirit of the original ATC Swap at OUSA by keeping it more personal and why we are limiting it to only attendees of the 2015 OUSA convention. The way this trade will work is I must receive all the sets beforehand to include in the exhibition and to collate all individual sets. Later we will try to actually get together as a group to meet, trade and catch up with fellow ATC swappers. As well as receive your collated sets.

NOTE: Unfortunately this ATC swap will not have "remote" trading per se: in other words, you can send your set in but you should not expect a traded set to be sent back by us, due to prohibitive costs and coordination of shipping and handling. However, you can designate an attendee of this year's convention to be responsible for your cards – your ATC proxy. So international and remote participants should coordinate on their own with an OUSA Convention 2015 attendee to return their ATCs.

Please read these guidelines for participation.

General Information

  1. Anyone who is serious about making ATCs may participate in this ATC Swap. But you must register by Monday, June 15, 2015 and you will receive an email confirmation afterwards within 48 hours.
  2. There is no official design theme for this swap. You have creative control!
  3. NEW NEWS: An official set consists of 18 cards this year. And you may make extra sets!
  4. Each official set must be received before or no later than Wednesday, June 17, 2015, by mail, courier service or hand delivery.
  5. One of a set's 18 cards will be kept for the official collection and the exhibition. It will be replaced with an official Tenth ATC Swap title card for each collated set.
  6. There will be no remote swapping per se which involve sets being mailed in and traded sets being mailed back. (See REGISTRATION for the swappers who are NOT ATTENDING the convention)
  7. We will meet at the convention to receive traded sets, meet each other and to "talk swap".
  8. The group swap location will be announced by email and at the convention and we will meet on Saturday, June 20, 7:00 PM
  9. Registered participants will receive periodic emails about the ATC swap, tips on ATCs and updates.
  10. Unofficial and private swapping of ATCs is encouraged, whether it's extras from this swap or other cards you have or with last minute artists.
  11. You will receive an official ATC button to wear at the convention so other artists can identify and swap with you. How you get a button will be announced by email and at the convention. Usually if you find me, I can probably give it to you then!
  12. Cards for this Tenth ATC Swap will be on display at the OUSA convention exhibition gallery with the name of the artist, the creator(s) of the model and artist comments.

Registration

  1. To register, email Talo Kawasaki at talokatcswap [at] earthlink.net Please include your name, email address and mobile phone number.
  2. The deadline for registration is Monday, June 15, 2015. Please respect this deadline and if you're late or don't register, there's no guarantee your cards will be accepted officially.
  3. If you register but are NOT ATTENDING the convention, you can arrange for someone you know who is attending the OUSA Convention and agrees to be responsible for your cards. Their name and contact information (email address and mobile phone) must be included as part of registration. Whomever you designate as your ATC proxy must contact me at the convention by noon, Saturday, June 20 in person ideally (or by mobile phone) and arrange retrieval of your traded cards.
  4. If you are registered but for any reason need to cancel your participation, please contact me as soon as possible.

Cards

  1. Official sets consists of 18 cards: 2.5 x 3.5 inches or 64 x 89 mm. You are strongly encouraged to make extras for private swaps, in case you don't get someone else's official entries.
  2. No official theme. Follow your own creative desires.
  3. Your ATCs must include origami or be an origami folded card.
  4. Please include on the back of the card a label with this info:
    • Name of the artist
    • Location of the artist
    • email address
    • Name of the origami creator(s) – Please respect their creativity!
    • Title of the card
    • Edition number of card, i.e. 1/18, 2/18, 3/18 etc.
    • Event: Tenth ATC Swap @ OUSA Convention 2015
    • Date: June 20, 2015
  5. For the exhibition display, please include a small 100-word "artist notes" or commentary about your ATC with your set. (Optional)
  6. Please protect each card with a plastic card sleeve and respect your masterpieces.
  7. Please package your participating set in a ziplock plastic bag or similar.
  8. Mail your ATC set (ideally in a padded envelope) to:
    Talo Kawasaki
    ATC SWAP
    270 Clinton Street
    Brooklyn, NY 11201
    USA
    Phone: 917.733.6563
  9. If you have designated an ATC proxy at the convention to be responsible for your cards, please include their name, email address and mobile phone number. This will help ensure you get your set of traded cards.
  10. ATCs must be received before or no later than Wednesday, June 17, 2015, by mail, courier service or hand delivery. This will allow time for your card to be displayed at the exhibition gallery on Friday, June 19th, and be collated for the swap.

Deadlines

  • Registration– by Monday, June 15, 2015
  • Mailed set received– by Wednesday, June 17, 2015
  • Designated ATC proxy– must contact me by Saturday, June 20, 2015, noon
  • Swap Meet up– Saturday, June 20, 7-8 pm • Location TBD

Contact Information

Talo Kawasaki
talokatcswap [at] earthlink.net
Mobile: 917.733.6563