Having come from a background of primarily low-level GPU software development, the “why” of the specific stream of requests being sent to the software I was writing never really occurred to me. For example, I could poke registers and issue commands to make a red triangle appear at a specific location on the screen but not understand why that red triangle needed to be there right at that moment in time — fleeting milliseconds. This notion that everything is about storytelling is one tangible idea SIGGRAPH has imprinted on my thinking of what I do professionally. Sitting in a SIGGRAPH jury room with artists and other creators deliberating conference submissions crystalized this concept. I previously had glimpses into partial explanations of the “why” — e.g., because there is a red car in the scene — but that experience led me to strive for the complete “why.” What story is being told that not only places the red car in the scene, but all of the other objects too? What unfolds over time? The whole point is the story!
We are a community of storytellers. Our entire organization, its members, as well as the artists, researchers, animators, and developers who attend ACM SIGGRAPH sponsored events are storytellers. The members of the SIGGRAPH community support one another with peer expertise and resources to empower each member to tell their story. We often feel it most when we are attending one of the many wonderful ACM SIGGRAPH events, whether it is SIGGRAPH in August or one of the more specialized conferences throughout the year. We are first and foremost a community, a community that strives for inclusion … in the words of my predecessor Elizabeth Baron, “SIGGRAPH is for everyone!”
The ACM SIGGRAPH Executive Committee (EC) is the steward of our community. The EC has a strategic vision with three fundamental pillars — volunteerism, membership, and online events. Elizabeth Baron has covered these extensively in her last essay, and I recommend reading it. In short, we view our current and future membership, our volunteers, and our events — in-person, hybrid, and virtual — as the crucial pieces to the health and stability of our organization moving forward. That has been the EC’s position over the past year or two, and I have no plans to alter that course. My goal is to further these efforts rather than introduce new strategic initiatives. Community building around the design and digital twin spaces is a new initiative that directly supports the current strategic pillars. I encourage everyone to please check out the year round ACM SIGGRAPH programming and see what inspires you. Maybe even sign up to volunteer with one of the committees that shepherds the efforts around them.
While ACM SIGGRAPH was around for a bit before we started sponsoring events, this August is a very special anniversary for the SIGGRAPH Conference. We are looking very forward to the 50th SIGGRAPH Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques.
SIGGRAPH Asia 2022 will be held in Daegu. This will be a great opportunity for participants to experience Korean culture. The keynote speaker is Dr. Luc Julia (CSO, Renault Group).
Thank you all for being a part of our ACM SIGGRAPH community!
Jesse Barker,
ACM SIGGRAPH Executive Committee Chair