Arthur Drooker is the winner of multiple awards for documentary writing and directing, while his keen interest in history and photography has lead to many solo and group exhibitions. He even has a number of publish books, and now he's coming to Merfest to see the sights, sounds and ideas for his latest book project, Conventional Wisdom.

From his website, arthurdrooker.com:

"Each year, according to a Convention Industry Council study, there are 1.8 million conventions, conferences, and trade shows in the United States. These gatherings directly support 1.7 million jobs, $263 billion in spending, and $14.3 billion in federal tax revenue. As impressive as these figures are, they don't interest me as a photographer. I see conventions not as revenue sources but as visual treasures. To me, they're unique expressions of community, culture and connection. That's why I'm attending a dozen conventions--the more unusual and photogenic the better--for a proposed book, Conventional Wisdom."