Category: Emerging Conservation Professionals

The ECPN is collecting case studies about conservation outreach and we hope those emerging conservators who read this blog would contribute their stories or case studies.

Please include information in the comments section of this post, case studies could include:

• Public conservation treatments
• Speaking about conservation to collectors, museum visitors, students, etc.
• Involving the community in a conservation project
• Using social media to reach out about conservation including blogging, facebook, twitter, flickr, and how these sites are helpful to stay connected to conservators and non-conservators alike
• Advocating for conservation by contacting Congressional representatives
• Reaching out to related museum or arts associations to build networking groups and connect with professionals in related fields

The topics could also include basic ‘How to’ information like:

• How to write a blog post
• How to run a Facebook group as an admin
• How to write a press release for a conservation project
• How to organize a happy hour (Northern Californian Conservators – I am looking at you)
• How to explain conservation to a four-year-old, a teenager, a professional in a similar field, a museum visitor

I am looking forward to hearing more of your thoughts and stories/case studies about conservation outreach!

~Rose Cull

EXTENDED SUBMISSION DEADLINE, please see details below…

The Emerging Conservation Professionals Network seeks three new committee members:

Chair, Vice-Chair, and Outreach Coordinator

The Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) works with various AIC committees to address the needs of conservation professionals with fewer than 7 years of experience. This includes pre-program students, graduate students, and recent graduates. The committee seeks to increase participation in AIC amongst emerging conservators.

The chair position coordinates monthly conference calls, writes agendas for these calls, oversees projects like: the mentoring program, the student research repository, and is responsible for editing all published material about the group. The chair represents the committee to the board of directors and at the Internal Advisory Group meeting, and collaborates on projects with other AIC committees and with representatives from conservation graduate programs. This position holds a term of two years.

The vice-chair is a new position that will oversee all of the ECPN activities at the AIC annual meeting (ECPN informational meeting, happy hour, portfolio session, and any new activities) and the yearly ANAGPIC meeting (there is a speaker each year from the ECPN who attends the ANAGPIC meeting). The vice-chair will also be a logical candidate for taking over the chair position after their one-year term.

The outreach coordinator is in charge of all social media communication including the ECPN blog, Facebook page, Flickr site, and other projects that involve outreach and communications. The outreach coordinator works closely with the communications coordinator, currently Amy Brost. The outreach coordinator may also take over the chair position after completion of a one-year term.

The ECPN communicates primarily via email correspondence and monthly conference calls. The committee meets in-person annually at the AIC meeting.

Please submit a brief statement of interest and your resume to Rose Cull, Chair, AIC-ECPN, (roseemilycull@gmail.com) by September 1, 2011.

Questions about committee activities can be directed to Rose, or ECPN’s current outreach coordinator: Heather Brown (hnmbrown@yahoo.com)

For more information about the ECPN see: www.conservation-us.org/emerging.

When I first emailed Melissa asking if she was interested in meeting up to talk shop about being a pre-program student I was excited to talk with one person. Little did I know, once we both put the word out we would have a group of thirteen!

Our group was so well diversified that all curious questions were answered and if no one knew the answer then there was someone they knew who could help. We made introductions and expressed what we were most interested in. It was amazing to hear the wide variety of backgrounds that brought us all to this career choice. The most important part was that all different levels of interest attended. From the just curious about what this whole art conservation thing is to third year students at Buffalo in their internships and a graduate of the NYU program. We had several who just finished chemistry requirements and are prepping to apply this upcoming winter to others who are working at obtaining lab hours. It was great to meet so many new people and to learn about different programs and internships.

We really encourage others to put the word out in your area and see who responds. It was a great learning experience and a way to meet others who are in the same boat as you. You get to hear stories of others and form a group of associates to reach out to if you ever have questions. We are definitely planning more meetings in the future. In fact, as a result of this meeting many professional conservators have expressed interest in getting to know the emerging conservators of the Bay Area. We will be coordinating a meeting where emerging and professionals can come together in the future.

– Melissa Stone & Jennifer Martinez

PACA has been working hard this summer to develop our organization and plan events for the fall. We will be distributing PACA’s Bylaws and Officer Descriptions and a working calendar for the rest of 2011 shortly. In the meanwhile, for those of you who were unable to attend, please find Christie Romano’s summary of our event in May that featured Sam Anderson below. Photos of the event are also on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63294574@N03/

All the best,
PACA
__________________________________________

PACA Inaugural Event Summary, Christie Romano

On May 24th, 2011, the Philadelphia Area Conservation Association (PACA) held its first event at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The evening’s guest speakers were Samuel Anderson and Eddie Gormley from Samuel Anderson Architects NYC whose talk was titled “Rules and Wisdom of Conservation Lab Design with Insights into Museum Expansion Projects.”

The architects discussed conservation lab renovations completed at the MOMA, the Morgan Library & Museum, Harvard University’s Library, the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, as well as projects within the Gardner Museum and the Barnes Foundation. Sam and Eddie shared insights into designing paper, paintings, objects, textiles, and analytical spaces for conservators by gathering information regarding conservators’ needs and challenges, visiting surrounding labs, working to create sustainability plans, and finally executing renovations based on the input received and institutional stipulations. A reception, sponsored by George Blood Audio & Video, followed in the Mosaic Gallery. The event was well-attended with almost 50 attendees coming from various local institutions and backgrounds. Many of the attendees shared ideas and enthusiasm for future meetings.

16-17 September 2011

IIC is delighted to announce a new international conference for
students and emerging conservators. ‘Conservation: Futures and
Responsibilities’ will focus on the relationship between
conservation education and the actualities of conservation in
practice. Its aim will be to offer an international perspective and
to facilitate communication between students and emerging
conservators on the one hand and, on the other, professionals active
in the field of conservation in national institutions and museums as
well as in the private sector. The themes discussed will be
supported by visits to some of central London’s conservation
studios, at both not-for-profit cultural institutions and
conservation businesses.

The presentations will be held in the form of collaborative Live Web
Broadcasts, in IIC’s familiar Round Table format, which will allow
an international community of speakers and participants to join the
conference, either in person or on-line. Participants, including
those attending via the web, will be able to ask questions and join
in the debate.

IIC will be launching a new page with booking details very
shortly–keep an eye on

www.iiconservation.org

Graham Voce
Executive Secretary
International Institute for Conservation
of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC)
6 Buckingham Street
London WC2N 6BA
UK
+44 20 7839 5975
Fax: +44 20 7976 1564

Repost from Nicole Peters, IMA Scholar Objects & Variable Art Summer Intern.

http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2011/07/13/art-color-and-gloss/

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Hi! I’m Ana Alba and I’ve been asked by Heather Brown to contribute to the ECPN blog about our local conservation group here in the DC area! The Washington Conservation Guild has been an important local resource for conservation in the DC area since 1967. I joined as soon as I moved into the area as an intern and now play a more active role in the organization as a Director and soon to be intern coordinator. Heather asked me some specific questions about the organization and I’m glad to tell you a little more about it.

1. When, why and how was the group founded?
WCG was founded in 1967 to promote the increase and exchange of conservation knowledge. There is a wealth of information on the how our group was founded in our September 2007 newsletter. There is a four-newsletter series on the history of the Guild, by decade, starting with that newsletter.

http://cool.conservation-us.org/wcg/docs/news0709.pdf

2. What regions do you cover?
WCG is based in Washington, D.C., and draws its membership primarily from Washington, Maryland, and northern Virginia. Members represent a wide cross-section of the conservation community and allied professions. They work in government, state, and private museums, studios, and laboratories, and other cultural and academic institutions and organizations.

Membership
3. How many members does the group have?
We currently have 230 members.

4. Are there any restrictions on membership?
No. All interested people can join.

5. What is the cost of membership and what does that fee cover?WCG membership benefits include monthly receptions and meetings (October through May), a quarterly newsletter, a membership directory, website and email announcements of local activities and job openings, intern/fellow activities, volunteer opportunities, free admission to special lectures, and reduced registration on WCG-sponsored workshops and events. The membership year runs from July 1 through June 30.

6. Is there a discounted fee for students?
Yes. The student fee is 20.00. Additionally, WCG’s Sidney S. Williston Memorial Fund provides up to five interns/fellows with free membership in the Washington Conservation Guild. Intern supervisors must apply on behalf of the student and in return, elected interns must assist at the monthly meetings and prepare meeting summaries for the upcoming WCG newsletter. (The meeting summaries are also an easy way to add a publication to your CV, by the way.)

7. Are there opportunities for emerging conservators to become more involved?
Definitely! This year Kristin DeGhetaldi was the intern coordinator. I will be replacing her next year and will come up with lots of tour opportunities and visits to local institutions. Also, we try to do monthly happy hour meetings to give local interns a chance to make friends, connect and talk about their experiences. At one of our monthly meetings we host intern talks, where local interns and fellows have the opportunity to present their current research.

Interns and fellows can also volunteer time at WCG’s Angels Projects. Angels Projects are created to pair local collections that need assistance with local conservators. This past November the WCG Angels took over the National Park Seminary to re-house, document and archive paper records belonging to the group Save Our Seminary (SOS)! This non-profit organization is a dedicated group of volunteers, who bring public awareness to the National Park Seminary through tours, research, public lectures and more. It’s a great opportunity to get some hands on experience and meet people along the way.

Events
8. What kinds of events do you hold and how often?
The Washington Conservation Guild holds meetings from October through May each year, usually on the first Thursday of the month from approximately 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. Most meetings are held at metro-accessible cultural institutions in the D.C. area. Meetings usually consist of a social hour (with hors d’oeuvres and drinks) followed by an illustrated lecture or tour of interest to conservation professionals. Meetings are free of charge to members, $5 for non-members.

Outreach
9. Would any of your members be interested in joining the ECPN mentoring program?
Probably. Having met with and worked with many of the WCG members and knowing they’ve helped train many interns and fellows along the way, I’m sure that they would be open to this sort of one-on-one mentorship program. In any case, a friendly email can get you a long way. WCG members are generally very helpful and full of good advice.

10. What is the most special thing about your guild?

Few places in the world have this many museums in such close proximity to one another and this means… you guessed it… lots of conservators. Members aren’t only from institutions. WCG brings together conservators in private practice, conservation scientists, or other related specialists. The atmosphere that this provides fosters sharing ideas, collaboration, talking about projects, and networking.

Much of the information I provided in this overview was taken from the WCG website: http://cool.conservation-us.org/wcg/

Additional questions can be directed to me at a-alba@nga.gov

Thanks for this opportunity to share!