Tag: networking

Get Ready for AIC's 43rd Annual Meeting, Emerging Conservators!

Hard to believe, but AIC’s 43rd Annual Meeting in Miami, FL is just around the corner! And ECPN wants to make sure you are aware of the many opportunities to get involved and connect as an emerging conservator at the conference. Below, we’ve highlighted just a few of the activities and events that we think will be of particular interest to emerging professionals. Looking forward to seeing you soon in Miami!
**To register for the ticketed events listed below, please visit AIC’s website: http://www.conservation-us.org/annual-meeting/register#.VT_hkMe7lVg

Before you go…
Get your head in the game and take a few minutes to review Tips for Attending Conferences compiled by ECPN for the AIC’s 40th Annual Meeting in 2012. Download this and other resources for emerging conservators from our newly launched page on the AIC Wiki:
http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/File:Tips_for_Conference.pdf
Also, consider signing up to write a blog post or two for Conservators Converse, summarizing a General or Specialty Group Session. This is a great way to engage more deeply in a talk, connect with a speaker, and provide valuable information to colleagues unable to attend the Annual Meeting. If you are interested, sign up for no more than two talks through the Google Docs spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pNEluroUP6aP_Degsdvy0Ns7PMpximU2XDYUkGHia-A/edit?usp=sharing. Contact Rachael Perkins Arenstein, AIC e-Editor, at rachael@amartconservation.com for more information and to receive a log-in for the blog. As an added incentive, everyone who completes two blog entries will be entered in a drawing to win a free 2016 Annual Meeting registration!

Pre-conference Activities
ECPN-CIPP DISCUSSION PANEL ON PRIVATE PRACTICE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 4-6PM
JASMINE
This joint event with the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) and Conservators in Private Practice (CIPP) will feature a panel of speakers, both established and emerging conservators in private practice, who will discuss the benefits, challenges and fine points of establishing a private practice as an emerging conservator. The panelists include: Ana Alba, Cynthia Kuniej-Berry, Lara Kaplan, Stephanie Hornbeck, and Emily McDonald-Korth. After an initial set of moderated discussion topics, there will be time for questions and comments from the audience.
ECPN-CIPP HAPPY HOUR
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13, 6-8PM
JASMINE
The ECPN-CIPP joint discussion panel on private practice will be immediately followed by our annual Happy Hour, allowing attendees to continue conversations and network in a less formal setting.
WIKI WORKSHOP
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 9AM-5PM
ORCHID B-C
The Wiki Workshop will help you get more comfortable with Wikis and also provides a way to give back to our conservation community! Whether you are new to wikis or are looking to learn advanced functions, this workshop will provide guidance, examples, and the opportunity to immediately put into practice what you learn. Basic coding as well as tips for formatting, images, automation, and smoother workflows will be covered. Participants will have an opportunity to practice their new skills on AIC’s Knowledge Base wiki, the Museum of Fine Arts’ CAMEO, NCPTT’s Preservapedia, and SPNHC’s Best Practices wiki, as well as an open “hackathon” for organizing and generating new content. Participants should bring a laptop with wireless capability; plugging strips will be provided.
This is a ticketed event and registration is $39, which includes a boxed lunch.
CIPP WORKSHOP: PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 11AM-3PM
ORCHID
This workshop will focus on three main areas of running a successful private practice: 1) Accurate estimating; 2) Streamlined documentation and billing; and 3) Outreach and marketing update, including tips for producing videos and using blogs.
The workshop will include lots of time for questions and participation and it is intended for both established and emerging conservation professionals. All three subjects are planned for future CIPP webinars as follow up to enhance the learning process and to make the information available to all CIPP members.
This is a ticketed event and registration is $39.00 for CIPP members and $79.00 for non-members, which includes a boxed lunch.
INFLUENCE FOR IMPACT: LEADERSHIP STRATEGIES FOR COLLECTIONS CARE PROFESSIONALS, ORGANIZED BY THE COLLECTIONS CARE NETWORK (CCN)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13, 9AM-4PM
HIBISCUS B
Conservation and collection care professionals are often called on to lead projects without the organizational power to make decisions. Participants will learn influencing skills, situational leadership techniques, and how to use the art of diplomacy to make a personal difference in value for their organizations or clients. Bob Norris, a management consultant who is deeply familiar with conservation issues will be joined by a mid-career collections manager and an emerging conservator to foster discourse about situational leadership at different points in one’s career. Key concepts will be developed through multiple interactive exercises.
This is a ticketed event and registration is $139.

During the Conference
ECPN SPEED NETWORKING LUNCH
SATURDAY, APRIL 16, 12-2PM
RIVERFRONT CENTRAL
Since it was so successful last year, ECPN is hosting a second annual speed networking lunch on Saturday, May 16th, aimed at conservators in all stages of their careers. From 12 -1pm, attendees are invited to lunch and network informally while from 1-2pm they will engage in 15-minute networking sessions to discuss a topic of their choice, which may include research interests, career path advice, or resume review.
Please join us! Signup is available online through AIC’s annual meeting website – when you register by May 1st, you’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire that will allow ECPN to match you with your preferred type of professional. After May 1st, matches that correspond to indicated preferences cannot be guaranteed.
This is a ticketed event and registration is $20, which includes lunch.
ATTEND GENERAL AND SPECIALTY GROUP BUSINESS MEETINGS
We know this means getting up early after a fun night of socializing with colleagues, but it’s worth the effort! Attending business meetings is an important way to stay informed about the state of AIC, your specialty group, and our profession. These meetings will help you better understand how AIC operates and give you an opportunity to express you questions and concerns. And remember, someday it may be you at that podium!
Check your conference program or Sched for specific business meeting times and locations.
CALL FOR NOTETAKERS: LIBRARY COLLECTIONS CONSERVATION DISCUSSION GROUP
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2-3:15PM
TUTTLE/MONROE
This Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group (LCCDG) will explore various methods of outreach. Which channels work best to communicate knowledge and resources? Which best capture community interest? LCCDG is looking for volunteers willing to take notes during the small group discussions during this session. If you are interested in helping out, please contact one of the co-chairs.
Co-chairs, Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group:
Danielle Creech
Associate Conservator and Manger
ECS – Midwest
dcreech@hfgroup.com
Jacqueline Keck
Student and ECPN Liaison
jnknqb@mail.umsl.edu
Anahit Campbell
Book Conservator and Conservation Science Graduate Student
anahitmarina@yahoo.com

Post-conference Activity
ANGELS PROJECT
SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 9AM-4PM
HISTORY MIAMI
History Miami is South Florida’s premier cultural institution committed to gathering, preserving, and celebrating Miami’s history through exhibitions, city tours, education, research, collections, and publications. History Miami’s offsite facility is 12,000 square feet of mixed climate controlled storage space. It houses a variety of the museum’s collections such as the outboard boat and motor collection, aviation collection, archeological materials, and the Whitman Family collection. The building was acquired by the museum in 1990.
The facility is located 15-20 minutes north of the museum and is unstaffed. The goal for the 2015 AIC Angels Project volunteers is to assist in improving the space, and the collections it houses, as well as consulting on ways in which to upgrade the facility conditions. The facility has a high dust level and attendees may be subject to warm environments. To volunteer, please contact Ruth Seyler at rseyler@conservation-us.org.

5 Reasons to Take an Online Course from the FAIC Online Education Program

Many face-to-face and online courses, and many books, describe how to organize and manage a small business. The FAIC Online series is the only information source designed specifically for the community of art and artifact preservation specialists. The courses are led by experienced online teachers who have an intimate knowledge of conservation as well as their subject matter, and are able to provide advice and solutions based in the reality of a conservation practice today.

Not convinced? Here are five reasons to take an online course offered by the FAIC Online Education Program.

Availability and Timeliness

At present, the FAIC Online Education program includes eight courses:

Five different courses are offered each calendar year. You are never more than about eighteen months from the next offering of the course(s) you want to take. (Desperate to know now? Ask about minimum fees and participant numbers for a special offering of the course you want to take.)

Convenience

It’s easy to fit an FAIC Online Education course into your schedule. You have 24/7 access while the course is taking place. You can be anywhere, as long as you have a computer or smartphone and an internet connection. Check into the site when you have a minute or two. Respond to requests or comments as the mood strikes you.

Build Your Skills

Each week of every course introduces new activities for all skill levels. Learn what you need to know now. Use the basic activities as a review. Reserve more advanced assignments for later. Don’t find what you need on the site? Ask the leader: He or she has the expertise to help you with the questions you’re facing. Don’t forget that you can also ask questions of your colleagues in the course. You’ll find them a source of real-world experience and you can be confident that they understand what a conservator does.
The online environment accommodates your learning style, too. Whether you’re someone who constantly asks and answers questions or the one at the back of the classroom who watches and learns but prefers to remain silent, there is room for you to learn best what you need to learn the most.

Create a new network

The FAIC Online Education courses provide an opportunity to work with conservators beyond your existing network. Meet with and learn about colleagues in other specialties, who work in different regions of the U.S. or the world. You develop a new node in your network: a cohort of people who know you and your skills, people to whom you can turn for advice—and with whom you can share referrals—even though they are not in your backyard.

Expense. Or Rather, the Lack Thereof.

Each FAIC Online Education course is four weeks long. Each week is the equivalent of a very full, daylong conference. AIC members pay $200 per course. It’s like attending 4 seminars at $50 each.

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Courses remaining in the FAIC Online Education series for 2011:

Want more information? See the FAIC Online Education page on the AIC website. Take the quiz, “Is Online Learning Right for You?” Talk to one one of the more than 500 program participants.

Want to be informed of next year’s schedule when it’s available? Contact Abigail Choudhury, FAIC Development and Education Associate, achoudhury[at]conservation-us.org.