AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

Registration required - add this session to your Annual Meeting registration
Free; maximum 50 registrants

In mentorship, storytelling is used as a means for relating to others to understand experiences and relationship building. Humans use storytelling to engage, teach lessons and share impact to influence change in hopes to relate and resonate with their audience. In a mentor/mentee relationship there is specific care that mentors must exercise to include the many identities a mentee can wear that influences how conservation professionals navigate complex career paths.

This interactive workshop will explore how mentors and mentees can interrogate the stories they tell themselves that interrupt building connections across differences and learn to ask questions that support growth and resilience in the workplace. This workshop will support mentors and mentees in communicating what stories they may be telling themselves about supporting and receiving support from those with different identities, how to interrupt those stories and how to co-create between mentor and mentee to develop relationships that are impactful and inspiring, with the goal of creating psychological safety and dignity within the profession to usher in a more racially diverse group of people.

Mentorship is an integral part of career growth, development, and retention. This workshop is part of FAIC’s Inclusive Mentorship series, which is organized by AIC's Education and Training Committee, and aims to create foundational opportunities to develop and inspire inclusive mentors and culture change. Culture change is a critical undertaking for organizations seeking to thrive in an ever-evolving world.

• $15 registration fee - fee covers coordination of the tour
• maximum 30 registrants
• Adding this event to your schedule does not guarantee you a space. You must add it to your registration via the above "Add to Registration" button.

Led by the Tru Vue Fine Art & Museums team, take a behind the scenes tour of the Tru Vue Faribault Minnesota facility and see how Optium Museum Acrylic® is made.

After an introductory session with members of the Tru Vue engineering team, we will divide into groups of 10 for the tour of the manufacturing floor. We will cover how we use magnetron sputter coating to take raw glass and acrylic and turn it into our conservation grade glazing products, how we inspect to maintain our quality, and how our R&D team test existing products and those in development. This tour will be of interest to conservators, framers, exhibit designers and anyone who has used Tru Vue products including Optium Museum Acrylic, UltraVue® Laminated Glass, TruLife® Acrylic and Museum Glass®. For conservation scientists and anyone who has coated samples for Scanning Electron Microscopy, some of the technology might feel a bit familiar - but the scale a little different! Learn how we maintain a vacuum chamber that is longer than a football field and how robotics are helping us provide the products people are asking for. Once all groups have completed the tour, there will be an opportunity to ask the Tru Vue team any questions over lunch (provided) – or submit your requests for future product developments!

Transport via coach will be provided; we will return on the coach to Minneapolis after lunch in time for the Keynote presentation and opening ceremony. You will need to wear long pants and closed toed shoes and other PPE that will be provided by Tru Vue and sign an NDA to access the plant. The facility is large and can be loud! Anticipate walking up to a mile and wearing headphones; please let us know in advance if there are specific physical or auditory accommodations, we can make to help ease access for the tour.

Cost - $125

In partnership with The Museum of Russian Art, AIC’s Sustainability Committee and Preventive Care Network will host a full day practical seminar exploring some of the multitude of factors in consideration when providing holistic recommendations for sustainable practices at a collecting institution. This seminar would have the same structure as the ones previously offered at the AIC Annual Meetings in Jacksonville and Salt Lake City, however specific points of concern will be highlighted based on the host institution. Instructors would be identified based on availability and budgeted payment would be divided among them. The moderator would facilitate activity content development with the instructors and define materials and equipment cost.

Morning talks by experts would provide examples of what everyone can do to make their institutions more sustainable; this would be followed by greetings from the institution’s staff and an introduction to the three areas covered in the seminar: 1) energy usage from the operation of HVAC systems and lighting; 2) materials and waste, specifically around packaging and transport for loans and exhibitions; and 3) regional environmental adaptation for the institution to protect the collection in a rapidly changing climate.

Participants would then be divided into one of the three groups and guided through the process of applying the concepts to the host institution during an onsite visit. The seminar would conclude with time for each group to record their findings and report out, with the goal of generating a preliminary checklist for collecting institutions to examine these areas and identify opportunities for advancement beyond the seminar.

The contextual framework of this seminar, which would consist of one day broken into lecture, discussion, and onsite practicum, is that collection and conservation professionals are one part of a larger system and must work in conjunction with other specialists and colleagues across disciplines. Discussions would be held on cooperative, people-centered approaches where the role of the conservator or collections manager is to facilitate and aid discourse and innovation, rather than strictly observing and enforcing standards.

The Museum of Russian Art -stands with the people of Ukraine - tmora.org

 

• $132 registration fee
• maximum 40 registrants
• Adding this event to your schedule does not guarantee you a space. You must add it to your registration via the above "Add to Registration" button.
  
  

This workshop is primarily targeted towards private practice conservators and provides training on courier activities to those who may not have supplied these services in the past, or have not done so recently. The workshop is based on the Courier Training Program Framework, developed by several European registrars groups to promote best practices in the museum and gallery sector. This curriculum – adapted for a US-audience – provides participants with a comprehensive courier manual including training presentations, real-world scenario exercises, and practical checklists.

Through the combination of a taught syllabus, tabletop exercises, group discussion, Q&A period, a bibliography of online resources and take-home worksheets, participants will learn:

• The responsibilities of working as a contract courier
• Best practices and responsibilities for local travel with a loan
• On-site expectations of the borrower and lender for unpacking/packing and installation/de-installation
• How to establish trust with the lender
• Considerations for determining courier fees
• The tools and equipment needed as a courier
• Questions to ask the lender and borrower
• Courier-specific contract and insurance needs
• How to market courier services

• $285 registration fee

• maximum 20 registrants
• Adding this event to your schedule does not guarantee you a space. You must add it to your registration via the above "Add to Registration" button.

Art in Transit 2.0 is delighted to announce a joint PACCIN/AIC workshop focused on the theory and practice of crating museum collections for transport. This workshop is meant for emerging preparators, as well as registrars, conservators and museum professionals who would like to gain practical experience with packing. The workshop comprises two online sessions that will take place before an optional in-person component at the pre-session of the AIC Annual Meeting. Participants of the in-person workshop must commit to participating in the online sessions before attending the in-person workshop.

Online: The online sessions will take place on Wednesday, April 30 and May 7, 2025, 1:00 – 4:30 p.m. ET. The first online session will cover damage from vibration and shock during road and air transit and strategies for preventing and minimizing short- and long-term damage, by calculating and designing appropriate padding strategies. The second session will focus on probable risks and practical approaches to packing and crating for transit.

In-person: The in-person workshop will be a full day of hands-on work, with a focus on applying the theory from the two webinars to actual packing. Participants will work in groups to implement the theory from the webinars by designing and building inner packing for facsimile objects (a 3-D object or a painting) to fit a prefabricated outer crate. After construction, the crates will be drop-tested, and shock and vibration will be tested by placing the completed crate on a pallet jack and driving it around the museum.

Transportation to/from the Walker Art Center will not be provided. Participants must arrange for their own transportation for the workshop. The workshop will take place within a 5-minute drive or 15-minute walk from the Annual Meeting hotel.

• $29 registration fee - fee covers coordination of the tour
• Adding this event to your schedule does not guarantee you a space. You must add it to your registration via the above "Add to Registration" button.
  
  

Join us for this two hour walking tour that will take you to the Mississippi River Waterfront area. The falls has been a place of profound spiritual and cultural significance for Dakota and other Indigenous people for countless generations, yet most people even those raised in Minnesota know nothing of this long history.

The Owámniyomni Okhódayapi organization (formerly Friends of the Falls) will lead this tour of the Falls abd the Upper Lock - along the way you will learn about the Dakota lifeways, the significance of the River, and the Mní Sóta Dakota Tribes’ vision for cultural and environmental restoration.

The tour will start from the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. 100% of this tour fee goes to support the Owámniyomni Okhódayap organization.

• $39 registration fee
• Adding this event to your schedule does not guarantee you a space. You must add it to your registration via the above "Add to Registration" button.

This part tour, part seminar will allow participants a peek into the collections and conservation lab at the Science Museum of Minnesota, followed by presentations and hands on experience to better understand the artform of taxidermy. Participants will learn about original taxidermist materials and techniques, taxidermy condition issues, and conservation treatment approaches. This is suitable for conservators who have limited experience with taxidermy but wish to learn more, and for those who love natural science collections.

Participants will depart from the Hyatt Regency either by Uber or Bus.

Spend a day exploring two of the Minnesota Historical Society’s famous historical houses and discuss the conservation challenges facing these homes today. On this tour you will experience:

James J. Hill House Tour
Built for railroad titan James J. Hill, this 36,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion designed in the massive Richardsonian Romanesque style was once the largest private residence in the state. With 13 bathrooms, 22 fireplaces, 16 chandeliers, a reception hall nearly 100 feet long, sophisticated technical systems, and a two-story, skylit art gallery, the house was a symbol of success, personal taste, and family life. Marvel at the impressive house details such as chandeliers, stained glass, and hand-carved woodwork sprawled throughout the home.

Summit Avenue Walking Tour
Walk Summit Avenue home to the longest stretch of Victorian mansions remaining in the country. Learn about the architecture, social history, and preservation issues of this historic neighborhood from your expert guide.

Alexander Ramsey House
This 1872 mansion is one of the best-preserved Victorian homes in the world, filled with over 14,000 original family objects and furnishings. This tour will highlight both political and personal stories to bring the complex world of 19th century Saint Paul to life.

Guided tours of both homes will feature behind the scenes access and discussion of recent and ongoing preservation work.

Parts of the historic homes are not handicapped accessible, and the walking tour will involve 40 minutes of walking. There will be an opportunity for participants to purchase lunch near the Ramsey House.ch near the Ramsey House.

Attend a demonstration of Intaglio / copper etching plate printing using the traditional chine colle' technique. The demo will cover making the paste (cooking), straining and thinning the paste for use and printing the plate with the colle' sheet. Covering the use of the press, felts and paper selection would be included.

While complimentary space is limited and registration required. If your plans change and you can no longer attend please let us know. No shows may be subject to a $20 fee.

Generously offer at no cost by Cole Roberts and paper provided by Hiromi Paper

In this session, members of the core group of the AIC Ethics Core Documents Review Task Force will present the process followed to revise the AIC Code of Ethics, Guidelines for Practice, and Commentaries, and will host a discussion on this process. The core group was initially tasked with identifying areas in the core ethics documents that needed updating and forming subgroups to address these areas. Presenters will explain how we identified the subjects for updates, selected the subgroup topics, and chose subgroup members. The presentation will detail how subgroups approached their revisions, how feedback from the subgroups was incorporated into the first draft of the new AIC ethics core documents, and the subsequent process of gathering feedback from AIC membership. The session will consist of a presentation and ample time for questions and discussion.

This event is free and open to all attendees

• $39 registration fee

• maximum 50 registrants
• Adding this event to your schedule does not guarantee you a space. You must add it to your registration via the above "Add to Registration" button.

The Paintings Specialty Group (PSG) is excited to offer Easel Exchange again at the upcoming annual meeting in Minneapolis! Due to the popularity of the event, they are expanding this year’s Easel Exchange to 50 participants—sign up soon to reserve your spot!

Last year, PSG hosted the first Easel Exchange, a lunchtime session that allowed conservators to informally present complex decision-making strategies for ongoing treatments, gain feedback on current practices, and generate ideas on paths forward. To continue this brainstorming and sharing of ideas amongst paintings conservators at different stages of their careers, PSG is excited to offer Easel Exchange again in 2025 in an expanded pre-session format, allowing for more paintings conservators to participate, for expanded topics, and for additional time to rotate tables.

Prior to the pre-session, participants will receive an email link through which they can submit a brief description of an ongoing treatment/treatment case study which they will then share informally with a smaller group the day of. These case studies will then by divided into different tables which could include the following topics (dependent on submission content):

• Cleaning Considerations
• New Conservation Materials
• Aesthetic Integration & Inpainting
• Structural Treatments
• Varnishing Strategies
• Conservation Outreach
• Contemporary Art & Modern Materials
• Ethics & Interfacing with Stakeholders

Participants will also be asked to rank the following topics; this will be used to pre-assign tables and table rotation prior to the event. For questions or more information, please contact Julianna Ly (JLy@clevelandart.org) or Fiona Rutka (fiona.rutka@pch.gc.ca).

We’re looking forward to brainstorming treatment strategies with you!

This session aims to bring together individuals interested in publishing their original research in the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC). It offers a valuable opportunity for potential authors, existing and aspiring reviewers, editors, and members of the journal's managing team to engage in an open dialogue about the entire publishing process. Topics will include best practices for preparing and structuring manuscripts, insights into the peer review and publishing process, and guidance on becoming a reviewer for books and article submissions. Attendees will gain practical advice on how to successfully navigate the journey from manuscript preparation to publication. The session will also provide a platform for participants to raise any specific questions or concerns they may have, fostering a collaborative environment that supports the advancement of high-quality research within the field of conservation.

Our poster session is listed in its own program so you can easily browse the abstracts. Review at the 2025 AIC Poster Program.

Join your fellow conservators for a fun and informative night of networking and refreshments