AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

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

 

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.