AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

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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!

Small cultural heritage institutions like community-based archives and museums rarely have preservation expertise. Best preservation and archival practices may not be their main focus – keeping and telling their story is. An outreach event, Preservation in Action, collaborates with organizations like this to implement aspects of collections care while balancing their community-centered mission. Organized through the long active Preservation Section of the American Library Association (ALA), the day-long outreach event takes place at the annual ALA conference. Preservation in Action (PiA) has a 3-prong approach to working with organizations representing an underserved community: 1) provide preservation training to staff; 2) introduce preservation to conference attendees whose jobs may or may not involve collections care; 3) rehouse collections with a “many hands make light work” model. PiA is specifically not a “service project,” but a collaboration between trained preservation librarians and these institutions that lack expertise. The training and hands-on activities with participants who have different levels of experience can be unpredictable but always enriching

A grant-funded archiving initiative at a Puerto Rican Cultural Center has led to a growing collection of posters documenting decades of social justice activism in the Boricua community. The colorful screenprinted posters fit into oversize folders and boxes, except for a group that had been glued to cardboard. The situation required on-the-spot decisions and conversations with the staff. In this case, the archivist decided to leave the newsprint posters on the acidic board and order more archival boxes later. We relied on each other to offer solutions

At a Chinese History Museum, we found extensively embroidered and beaded textiles during the group rehousing project. I wanted to bulk up any harsh creases, but the collections manager was concerned about losing box space with just one dress. Through joint problem-solving, we found a middle ground to protect the textile without taking up too much room. Other times our progress fades. At an organization with changing staff and strategic visions, the housing of photos and re-sleeving of a famous DJ’s LPs was later changed or undone. The artifacts’ uses evolved.

Over the past several years, I’ve learned lessons about organizing these events at archives and museums. A stable infrastructure is necessary. Logistics like monitoring a waiting list, delivery of supplies, and ordering lunch are time consuming. Having a local committee member is best to evaluate the collections and estimate supplies. A participant will always ask a wonderfully unanswerable question. While institutions learn from us, we also learn from them. Our strict best practices aren’t an option for many organizations. This provides us with an opportunity to be flexible, think creatively, and listen to those outside our profession.

In 2023 a major exhibition about Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) in Auvers was held at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam in collaboration with the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, the second venue for this show. A significant exhibition since it was the first to be devoted to Van Gogh’s final months, bringing together works from all over the world, some of which had never before been shown at the same time. The question arose if several works of the Van Gogh Museum, which due to their fragility were not allowed to travel, could be transferred to Paris for this unique occasion. There were serious concerns about the impact of shock and vibrations during transport on two paintings in particular, Wheatfield with Crows and Wheatfield under Thunderclouds, which suffered from heavily cracked paint layers and poor paint adherence. When the strain levels caused by transport exceed the elasticity limits of the canvas and paint layers, they can inflict or aggravate material changes such as cracking and delamination (Kracht 2011: 51-53), thus posing a great risk for those paintings. Reducing the excitation levels is therefore crucial. 

This research, which builds strongly on the experience gained from an in-depth study of the vibration behavior of selected Van Gogh paintings in the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo (Bisschoff et al. 2023), explores the vibration behavior of the wax-resin lined Wheatfield with Crows and Wheatfield under Thunderclouds. The panoramic, atypical format of these paintings (ca 50 x 100 cm height by width), which differs from the paintings studied in the Kröller-Müller Museum, and the permanent deformations in their support caused by lining are factors that contribute to their fragility. To establish the general difference in vibration behaviour between wax-resin lined, loose-lined and unlined Van Gogh paintings, the vibration response of View on Auvers, which has a loose-lining, and Garden of Daubigny, an unlined painting, was also investigated. The mechanical behavior of the paintings is explained in relation to their condition, conservation history and framing, the combination of which accounts for the paintings’ variable, non-linear vibration behavior. To achieve a more complete assessment of the transportation risk, not only the characteristic vibration modes of the paintings were investigated, as was done in the Kröller-Müller study, but their wave propagation behavior was examined as well. 

By combining an improved backing-board and framing construction with specific transport conditions, the mechanical stress in the two Van Gogh paintings could be significantly reduced during transport. A tailored method for transporting these fragile paintings is presented, while the possibility of its application to other paintings of the Van Gogh Museum collection is also discussed. In this research an ansatz is proposed to quantitatively assess the risk of vibration during transport. However, the results of this study should not be regarded as a formula or justification for sending paintings on loan that are too fragile to travel. Yet the presented measures of improvement can certainly be considered as a means to minimize the impact of shock and vibration when transport cannot be avoided. 


Kracht, K. Untersuchung des Schwingungsverhaltens von Ölgemälden in Abhängigkeit der Alterung. Dissertation at TU Berlin published at Shaker Verlag, 2011: pp. 51-53. 
 
Bisschoff, M., Leeuwestein, M., Kracht, K. Optimising the protection of the Kröller-Müller Museum’s wax-resin-lined van Gogh paintings from shocks and vibrations in transit. ICOM-CC Valencia 2023, 20th Triennial Conference.

The historic wooden columns currently on open display in the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) have been consistently shedding wood flakes throughout 2024. This ongoing deterioration has prompted the application of a targeted, multi-faceted strategy to identify the causes and mitigations made to combat them. For this organic material, the most likely potential agents of deterioration were identified as relative humidity fluctuations, pest activity, and physical force. To gain the clearest image of how and if these agents were impacting this object and a three pronged approach has been implemented.

The first prong of this strategy is analysing the existing data from the object environment, including environmental data and visitor number estimates. This will help identify trends in fluctuation of humidity, periods of increased physical force due to high footfall, and potential patterns in the degradation process.

The second prong employs Acoustic Emission (AE) analysis to monitor internal movement of the wooden columns and determine if movement is caused by humidity changes, pest activity, and external vibrations from urban traffic and gallery visitors. This analysis is combined with the innovative use of touch sensor alarms to alert when the columns are physically contacted by visitors, an area of concern that was raised during planning. The third prong uses Dynamic Vapour Sorption (DVS) analysis, conducted in partnership with English Heritage, to assess the structural integrity of the wood and its vulnerability to humidity variations.

There are multiple instances where these analyses are looking at the same agent of deterioration, for example all tests included consider humidity as a factor. This is not a redundancy in design, but an opportunity to consider factors that cause deterioration as a dynamic and interconnected system - rather than a roster of lone agents. This work aims to inform display strategy for similar heritage objects and to highlight the need for adaptive and interdisciplinary methodologies in preventive conservation.

Fire risks pose a significant threat to cultural institutions’ collections. Hundreds of fires start every year in museums. Recent examples include the National Museum of Indonesia, Copenhagen’s Historic Stock Exchange, Brazil National Museum…

Some destroy entire collections, others cause irreparable damage, and most could be controlled or prevented.  

To improve preparedness and mitigate damage, a comprehensive Emergency Plan should be adopted with a complete operations plan that outline procedures for responding to fires. Collaborate with experts and conduct regular self-assessments to identify and minimize risks.  

In case of fire, damage is caused not only by the heat of the flames but also water and smoke. 

After the Notre-Dame Cathedral fire, the French National Association of Firefighters requested to conduct a study on protective tools for artwork, notably passive protective covers.   

Aside from this study conducted by the CSTB (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment), a series of other experiments were made, including one from a Danish Cultural Institution and Fire Department.  

Those experiments are not limited to testing different materials and technologies (Tyvek, Aramid fibers, PU or Silicone coated fiberglass, aluminized fiberglass…), in laboratories, but also simulate real fire scenarios.    

Results from those experiments show that priority should be given to using passive protective covers with an aluminized material over traditional fire-retardant materials.   

These lightweight covers reflect up to 99% of radiant heat away from artwork, providing superior protection. During fire exercise, those covers have been shown to allow the artwork to stay below 40°C – 104°F and thus providing maximum protection in an environment that can reach more than 500°C – 932°F.  

By implementing these strategies, cultural institutions can mitigate fire risks and preserve valuable artifacts with minimum investment required in terms of infrastructure.   Additional measures, especially operational aspect and ease of handling are key at the time of using this material in an emergency, making passive covers a practical solution for cultural institutions.  

Proper training and involving all implied parties are required to optimize use of covers during an emergency and should be done on a regular basis in institutions.  

For the last six years, fire preparedness in France has been growing. 

Parties like the Government, the Ministry of Culture, Industry Associations, Cultural Institutions, Fire Departments, Specialist Consultants… have been raising awareness on the importance of this topic and implementing measures and tools to maximize chances to safeguard cultural heritage. This led France to being one of the most advanced countries on the topic.   

This session deep dives in the way Emergency Response in case of fire is approached in France, going through what Emergency Plans consist in, how are they constructed, the way they are implemented and how do cultural institutions make sure they get as ready as possible in case an emergency occurs to avoid and minimize damages on artwork.

In August 2024, University of Arizona Libraries' Special Collections faced a water leak that damaged book and archival collections across two floors. The decision was made to close Special Collections for two weeks, allowing the department to focus on the remediation of damaged materials and spaces. Thanks to remarkable teamwork and opportune timing, all affected materials were successfully salvaged. The incident underscored both the strengths of our collective response and areas where our emergency preparedness could be improved.

Clear and timely communication proved essential during the emergency response and recovery. Daily posters with tasks and instructions helped the salvaging team adapt to shifting priorities. Bi-daily meetings played a pivotal role in maintaining communication and monitoring progress, allowing the team to work together effectively in the fast-paced recovery process. Ensuring staff wellbeing throughout the process—with check-ins, meals, music, and breaks—kept the team motivated and capable of sustaining the long hours required. However, standardized, pre-written initial messages calling an emergency and outlining required level of response could have prevented early confusion and hesitation, leading to a more streamlined initial response.

Since most affected materials were archival in nature, dissociation posed a significant risk during initial response and salvaging efforts. Within the first hour of discovering the leak, a dual documentation system was developed, to track affected items as they were relocated and unpacked. The same documentation was used to track progress during drying, checking, and rehousing. A flagging system to record damages and actions was developed in the following days, but a pre-established log form would have further reduced confusion and saved time as the salvaging process unfolded.

Affected materials were laid out to dry within three hours upon discovery of the leak. Assessment of levels of wetness, replacement of identifiers for collection materials, and removal of wet boxes from the recovery spaces were completed on the first day. Dehumidifiers were installed and interleaving of affected materials started immediately. The team acted quickly but carefully, never jeopardizing safety or materials. However, dry materials were not removed from the affected storage areas on the first day, leading to additional damage on the second day, further straining available resources. Furthermore, some pockets of wetness in the building went unnoticed for several days, highlighting the need for a more thorough and comprehensive approach from the incident management team.

The team’s willingness to help was a major strength, but the event highlighted areas for improvement in leadership and coordination. Establishing a clearer chain of command and designating team leads for specific tasks would have improved efficiency. Regular staff training in emergency response and leadership is essential to empower individuals to confidently assume roles and responsibilities in such situations, ultimately enhancing future response efforts.

The paper will offer valuable insights and practical tools that conservators and emergency response leads at other organizations can adapt to improve their own preparedness and response efforts. By sharing lessons learned and successful strategies, it aims to help other institutions streamline their communication, documentation, and leadership processes during emergencies.

Preventive conservation, often heralded as the cornerstone of collection care, encompasses a broad range of tasks critical to preserving cultural heritage. However, the responsibilities of those in preventive roles, particularly early-career professionals, extend far beyond routine tasks of monitoring temperature and humidity or designing storage solutions. These "other duties as assigned" are often not quantifiable but offer invaluable learning experiences that shape a conservation professional’s critical thinking, adaptability, and problem-solving skills. This abstract explores the unspoken and often overlooked side tasks encountered during my experience as a pre-program Preservation Assistant at the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections.

Working in preventive conservation means consistently encountering unexpected challenges that require rapid learning, creativity, and a strong collaborative mindset. These tasks range from adjusting last-minute exhibition installations to emergently responding to a leak, each providing hands-on training in the essential skills of a preservation professional. Though seemingly peripheral, these tasks often become learning moments that reinforce core conservation principles.

One example is the creation of customized archival enclosures for materials with irregular dimensions and with high use in instruction settings. While this may seem like a routine technical skill, it becomes a nuanced problem-solving exercise requiring a balance between preservation needs, accessibility, and the available resources of the institution. Similarly, my involvement in exhibition preparation—installing, deinstalling, and fabricating mounts—taught me the value of adaptability. Decisions about object placement and long-term protection needed to be made in real-time, often with limited flexibility and strict deadlines. These experiences honed my ability to make informed decisions quickly, a crucial skill for any conservator.

Beyond practical skills, this work fostered collaboration with various departments, from curators and archivists to facilities staff, strengthening my communication abilities. Preventive conservation often demands interdisciplinary cooperation and consultation with those less familiar with preservation, and understanding how to effectively convey the needs of collection care to those outside the field proved vital. These instances also introduced the opportunity for me to develop creative methods of communication, such as an internal ‘Bug Bulletin’ for integrated pest management and a standardized quarterly report for climate data. The insights gained from these collaborative efforts are lessons that have implications far beyond my role as a Preservation Assistant, contributing to my broader understanding of conservation workflows and decision-making processes.

In this presentation, I will reflect on how these unquantifiable side tasks contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities of preventive care. By sharing examples of these experiences, I aim to highlight the often-unacknowledged but critical role that "other duties as assigned" play in shaping the development of emerging professionals in conservation. Ultimately, these tasks, though small in scope, have had a profound impact on my ability to think critically, adapt swiftly, and collaborate effectively—skills that are essential in a successful conservation career.

“Understanding the Problem and Defining the Goal: Environmental Assessments in Historic Buildings and Collections in the NPS, Region 1”

 

Historically within Region 1 in the NPS, environmental problems within historic house museums were dealt with by either complete replacement of their HVAC systems or by the installation of new, sometimes invasive systems that could fix the perceived problem.   However, this problem was often not fully identified, or not well defined from what was originally perceived as the initial issue such as a mold outbreak, high or low humidity, or too high or low temperatures.  Additionally, the condition of the collections was not examined for evidence of environmental damage.  Now, the Historic Architecture, Conservation, and Engineering Center (HACE) in Region 1, has developed Environmental Assessments that, often with the assistance of contracted professionals, assess the historic building envelope, collect environmental data, and examine the condition of the collections contained therein, to determine any problems and to define the goal of the interior environment before a solution is implemented.

Too often, condition problems in historic house museums are viewed as solvable by the implementation of controlled HVAC systems.  Mold outbreaks or uncomfortable summer or winter conditions are the impetus for system upgrades.  However, without examining the current condition of the buildings and exhibited collections in greater detail, as well as the behavior of the building to the ever-changing exterior environment, we cannot know how to effectively solve any system problem.  These Assessments use targeted systems-wide evaluations of the building envelope and building systems to fully understand the current environment.  Evaluations such as envelope condition assessments, differential pressure testing, scoping of ductwork and chimneys, thermal imaging, pollution monitoring, temperature and humidity data analysis, moisture monitoring, and other data collection that might inform decisions and shed light on observed conditions.  

The objective of these assessments is to propose what environmental parameters can reasonably be maintained in the Region’s uninsulated historic exhibition buildings. This can be achieved by thoroughly understanding the building design, and the current quality of environment the building has been able to achieve.  This approach has been taken with numerous historic buildings in Region 1 of the National Park Service over the past five years, such as Lindenwald, the home of Martin Van Burren; the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York; and the Rockefeller Mansion in Woodstock, Vermont.   The projects are supplied with specific funding for the purpose of determining the best possible outcome of system replacement for these historic buildings.  Smaller condition assessments of collections have also been implemented as requirements for changes or upgrades to building systems of any kind to ensure that the interests of the collections and building fabric are considered during system design.  It is the hope of the author that these Environmental Assessments be viewed as baseline documents for any historic building, just as Historic Structure Reports (HSRs), Historic Property Project Documentation (HPPD), or Historic Furnishing Plans (HFPs).

Planning one storeroom with integrated preventive conservation controls is admittedly a complex endeavor. But how do large organizations undertake comprehensive storage planning, especially when they have fifty storage areas of 250,000sf in three historic Manhattan research centers (plus a giant high-bay storage facility in New Jersey)? How does an organization begin to steer planning to meaningfully incorporate climate action methodology and build resilience systems? What coaching, education, and facilitation are needed to redirect a storied institution from localized episodic planning to a powerful and pervasive strategy to protect collections?

The Research Libraries for the New York Public Library (NYPL) is building a foundation for dynamic storage planning for a changing world. Large institutions need to focus on global, values-based thinking when building or renovating collections storage to equitably incorporate sustainability and preservation concepts. With support from the Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections (SCHC) program of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), NYPL designed a collaborative pre-planning exercise to inform long-range collection storage planning. A project team of NYPL stakeholders and experts in cultural heritage architecture, preservation environment, and sustainability collaborated to establish a path toward a more responsive and ongoing storage planning model. The project included a week-long walkthrough of all storerooms, followed by several months of distillation of these observations. The project established in its report foundational planning tasks, maintenance tasks, and capacity concepts for exploration in future storage planning.

This talk will discuss building a unified momentum through sustained institutional messaging, risk-taking, and taking advantage of key moments. A specific area of focus will include relationship-building between collection management, facilities, capital planning, energy, health and safety, and curatorial staff to build trust and create space for planning. Discussion of the pre-planning exercise will highlight conditions NYPL is attempting to address, concepts the pre-planning team used for structuring their observations, and logistical practicalities of planning this type of onsite assessment. 

Building on the success of the pre-planning grant, NYPL received a second NEH SCHC grant in August 2024 to develop the Collection Space Construction Design Standard. NYPL will convene experts in architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, fire protection, security, and sustainability, to create construction design standards for reading rooms, storage, and collection workspaces that will be made available to other institutions. This presentation will also include an update on this project, as well as collection storage’s high-level inclusion in NYPL’s new strategic plan.

The onset of Russia's war against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, demonstrated the country's government unprepared to protect its cultural heritage from destruction. And yet, in the early days of the invasion, members of the non-governmental Society for the Protection of Historical Monuments in Lviv rose to this existential challenge. They organized the city populace and, at their own expense, procured protective materials and implemented strategies to safeguard vulnerable cultural heritage sites. This grass roots effort then became a role model for other communities, quickly spreading throughout the country. International organizations also became involved, providing risk assessment strategies, additional materials, and sophisticated instrumentation to document war damage and implement a preventive conservation program. My talk will shed light on this evolutionary process, the role of conservators in it, and outline pathways for the future.

There are always challenges for collection care, particularly in a historic building. The Carnegie Museum of Natural History is no different. The building was constructed as a museum, music hall, and a library in 1898. There have been several expansions and reorganizations since then, including a major expansion in 1907 and an expansion for Art in 1974. The building complex now houses a public library, music hall, Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh (CMP) offices, the Museums of Art (CMOA) and Natural History (CM). The library and music hall are part of the complex but are separate entities. The museums and the music hall facilities are taken care of by the CMP Facilities, Planning and Operations (FP&O). The building complex is on the National Register of Historic Buildings.

In preventive conservation, we consider the building envelope as the first line of defense for collection care. Finding the time, resources (staff and money), and setting priorities for repairing gaps in the 125-year-old building is challenging. The roof, walls and windows leak and the numerous environmental systems undergo constant repair. FP&O does an incredible job, but their priorities often differ from ours.
 
We recently had the opportunity to prototype a new method for improving some of these leaks in the bird collection. The bird collection has large casement windows original to the 1907 building. The windows were covered with black-out shades. Cabinets were backed up to the windows and radiators, exposing collections to temperature extremes. When I arrived in 2009, the blackout shades were disintegrating. The windows behind the cases leaked – both air and insects. Working with the new collection manager (Serina Brady) and our head of operations, we developed a strategy to improve the situation, while respecting the historic structure. 
 
We approached the problem as a collaboration between the conservator, collection manager for the bird collection and new operations manager, discussing each step as we moved forward. Interior storm windows were constructed, and new blackout curtains were made, all in-house to save money. 
 
This paper will examine the efficacy of the strategy we employed. It will look at process, resources, and the advantages/disadvantages of what was done. Did the methods we used make the much-needed improvements to the environmental conditions of storage? Was the time and money we spent worth the effort? There are several other collection storage spaces that are faced with the same challenges. Can we use this strategy to make improvements in these spaces as well?

Heating ventilation and air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are an integral part of our collection facilities. We rely on them to acclimatize our storage spaces, keep our visitors comfortable and happy, condition our displays, and keep the moisture under control to prevent mold in our buildings. When these systems function properly all is bliss, however, even the slightest malfunction of these systems can have a major effect on a collection space. These effects can range from high moisture levels, the inability to achieve set points, to comfort complaints from visitors.

These problems can lead to thousands of dollars in abatement or remediation and potentially cause damage to collection materials.  Many HAVC issues are more common than most would believe, impacting collecting institutions as well as commercial facilities across the country every day. Compounding this problem is the fact that many institutions are striving to reduce their carbon footprint and be more sustainable. Unfortunately, inefficiencies can negate the benefits of any implemented sustainable strategy by forcing a system to use more energy to perform a task that it is struggling to achieve.  While these issues can keep staff members up at night, there are ways to avoid HVAC malfunctions and practical solutions to resolve many of them.

Collections staff may be the first ones to notice that something is amiss within storage and display spaces. Data monitoring programs and staff presence in the collections spaces often help them identify issues or concerns before the facilities staff can see them. This information can help the facility’s team resolve the problem.

This presentation will cover many of the common HVAC issues that collecting institutions encounter from leaking condensation lines to high dew points. It will describe the causes of these issues including, but not limited to, congested drain lines, cooling coil inefficiency, poor airflow and dew point problems in a space. The presentation will also elaborate on the risks these issues pose to the facility and collections, and some ways to avoid or correct them. Attendees will learn how other institutions work to solve these problems, how to collaborate with facilities and their administrative team to solve them, and what some of the solutions are that they can bring back to their organizations.

More cultural heritage sites across the United States are at risk of flooding than previously recognized due to the escalating effects of climate change. The National Flood Insurance Program, which is responsible for mapping and communicating flood risk to citizens, has had little impact on the cultural heritage stewardship community. As a result, there is generally low flood risk awareness, low flood insurance take-up rates, and minimal investment in long-term adaptation among site and collections stewards. More sophisticated, accessible tools for understanding flood risk are now available and should be leveraged to promote a culture of flood preparedness within the field.

As disaster planning is becoming increasingly integrated into cultural heritage site management, most preparedness resources focus exclusively on collections, largely omitting consideration for the historic structures which house and are the backbone of many sites and collections. This may be because strategies for preparing historic structures for flooding require specialized knowledge of historic architectural systems, building codes, and preservation standards that collections stewards do not have - particularly at smaller sites and institutions. 

The historic preservation community, conversely, has not sufficiently committed to developing and supporting preparedness guidance which integrates structures preparedness with the complexities of site and collection management. What guidance is available on flood preparedness for historic structures is written primarily for private property owners and is deferential to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards, which do not formally promote adaptation. 

This presentation, based on a larger masters thesis project, therefore examines what flood preparedness guidance for historic structures at cultural heritage sites does exist and recommends how the cultural heritage stewardship community can improve and promote flood preparedness before their irreplaceable historic museums and sites, and the collections they support, become functionally obsolete or lost due to flood risk.

In 2023, a unique course in graduate conservation treatment was developed using an approach to the conservation of community heritage focused on meaning and collaborative work at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. Titled Transferable Skills in Objects Conservation, this course was designed by Pamela Hatchfield, Judith Praska Distinguished Visiting Professor of Conservation and Technical Studies, in collaboration with Yue Ma, Director of Collections at the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA), and private conservators from A.M. Art Conservation: Rachael Perkins Arenstein, Anne Léculier King, and Eugenie Milroy. Artifacts from MOCA’s collection with complicated condition issues and compelling histories were selected for treatment. Students explored a variety of skills increasingly central to current approaches to the conservation of objects, including storytelling, sustainability, and provenance research. Rather than focusing only on examination and treatment, we partnered with a local community museum, private conservators, and experts in fields including lifecycle analysis and journalism, embracing a holistic approach to the care of collections. The course also delved into treatment materials and techniques used in other specializations within conservation to highlight the composite nature of objects and the diverse range of materials and approaches that may be employed during treatment. 

Established in 1980, MOCA preserves and shares the diverse cultural experiences and material heritage of people of Chinese descent in the United States. MOCA’s collection was damaged by fire in 2020, an event of particular concern due to the museum’s role as a repository of community heritage. MOCA’s collection includes objects that are valued primarily for their significance to community members, sometimes placing less emphasis on their aesthetic and material qualities. Although intangible values are often considered during treatment, prioritizing cultural significance foregrounds the act of storytelling within the process of conserving objects. The students collaborated with MOCA staff to understand the contexts and histories of their objects, exploring archives and oral histories, developing treatments in consultation with Ma and A.M. Art Conservation, and navigating sustainability challenges. After receiving training in engaging and accessible storytelling, students shared treatment presentations geared toward different audiences: technical presentations for their conservation colleagues, general presentations for the broader community, and blog posts for MOCA’s use in publicity and outreach. We also shared our work through virtual group presentations with UCLA conservation graduate students. 

This holistic approach to the conservation of community heritage presents a model for the inclusion of reciprocal exchange of knowledge and resources with colleagues and those outside the field, and the importance of incorporating soft skills into our practice. This collaboration provided valuable treatment experience while presenting an opportunity to develop communication, storytelling, provenance, and sustainability skills. It enriched the learning experience for the students while making these objects accessible for the institution and the public. While students benefited throughout the consultation and treatment process, the tangible impact for MOCA will be visible when conserved objects are displayed when the renovated museum reopens in 2025.

Ongoing developments have created a more enlightened understanding of the complex relationships between Indigenous communities, collections care, and museums. The inception of the Preservation of Tribal Cultural Materials in Tribal Collections program began in 2008-2009 as a pilot hybrid course offered through UCLA Extension to address the needs of full-time workers for education in the care of Indigenous heritage. The course was revitalized and offered again in 2020 in a fully virtual format, with extensive evaluation of the benefits, accessibility, and affordability of this structure. An expanded program, offered from 2022-2025 with generous support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, focuses on the unique histories, challenges, and contributions of Native peoples to their respective communities and how to honor and preserve associated heritage and belongings.

Under the leadership of Professor Ellen Pearlstein of the UCLA/Getty Conservation Program, this three-year fully supported program offered two iterations of three unique fully online courses in preservation techniques, collections management, and exhibition planning for Indigenous heritage collections. These courses were instructed by established members in the field who are already incorporating Native perspectives into course design.

In addition, UCLA/Getty partnered with two museums to offer in-person regional workshops, one in California and one in New York, for Native heritage stewards to engage with care and conservation of collections, with instruction by conservator Nicole Passerotti who directs the Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation, and Michelle Brownlee, collections manager at the Field Museum. The workshops were planned around topics suggested by participants, and aided in skill building for enclosures, introduction to risks in museum environments, and basic cleaning methods for a variety of materials, while also providing opportunities for networking and engagement with Native stewards in their region of the US.

In this presentation, we will describe the successes and challenges posed through this work and discuss how continued offering of these types of learning opportunities has been beneficial to Indigenous communities through participation and peer mentorship. We will also discuss shifts in collections care pathways that encourage students who are at different levels of their career or who come from diverse backgrounds to find suitable introductions to conservation training opportunities.

In Brazil, there are very few options for education in conservation, and none in the state of São Paulo. The University of São Paulo (USP), the largest in Brazil, does not offer any degree programs in conservation and restoration. In 2018, some USP affiliates founded the Preventive Conservation Network of USP (REDE) aiming to promote heritage preservation initiatives such as discussion groups, events, training sessions, and courses to address this gap.

Amongst courses organized by REDE, the “Preventive Conservation of Collections Course” is the most successful in terms of public interest and feedback. This course is divided into three sequential modules: 1 - The Impact of the Building and Its Surroundings; 2 - Collection Management; and 3 - Conservation Science for Collections. Each module consists of 36 hours divided into online classes, site visits, and hands-on training. It emphasizes the practical application of the content, ideally using the institution where students work as a case study. The course is coordinated by REDE and features five to six experts teaching specific topics.

Until now, Module 1 has been offered three times (2022, 2023, 2024); Module 2 is being prepared and will be available in early 2025; and Module 3 is planned. The demand has been steadily increasing (over 70 applications for 25 places in 2024). The students are primarily from the state of São Paulo, but many come from other states as well. It has an affordable price, and its hybrid format makes it accessible to those who work and study in parallel. As teachers, we have observed that, despite being a short-term course, the engagement, quality of discussions, and results are excellent. The final project typically generates a diagnostic with proposals for the analyzed areas that are presented to colleagues and teachers, giving a unique view of the diverse realities of Brazil.

The case studies profile is very broad: from big public cultural institutions to smaller places run by volunteers. As teachers, we have the privilege to see the diversity and richness of collections, but we also feel the enormous challenge of preserving them. The exchange of experiences shows that, independently of the resources available, the presence of qualified personnel must be an essential goal.

The feedback we receive consistently highlights the quality of the course content, which addresses cutting-edge topics of preventive conservation and presents an evaluation methodology for collection storage facilities developed by the School of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU-USP). Students and teachers stay connected by WhatsApp group and, even after two years we still observe active networking.

At the AIC Annual Meeting, we would like to present the results of the REDE strategy of investing in courses and training focused on advanced knowledge in preventive conservation. This approach has been successful in the vertical dissemination of knowledge (from teachers to students) and also in the horizontal exchange of experience (among all participants).  We also want to reflect on the urgent need for USP to establish formal public education programs to secure the preservation of our cultural and scientific heritage.

The collaboration between the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, and the Atlanta University Center (AUC) Collective represents a significant initiative to enhance diversity in the conservation field. This partnership aims to provide collections care exposure, education, and pipeline opportunities for students from the AUC, which includes Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, and Morehouse College. As part of the world’s largest consortium of historically Black institutions, this collaboration leverages the AUC Art History and Curatorial Studies Collective, an emerging leader in nurturing Black art historians, curators, and museum professionals. As an active educational partner of the AUC Collective and the only museum in the nation with a mission focused on women artists of the African diaspora, the Spelman Museum is uniquely poised to respond to calls for social and racial justice impacting the museum industry.

Through a $500,000 IMLS grant, the Spelman Museum focuses on advancing collections care, accessibility, and diversity. The project emphasizes educational programs and student participation, offering work-study and internship opportunities to foster hands-on experience in conservation while digitization and organization of the museum's collection, which comprises a nationally recognized repository of works by Black artists.

The initiative also explores integrating conservation into the AUC Collective curriculum, offering workshops and exploring various training modules. This collaboration aims to make significant strides in diversifying the field of conservation and enhancing the cultural vitality of the museum industry.

Keywords: Diversity, Conservation, Education, Collaboration, Atlanta University Center, Spelman College, Collections Care, Museum Studies, AUC Collective

We truly are in an inside out moment, where the core of who we are and what we do matters as leaders, individuals, and collectives. The field of cultural heritage is–and has been–experiencing a profound reckoning regarding whose culture is preserved and why, while addressing the existential threat posed by the climate crisis and major losses to federal funding. Facing these challenges requires resilience and the skills to navigate the tensions between the histories we inherited, current field needs, and uncertain futures–no leadership training program currently exists that directly speaks to the work we do.  

The Conservation Leadership Collective (CLC), comprising national, regional, institutional and independent partners, began out of the desire to build a new conservation leadership program for the field with a foundation of cultural equity. Americans for the Arts defines cultural equity as "Embodying the values, policies, and practices that ensure that all people — including but not limited to those who have been historically underrepresented based on race/ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geography, citizenship status, or religion — are represented” in the development of policy and fair distribution of programmatic, financial, and informational resources.

This matters because our decisions regarding collections are not theoretical. Our training, to preserve cultural heritage (artifacts), which focuses on “maintaining in an original or existing state” has also preserved systems of inequity. Efforts to expand the field will fail without creating conditions for inclusive cultures of belonging and attentiveness to the six conditions of systems change: policies, practices, resource flows, relationships & connections, power dynamics, and mental models (belief systems).

This work is for anyone, no matter what age or positional authority, who wants to further their leadership skills within their community and/or organization. Leadership takes many forms: management positions, organizational advocacy, committee work, and self-leadership (by example). The goal of this collaboration is to shift the field of cultural heritage preservation at a national level towards ensuring the legacies of many instead of a few and catalyzing responsive succession planning. The newly forming Conservation Leadership Collective is laying the groundwork for training + practice, and most importantly building community. This session previews the earliest stages of growing this initiative with opportunities to get involved in the future.

Imagine, what could conservation leadership training for our field look like? What are the characteristics of great leaders? What does it mean to lead with a foundation of cultural equity? And why does this matter? We need your imagination and action. This work is for conservators and allied professionals who have identified a need to shift the field and desire to be part of the collaborative efforts to impact systems change.

After the founding in 1888 of the Chemical Laboratory of the Berlin Museums, and following the Rome conference of 1930[1], the 20th century saw the development of museum labs on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, the 1928 founding of the Fogg Museum’s Department of Technical Research at Harvard is considered the beginning of the modern conservation lab[2] .  As we near the 100 year anniversary of those pioneering museum conservators and scientists, it is useful to examine how the enterprise of institutionalized conservation practice has evolved in the 21st century in both the United States and Europe.

As part of a constellation of diverse and synergistic visions for future leadership within the field of  conservation, we present here the results of a survey exploring the evolution of the skills needed to successfully lead a contemporary museum practice that is both expansive and innovative.  

Recent surveys of business[3] and museum leaders[4] have evidenced shifts in the traits that are considered essential to successfully lead institutions. Translating this research to our contexts we asked : what has changed with respect to the past, and how can we ensure that we build a pipeline equipped to be successful in the future? 

Survey participants were asked to select and rank their top leadership traits out of a list of 30. A few museum Directors were also asked to prioritize the characteristics of the successful candidate for a headhunter.

Other questions aimed at exploring the public value of conservation and scientific research in museums in terms of communication, interpretation, publishing, public exhibitions and programs, pay equity, engaging with communities, and the museum’s responses to sustainability demands and restitution claims.

The results highlighted considerable alignment between museum directors and practitioners on several sets of key traits, including vision, integrity and an inclusive leadership style. Differences emerged in the value placed on skills that are essential for the day-to-day management of people and operations, versus reputational and strategic aspects of the role.

Overall, our results show that research and achievements in conservation and scientific research are being valued and shown in museums across the Atlantic. They demonstrate a steady progress towards eroding, if not completely disrupting, established institutional hierarchies and dismantling exclusionary labor practices that have so far favored a pipeline from privileged socioeconomic tiers into the profession.  

Our work also starts to chart the preferences that colleagues in the field have for leadership development opportunities, matching aspirations with financial sustainability and existing workloads. 

Building on these accomplishments, we imagine a future where conservators and scientists will consistently be leaders in the public facing mission of the museum, and have access to the resources that enable bold plans for change. If we want our field to continue to be a relevant force in the complex ecosystem of museums we need to invest in people and nurture the development of future leaders that will carry out this work. 

[1] Conference Internationale d’etude des methods scientifiiques appliques a l’examen et a la conservation des oeuvres d’art; Rome, October 13-17, 1930

[2] Bewer, Francesca G. 2010. A Laboratory for Art : Harvard’s Fogg Museum and the Emergence of Conservation in America, 1900-1950. Cambridge, MA, New Haven: Harvard Art Museum ; Yale University Press.

[3]  Hewlett, Sylvia Ann, 2024,The New Rules of Executive Presence: How leaders need to think and act now. Harvard Business Review,  p.134

[4] Sweeney, Liam and Joanna Dressel. "Art Museum Director Survey 2022: Documenting Change in Museum Strategy and Operations." Ithaka S+R. Last Modified 27 October 2022. https://doi.org/10.18665/sr.317777.

The current building of Mount Zion Baptist Church has been an anchor for the Black Community in Athens, Ohio since 1909; while the inception of the congregation dates back to 1872. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the church was in regular use through the 1990’s to the early 2000’s when attendance dwindled. Eventually the congregation disbanded, leaving the building vacant.

In 2013, a group of community members formed the Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society (MZBCPS) with the mission of restoring the building to become a Black Cultural Center. Yet, unlike many sacred spaces that have been repurposed without ties to, or recognition of,  past use; this project actively involves its history with a keen eye to the future.

Core to the preservation of the building is current MZBCPS President, Ada-Woodson Adams, who attended the church as a child, is Baptist and was married in the church. Adams is a genealogist, local historian, community organizer and Civil Rights activist. An advocate for historical preservation by recounting oral histories of underrepresented people and places; Ada-Woodson’s involvement has been included in a video documentation series spearheaded by Trevellya “Tee” Ford-Ahmed, PhD.,  Director of Communications and Media of MZBCPS. 

Tee has actively woven Mt. Zion’s significance into current events, such as integrating the series into school curriculum at Ohio University. Highlighting the building preservation as a conduit for discourse about community inequities has drawn the attention of the National Trust for Historic Preservation from which the MZBCPS has received a grant through the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

The grant thrust the efforts of the MZBCPS onto the national preservation stage not only as a recipient of funds; but as an example of how alternate efforts of advocacy can have success. Both Black women have been elevated through allyship by other members of the group - many who are newer to Athens and its history. MZBCPS exemplifies the power of acknowledging primary sources and voices, rather than deferring to parties disconnected to people and place to speak on behalf of a “disenfranchised” group. 

One of the first active conservation projects was a detailed survey of the historic stained glass windows conducted by stained glass conservator (and FAIC Fellow) Ariana Makau, principal conservator of Oakland, California based Nzilani Glass Conservation, (NGC). When it became time for the removal of the windows from the building in order to preserve them while other building elements were addressed, Makau paired with Lindsay Jones, owner and architectural preservation specialist of Blind Eye Restoration and BER’s team, based in Columbus, Ohio. 

The collaboration was more than the sum of its parts with insights shared freely on unusual window sash fabrication and installation (BER), health and safety considerations specific to leaded art glass treatment and removal (NGC) plus ongoing historic context shared by members of the MZBCPS throughout the process. This talk will cover the process of that collaboration, during that phase as well as the ongoing relationship, with highlights of our lessons learned and successes along the way.

This session is an introduction to Your Neighborhood Museum, a social justice organization based in California dedicated to sustainable community-led cultural heritage preservation models. Our mission is to help each other care for our cultural heritage with a focus on under-represented communities and to investigate and address the root causes of inequities in the arts and culture landscape.




We do this by making critical resources such as art conservation, exhibition design, research, technical and administrative support directly available and accessible to those under-resourced and under-recognized by traditional institutions. We leverage our professional skills, networks, and experience to collaborate with artists, culture workers, and communities to develop community-led projects and support communities in reaching their goals. We utilize a mutual aid framework that places value in people and relationships to strengthen our capacity to address community preservation needs.




YNM moves beyond the recognition that the predominant museum model is unsustainable and unethical, and presents a successful alternative model to how cultural heritage preservation efforts and resources can be organized. We will share the conditions and motivations behind the inception of YNM, our methodology for program development, and the values and ethics that guide our vision for the future. We acknowledge, uplift, and build upon previous and continuous efforts made by BIPOC culture workers to create and sustain models that center community needs, talents, and strengths.

The Los Angeles County’s Civic Art collection is comprised of over 600 contemporary and historic permanent public artworks located across County-owned property. These artworks are cultural assets that belong to and are enjoyed by all Los Angeles County residents. In recent efforts to provide equitable resources through the Civic Art Division’s commissions and programming, community engagement has been a focused goal. Artists are required to provide activities and feedback from community when fabricating a new artwork, ensuring that the artwork is truly representative of the communities where it resides. The natural extension to this work is to continue the engagement throughout the lifetime of the artwork, through artist activities, educational curriculum, and conservation projects. 

One of the collection’s most treasured artworks, Paul Botello’s Inner Resources mural, was created in 2000 at City Terrace Park. The artwork is one of the largest murals in Los Angeles and is the most often referenced of Botello’s works. Because of the mural’s significance to the community, the mural’s conservation was an ideal opportunity to support the growth of developing conservators and public artists from the surrounding City Terrace and East Los Angeles communities. The Civic Art Division released an open call for the Inner Resources Mural Conservation Apprenticeship Project in Winter 2023 for those interested or emerging in the conservation field and emerging public artists who have a connection or investment in the City Terrace and East Los Angeles communities. The open call provided a rare and paid opportunity to learn about the importance of preservation and participate in the conservation of a significant artwork in their community. 

Four artist apprentices and two emerging conservators were selected by a diverse panel of conservators, cultural workers, and the artist Paul Botello. Work began in Spring 2024 under the supervision of Site & Studio Conservation, led by Kiernan Graves and supported by a team of conservation professionals. The apprentices were given extensive training on identification and examination of condition phenomena and artist materials, agents of deterioration and risks to murals, conservation treatment skills, technical photography/documentation, and an introduction to analytical techniques. The artist Paul Botello worked on the larger areas of loss and mentored the apprentices about his artistic process giving the artists the opportunity to incorporate skills required for restoration.

Public artworks, and especially murals in the East Los Angeles community, provide inspiration, acting as both beautifier, educator, and witness. Communities like East Los Angeles, at the risk of displacement and gentrification greatly benefit from the investment in conservation, as one perceives the erasure of the visual stories of the artists and artworks as the erasure of the communities themselves. When community participates in the conservation of artworks that hold value to their culture and ancestral pasts, it creates an exchange of passion and appreciation for the artworks' meaning and preservation for the conservators, the participants, all that witness the conservation in action, and all who live in the community with an artwork that is cared for. The Civic Art Division hopes to continue this apprenticeship model that centers community knowledge and leadership for future conservation projects, as the response through this project amplifies the need for the conservation field to engage with communities, not as our presumed role as teacher, but as collaborator.

The 2024 LACDG session in Salt Lake City focused on acquisitions processes in libraries and archives, from the initial decision to acquire materials to receiving them and integrating them into our collections. One subject that garnered a lot of discussion was mold that comes to us on newly acquired books, papers, and beyond. The overwhelming interest in this topic inspired this year's discussion group theme. We will have three presentations from our colleagues who are actively working to tackle the problem of mold that we bring into our collections.
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A Proactive Approach to Managing Mold in Library Acquisitions
Clara Huisman (Book and Paper Conservator, University of Miami Libraries)
This presentation will outline the preventive measures the University of Miami Libraries' Preservation Department is implementing to mitigate mold in incoming collections. These include routine intake reviews, policies for accepting and remediating mold-affected materials, and participation in site visits prior to acquiring materials. The talk will examine the challenges of integrating preservation practices early in the intake process, while balancing the costs and safety requirements of biological risk management amidst the ongoing growth of the library’s collections.
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How much is enough? Re-examining the mold treatment protocol of works on paper from Harvard Library’s Special Collections 
Louise Baptiste (Senior Conservation Technician); Lisa Clark (Conservation Technician for Special Collections); Amanda Maloney (Special Collections Conservator); Kelli Piotrowski (Special Collections Conservator); and Eliza Spaulding (Helen H. Glaser Senior Paper Conservator), Weissman Preservation Center, Harvard Library 
In 2024, the Weissman Preservation Center, Harvard Library formed a working group to re-examine its mold treatment protocol of works on paper. Although well-defined, the protocol invited inquiry into long-standing questions, including: how much mold removal is enough to create the lowest possibility of regrowth? How can one treat paper with mold to maximize removal and minimize contamination during treatment? What equipment and procedures are necessary for ensuring staff safety? In this presentation and discussion, the authors share their current mold treatment protocol and the questions they’ve been investigating to think collectively through possible solutions.
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Effective Collaboration for Mold Remediation and Policy Development at the University of Michigan Library
Marieka Kaye (Director, Preservation Services, Physical Collections, University of Michigan Library)
Marieka will share the University of Michigan Library's experiences working with disaster recovery company BELFOR for mold remediation. She will highlight the process of sending library materials to be professionally remediated and tactics to keep valuable resources safe and preserved. Marieka will talk about the challenges and opportunities of working in a university where a centralized Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) department establishes rules regarding mold remediation. She will elaborate on the collaborative work between her library and the EHS crew to prepare a comprehensive standard operating procedures guide for working with mold. Marieka hopes to provide guidance for other institutions to balance vendor relationships with institutional policies, permitting a proactive and coordinated response for mold remediation and prevention.

Mercury, a common component in 18th, 19th, an 20th century collection items, is a well-known hazardous material with potentially severe short and long-term health consequences. Collection items with mercury include a wide variety of natural science specimens (geological, botanical, and taxidermy), pharmaceutical materials, historic pigments, historic mirrors and gilded wood, historic clothing items (felted items such as hats) and scientific instruments. While our understanding of the breadth of mercury use in cultural heritage items is growing, determining actual exposure risks and potential solutions for collections as well as collection care staff and visitors is a current area of research.

This joint session between the Preventive Care Network and the Object Specialty Group will acquaint participants with the range of collection items containing mercury as an intrinsic component, and will help initiate discussions among conservators about hazards, handling, and access. Panelists will present brief case studies to provide examples of risk management, exposure assessments, and handling protocols to control risks associated with these collection items.

Join us for a 90-minute panel of short presentations followed by discussion with the audience.

Panelists will cover topics including:

* Toxicology
* Industrial Hygiene
* Pharmaceutical collections
* Taxidermy and mineral collections
* Felted garments/textiles
* Mirrors
* Gilding
* Scientific Instruments