American Institute for Conservation

American Institute for Conservation
Full name American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)
Founded 1972
Affiliation Professional association

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) is a national membership organization of conservation professionals, headquartered in Washington D.C.. It is the only organization of its kind dedicated to the preservation of cultural materials. The AIC plays a crucial role in establishing and upholding high professional standards, promoting research and publication, providing educational opportunities, and fostering the exchange of knowledge among conservators, allied professionals, and the public. The core of its membership consists of accomplished professionals who have excelled in their field.[1] It is the largest and most reputable organization that serves conservators and their interests.[2]

History

The AIC first launched in 1972 with only a handful of members. Now it is grown to over 3,500 members in over twenty countries around the world. The backgrounds of the members are diverse, meaning not only conservators can be members.[3] In addition to conservators, among the members of AIC are well-established educators, art historians and archivists. AIC encompasses specialty groups by format and topic. They offer publications and resources that are very important to the field of cultural heritage preservation. The AIC features the FAIC, which offers education opportunities, grants and scholarships. The AIC also hosts an annual meeting where members can come together to discuss new and old conservation techniques, materials, etc.

Core values

The AIC has 6 core values they strive to maintain:[4]

Preservation of Cultural Heritage The AIC promotes the preservation of cultural heritage as a way to better understand our shared humanity. It is a way to honor the history and integrity of humanities overall achievements.

Advocacy The AIC strives to be the voice for the preservation of cultural materials and advocate for positive public policies.

Professionalism The AIC supports the work and services of professionally qualified individuals who adhere to a proper code of ethics and guidelines.

Education and Lifelong Learning The AIC works to attain expert knowledge on materials, technologies, and conservation techniques. They are dedicated to research, sharing their knowledge with others, and providing means of continued education.

Member Services The AIC works to welcome any person or organization as members. They encourage networking among their members and provide services that help their members in the long run.

Governance AIC works towards sustained and strategic management of its organization. They understand their responsibility to their members, partners, the public and its preservation agenda.

Mission Statement

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC) is the national membership organization supporting conservation professionals in preserving cultural heritage by establishing and upholding professional standards, promoting research and publications, providing educational opportunities, and fostering the exchange of knowledge among conservators, allied professionals, and the public.[4]

Vision Statement

AIC envisions a world in which the preservation of cultural material is appreciated and supported, thereby encouraging knowledge and understanding of our cultural heritage.[4]

Membership

The AIC is a national membership organization supporting conservation professionals in preserving cultural heritage by establishing and upholding high professional standards, promoting research and publications, providing educational opportunities, and fostering the exchange of knowledge among conservators and allied professionals.[5] Full membership for an individual is $144 a year. Full membership for an institution is $215 a year.[5] Professional associates of the AIC are conservators, conservation scientists, educators, or others professionally involved in conservation who, through training, knowledge, and experience, have shown a commitment to the purposes for which AIC was established. A candidate for professional associate status must have earned an undergraduate university degree (or the international equivalent) and completed at least two years of basic training and three years of experience in his/her special field beyond the training period. They also offer secondary memberships for their specialty groups.[5]

Foundation

The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation (FAIC) was incorporated in 1972 to support the charitable, scientific, and educational activities of the AIC. FAIC primarily manages and provides funds for educational and professional development for the betterment of the conservation profession.[6]

Education

The FAIC organizes workshops, conferences, and online courses. They also provide resources for online tutorials and other professional development resources. The FAIC offers several grants and scholarships to promote professional development, outreach to the public, publications, and conservation projects. In addition, the AIC has assembled several resources for outside funding. All courses, workshops, grants and scholarships can be signed up/applied for through the AIC's website.

Workshops[7]

Courses[7]

Grants and Scholarships

Publications and Resources

The AIC offers a wide variety of publications and resources to its members and to the public. Their publications include The Journal of the American Insititure for Conservation, AIC News, and Specialty Group Publications. Their resources include online resources such as Blog, CoOL, and the AIC's WIKI.

Journal of the American Institute for Conservation

The Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC) is an important vehicle for the publication of technical studies, research papers, treatment case studies and ethics and standards discussions relating to the broad field of conservation.[10] Members and outside groups/individuals are encouraged to submit their research and articles for possible publication. Subscriptions are available to AIC members and are open to major libraries and universities.

AIC News

The AIC News is an online newsletter published 6 times per year. It provides members with up-to-date news on conservation issues, new research and materials, organizational matters within the AIC and FAIC, specialty group and networking activities, upcoming and past conferences, recent publications and employment opportunities[11]

Specialty Groups

AIC's Specialty Groups are subgroups within AIC that focus on specific areas of expertise or interest. Specialty groups include: Architecture, Book and Paper, Conservation in Private Practice, Electronic Media, Objects, Paintings, Photographic Materials, Research and Technical Studies, Textiles, and Wooden Artifacts. Each specialty group publishes its own column in the AIC News along with separate publications. They also conduct sessions at the AIC's annual meeting.[12]

References

  1. ↑ "About Us". American Institute for Conservation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "From the Conservator's Bench: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works". Gilcrease Museum. Archived from the original on 10 May 2015. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "Journal of the American Institute for Conservation". SCImago Journal & Country Rank. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "About Us". American Institute for Conservation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Membership: Who Can Join". American Institute for Conservation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation: Strategic Planning for the Future". YouTube. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Current Courses". American Institute for Conservation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Kress Conservation Fellowship". Kress.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Grants and Scholarships". American Institute for Conservation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Journal of the American Institute for Conservation". Maney Online. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "AIC News". American Institute for Conservation. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  12. ↑ "Specialty Groups". American Institute for Conservation. Retrieved 29 April 2015.
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