Blogs

ECPN Events at AIC 2025

By Ashley Stanford posted 05-23-2025
The Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) Officers are thrilled for the AIC Annual Meeting in Minneapolis next week! We're particularly excited to see early career professionals showcased in nearly all specialty group talks, concurrent sessions, and posters. Are you presenting or authoring a project? Be sure your name is on the list of ECP presenters . If it's not there, please add! Also, check out ECPN's Wiki Page on Presenting Talks & Posters for tips. ECPN is dedicated to supporting those entering the field or in the early stages of their careers. The AIC Annual Meeting provides a unique platform to connect with peers, participate ...

ECPN Events at 2021 AIC/SPNHC Joint Virtual Annual Meeting

By Héctor Berdecía-Hernández posted 05-01-2021
The Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) is excited to announce three events at at AIC's 49th Annual Meeting – 2021 AIC/SPNHC Joint Virtual Annual Meeting (May 10- June 24, 2021). ECPN offers resources and programming for those who are interested in entering the field or are in the early stages of their career. The annual meeting offers a unique opportunity for emerging conservation professionals to meet and participate in ECPN-organized events within the context of attending a large professional meeting. Visit the AIC website to learn more about the annual meeting and how to register for the conference and ticketed events ( link ). 1. ECPN ...

Get to know the ECPN Graduate Liaisons: Nylah Byrd and WUDPAC

By Ashley Stanford posted 10-23-2020
Spotlight on WUDPAC Hello ECPs! The latest ECPN Outreach series highlight is now LIVE! Click HERE for the Q&A session with ECPN WUDPAC Graduate Liaison, Nylah Byrd , who has answered questions about her graduate studies, pre-program experiences, and career goals within the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation . This latest program is part of a larger series that highlights the Graduate Liaisons in the ECPN Liaison Program , who facilitate the flow of information about their particular graduate programs from their perspectives to you, their fellow emerging conservators. Whether you’re pre-program or a graduate of a different ...

Archiving 2020 ONLINE: Leslie Johnston (NARA) to Present on Digital Preservation

By Roberta Morehouse posted 04-30-2020
Leslie Johnston to Present on Digital Preservation Published on April 27, 2020 Peter D. Burns Imaging system consultant: design, evaluation, and improvement. Next month IS&T’s Archiving 2020 Conference will be presented online. On 18 May, the first keynote talk will be given by Leslie Johnston (US National Archives and Records Administration). She will present, The Ever-Changing Work that is Digital Preservation . Since the mid-1990s, digital preservation has transformed from a secondary activity at a select few cultural heritage organizations to a vital international effort with its own best ...

Paper Conservation Opportunity

By Julie Reilly posted 02-12-2020
Head of Paper Conservation, ICA - Art Conservation ICA seeks a full time mid-to senior-level paper conservator to head its expanding paper conservation laboratory. The lab is part of a vibrant nonprofit, regional conservation center in Cleveland, Ohio. The ICA conservation facility resides in a restored warehouse building in a revitalized area adjacent to downtown on Lake Erie. With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, ICA will be enlarging and improving the paper conservation laboratory in the coming months. The incumbent will head the paper conservation laboratory, supervise two paper conservation assistants, and participate in establishing the ...

ECPN Interview: Photographic Materials Conservation with Courtney Helion

By Annabelle Camp posted 01-08-2020
To promote awareness and a clearer understanding of different pathways into specializations that require particular training, the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) is conducting a series of interviews with conservation professionals in these specialties. We began the series with East Asian Art conservation , Electronic Media Group (EMG) and continued with practitioners in AIC's Wooden Artifact Group (WAG) . Now we are interviewing conservation professionals working in Photographic Materials. We've asked our interviewees to share some thoughts about their career paths, which we hope will inspire emerging conservation professionals and provide ...

Empowering Change through Salary Advocacy and Negotiation

By Jen Munch posted 10-29-2019
Anisha Gupta, Ariel O’Connor, and Jen Munch There’s a general taboo in society to talk about money, and this extends to discussing your salary, especially in the workplace. But this attitude has led to significantly depressed wages, especially for women and people of color. In April, ECPN and AIC’s Equity & Inclusion Committee hosted a webinar entitled “ Gender Equity in the Conservation Field ”. This blog post continues the conversation looking specifically at the gender pay gap and the importance of negotiating your salary. How many of us have heard these sentiments in the workplace: “You’re lucky to have this job. You should be grateful, ...

ECPN: Welcome 2019-20 ECPN Officers!

By Evelyn Mayberger posted 06-13-2019
As incoming Chair, I am pleased to introduce the officers of the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) for the 2019-2020 term. ECPN is grateful for the dedication and service of our outgoing officers Riley Cruttenden, Jen Munch, Kat Fanning, and Quinn Ferris ; our Regional, Graduate, Specialty Group, and Committee & Network liaisons; and our outgoing Chair, Kari Rayner. We wish you all the best and hope to see you involved in future AIC and ECPN initiatives! 2018-19 and 2019-20 ECPN Officers at the 2019 Annual Meeting in New England: (front, left to right) Keara Teeter, Eve Mayberger, Jen Munch, and Candace Kang; (back, left to ...

Follow-up to“Gender and Leadership in Museums Today: Gender Equity in the Conservation Field,”An AIC ECPN and E&IC Webinar with Joan Baldwin and Anne Ackerson

By Jen Munch posted 04-30-2019
This webinar took place on April 24, 2019 and featured presenters Anne W. Ackerson and Joan Baldwin of Leadership Matters and the Gender Equity in Museums Movement. Please see the previous post announcing the webinar for more extensive biographies of the speakers, and visit AIC’s YouTube Channel for the full recording of the webinar . Several questions from viewers could not be answered during the webinar due to time constraints; however, Joan and Anne have generously answered some of them here. We have also included a list of resources at the end of this blog post. Q&A Q: How do you think someone in private practice can utilize ...

ECPN Interview: Wooden Artifacts Conservation with Karen Bishop

By Candace Kang posted 01-07-2019
To promote awareness and a clearer understanding of pathways into specializations within conservation, the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) has been conducting a series of interviews with conservation professionals in a variety of disciplines. We began the series with Chinese and Japanese painting conservation and continued the series by focusing on practitioners working with Electronic Media . In this interview series, we spoke with members of AIC’s Wooden Artifact Group (WAG). These conservators work with various wooden objects, which can range from furniture and musical instruments to waterlogged wood, frames, and more. We’ve asked our ...

ECPN’s Follow-Up to the Fall Webinar on Project Management-- Q&A and Additional Resources

By Jen Munch posted 12-10-2018
ECPN’s recent webinar, "Project Management: A Crucial 'Soft Skill' for the 21st-Century Emerging Conservation Professional," took place on Tuesday, November 27, 2018, and featured Quinn Ferris and Nicolette Meister. The full recording of the webinar is available on AIC’s YouTube Channel. One question from a viewer could not be answered due to time constraints; however, Quinn Ferris has generously answered it here. What strategies do you use to find a work/life balance with a heavy work load? Quinn : I think an important step for me early on was to mentally shift from being a student to a professional. I think as students we become habituated ...

The Mariners' Museum and Park Paid Summer Internship (Newport News, Virginia, US)

By Karen Bishop posted 11-09-2018
The Mariners' Museum and Park is offering a 10-week summer internship to conduct material analysis and conservation assessment of the Spanish fishing boat 'Isabel' (1925) within the Institution's Collection of 150 small craft from 42 countries. The twenty-two foot long vessel is constructed from wood and decorated with traditional folk paintings and other ornamental elements. At present the object has condition issues which include: structural damage, separation of framing components, and delamination of paint across multiple surfaces. The internship will focus on the inventorying and identification of component parts, the characterization of paint layers and ...

ECPN Interview: Wooden Artifacts Conservation with Harry DeBauche

By Awyn Rileybird posted 11-05-2018
To promote awareness and a clearer understanding of pathways into specializations within conservation, the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) has been conducting a series of interviews with conservation professionals in a variety of disciplines. We began the series with Chinese and Japanese painting conservation and continued the series by focusing on practitioners working with Electronic Media . In this interview series, we spoke with members of AIC’s Wooden Artifact Group (WAG). These conservators work with various wooden objects, which can range from furniture and musical instruments to waterlogged wood, frames, and more. We’ve asked our ...

Meet-Up for Tucson ECPN Members

By Katya Zinsli posted 10-24-2018
Hello Tucson Members! As the Regional Liaison for Arizona, I will be hosting an ECPN Happy Hour event for members, at any stage in their careers, to meet each other and discuss current projects and interests. Pre-program and those who have an interest in the field are highly encouraged to come as well! It will be held at Gentle Ben's Brewing on Tuesday, November 13th, starting at 5:30pm . If you know you will be attending please email tucson.ecpn.liaison@gmail.com , so I can be sure to have enough space reserved. Please spread the word! Thank you and I can't wait to meet you all! Gentle Ben's Brewing 865 E University Blvd, Tucson, AZ 85719 Best regards, ...

ECPN Interview: Wooden Artifacts Conservation with Paige Schmidt

By Awyn Rileybird posted 10-24-2018
To promote awareness and a clearer understanding of pathways into specializations within conservation, the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) has been conducting a series of interviews with conservation professionals in a variety of disciplines. We began the series with Chinese and Japanese painting conservation and continued the series by focusing on practitioners working with Electronic Media . In this interview series, we spoke with members of AIC’s Wooden Artifact Group (WAG). These conservators work with various wooden objects, which can range from furniture, musical instruments, waterlogged wood, frames, and more. We’ve asked our interviewees ...

ECPN International Training Interview Series with Sue Donovan

By Kat Fanning posted 10-19-2018
This blog post series will look at United States citizens who trained abroad and are currently practicing conservation in the US. The goal of these interviews is twofold: to provide pre-program students with a starting point for understanding international training through a range of student perspectives and to bring awareness of overseas conservation training programs to conservators practicing in the United States. It is the hope that the discussion of international training will answer questions and start an open dialog of the challenges and benefits of training abroad. This blog series takes the form of interviews with established and emerging ...

Conservation Internship (paid), Harpers Ferry Center

By Fran Ritchie posted 10-15-2018
The National Park Service Harpers Ferry Center is offering a paid conservation internship for the 2019 academic year (Jan-May). To be eligible, applicants must be currently enrolled in an academic program or recently graduated (degree received October 2017 or later). Additional archives internships are also available. Harpers Ferry Center, Museum Conservation : Assists with object handling, object photography, report writing, database entry, lab maintenance, and basic treatment steps for a variety of NPS artifacts on loan to Harpers Ferry Center (HFC) for conservation treatment. Training will be provided in all areas listed above, but advanced knowledge of ...

ECPN’s Follow-Up to the Spring Webinar on Preventive Conservation-- Q&A and Additional Resources

By Jen Munch posted 09-28-2018
ECPN’s recent webinar “ Lights, Camera, (Preventive) Action! Careers in Preventive Conservation, ” took place on April 26, 2018 and featured Dr. Joelle D. J. Wickens, Jessica Pace and Jamie Gleason. For biographies of each speaker, please see the previous blog post announcing the webinar . The full recording of the webinar is available on AIC’s YouTube Channel. Several questions from viewers could not be addressed during the webinar due to time constraints; however, the panelists have generously answered them here. Q&A Like setting up a treatment lab, what basic equipment, materials, and resources do preventive conservators ...