Apply for Professional Membership

Become a Leader in the Field

Professional Membership offers you an higher level of membership to which you can aspire, gives you professional validation, and more opportunities to further your career. We evaluate applicants using rubrics to assess your knowledge and experience of the essential competencies established for the field. Once approved, we will list you in our public "Find a Professional" tool.

Application Deadlines: 1st of January, July, & October

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Application Benefits

Applicants have many reasons for applying. Here are just a few.

Same Dues

Pay the same dues as regular members. This way you get more member benefits for the same rate.

One-time Application

Keep the designation for as long as you are a member, as long as you keep up with professional development credits and don't commit any Code of Ethics infractions.

Professional Location Tool

Be accessible to the greatest number of potential clients with a listing in our professional services location tool.

Marketing Materials

Use our designation mark in marketing. Our mark distinguishes you from the many businesses that do not abide by our code of ethics.

Scholarship Eligibility

Apply for scholarships open only to Professional Members. This funding helps defray costs for your professional development, including workshops, courses and conferences.

Professional Development

Get priority when it comes to registering for our workshops and courses.

Leadership Opportunities

Volunteer for leadership positions within the organization that are open only to Professional Members. Volunteering is a great way to build your resume and show your leadership skills in the field.

Jobs, Contracts, and Grants

Distguish yourself when applying for job, contracts, or grants. Many institutions and government agencies value it. The GSA's Fine Arts Policies and Procedures recognizes our qualifications as the standard for the field of conservation.

Respect From Colleagues

Provide your colleagues with the means to advocate for you. The colleagues you respect and admire think that being a Professional Member is a valuable part of being a professional. Aspire to join them.

Application Pathways

Applicants will pick one of these three pathways when applying.

Amaris Strum inpainting

Treatment

This pathway is for conservation professionals who engage in direct intervention applied to an artwork or cultural object in an an effort to stabilize its condition, prevent further deterioration, or alter its appearance so that viewers can better appreciate it when on display.

Successful applicants will have training and experience in specialized techniques like cleaning, repairing, consolidating, retouching, or reassembling parts of the piece.

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Preventive Care

This pathway is for conservation professionals who engage in indirect measures to protect and preserve artworks or cultural objects by monitoring and managing the environment and conditions in which they are stored, displayed, or handled.

Successful applicants will have training and experience in things like environmental control, proper storage or handling procedures, integrated pest management, or emergency preparedness and response.

Apply

Scientific Principles and Examination Methods

This pathway is for conservation professionals who apply scientific methods and analytical techniques to the study and preservation of artworks and cultural objects.

Successful applicants will have training and experience in identifying materials, understanding deterioration, advising on methods or materials for treatment or storage, or authenticating and analyzing objects.

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Application Parts

Applications have these four essential parts.

Resume/CV

A CV or resume that includes formal education, other related training and education, and professional experience.

3-5 Work Examples

Examples of work that demonstrate independent thinking skills, a comprehensive understanding the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice, and knowledege of the Essential Competencies.

12 Short Answer Questions

Short answers (200-300 words) that summarize your understanding of each of our Essential Competencies and how the examples of work submitted demonstrate this knowledge.

2 Sponsors

The names of two Professional Members who have agreed to review your application. At least one sponsor should: already be familiar with your work, share your specialty, and be employed outside your current workplace. They are anonymous to the review committee.

Application Steps

Applications follow this basic timeline of steps in the process.

Application Submission

Applicants pick one of the three pathways and then submit an application by one of the cycle deadlines.

Sponsor Review

We contact the sponsors designated by the applicant. They will have about two weeks to review the application using our evaluation rubrics.

Committee Review

Then the committee reviews the application using our evaluation rubrics and make a decision after meeting at the end of the month.

Notification

Then staff notifies applicants about their application status 6-8 weeks after submitting. Application are either approved or the committee provides feedback for re-application in a future cycle.

Application Guides

Applicants should review the following documents before beginning their application.

Essential Competencies for Professional Members

This document outlines the twelve basic competencies that define a conservation professional.

Download

Rubrics for Evaluation

This document outlines some of the ways in which an applicant can show their knowledge of a particular competency.

Download

Continuing Professional Development Plan

This document outlines how applicants can accrue continuing professional development credits and maintain the designation once approved.

Download

Application Review Committee

Applicants will have their application reviewed by all members of this committee.

Rebecca Gridley

Rebecca Gridley

Chair (2025-2026)

Rebecca holds a BA in Art History from Yale University, and an MS in Conservation and MA in Art History & Archaeology from the Conservation Center, The Institute of Fine Arts, NYU. She is currently an Associate Objects Conservator at Art Conservation Group, a private practice studio in New York specializing in objects conservation. ACG serves private collectors, major museums, galleries, and auction houses across the world, and provides a wide range of services, including conservation treatment, consulting services, condition surveys, scientific analysis, preventive conservation and collections care, and pest and mold remediation.

Before joining ACG, Rebecca worked as an Assistant Conservator the Objects Conservation Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she completed her internship year placement. She has also held graduate internships at The Brooklyn Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, The Frick Collection, and the American Museum of Natural History. Before graduate school she worked in private practices in Chicago and New York.

Rebecca is an active volunteer for both AIC and the International Committee for Museums-Conservation Committee (ICOM-CC) Glass & Ceramics Working Group. She has published and presented on the conservation of glass objects, and regularly lectures at the graduate level on ceramics technology and glass conservation.

Michael Henry

Michael C. Henry

Member (2020-2026)

Michael C. Henry is an architect/engineer in private practice specializing in conservation of built cultural heritage and environmental management for cultural heritage objects in the United States and internationally. He is also an adjunct professor in the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at the Stuart Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania and guest lecturer in the WUDPAC program.

Stephanie Lussier

Stephanie M. Lussier

Member (2025-2028)

Stephanie M. Lussier is the conservator for works on paper and photographs at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Stephanie is interested in interdisciplinary projects that enhance the dialogue among conservators and allied professionals. She is actively engaged in education and has taught paper conservation treatment and connoisseurship topics at the graduate level, has led hands-on workshops for allied professionals, and is the co-developer and co-instructor of the professional development course Modern/Contemporary Print Identification, first presented by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation in 2012. Ms. Lussier holds an M.A. with a Certificate of Advanced Study in Art Conservation, with a specialization in paper conservation, awarded by Buffalo State College, and a B.F.A. in Art History and Printmaking awarded by Massachusetts College of Art and Design. Stephanie served as Board Director of Professional Education for the American Institute for Conservation and Artistic Works from 2011-2017. In this position, Stephanie acts as the liaison to the Education and Training Committee (ETC) where she advises on long-term goals and planning related to professional education for the membership, and as liaison to the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network where she advises on and guides program development.

Contact Us

membership@culturalheritage.org or 202.661.8065

Patricia M.

Patricia O'Regan

Member (2020-2026)

Patricia M. "Trish" O'Regan is an experienced conservator with a demonstrated history of working in museums and private practice. She has a Master of Science with a focus on paintings conservation from the University of Delaware.

Nancie Ravenel

Nancie Ravenel

Member (2023-2026)

Nancie Ravenel is head of conservation at Shelburne Museum in Vermont. In the past, she served as Director, Communications, on the AIC Board.

Find a Professional

Search for professional members who after careful review of their training, knowledge, and experience by a body of their peers have demonstrated their strict adherence to our Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice.

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Become a Member

Membership gives you easy access to exclusive networking and events, supportive grants and scholarships, exciting job opportunities, and timely news and announcements, which helps you plug into the field, sharpen your skills, and position yourself as a strong advocate for professionalism in cultural heritage conservation.

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