• PACIN Goes to AIC!

    In another first for our group, PACIN took our booth down the road to Los Angeles where AIC (The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) held its 37th Annual Meeting on May 19–22.

    Our presence there was made possible to a large degree due to the generosity of AIC and specifically of Amanda Knowles Meetings Coordinator – AIC, and Ruth Seyler - Membership and Meetings Director - AIC.

    To do well the work we all care about, we need to not only reaffirm the relationships we have with organizations like the RCAAM, we need to reach out to other professional organizations that are our natural partners like AIC.

    This year at AAM's annual meeting in Philadelphia Brent met with officers of the RCAAM as well as those of AAM overall to further our mutual interests. PACIN is actively partnering with RCAAM (especially in the Western region), and with other regional Museum Associations trying to meet the demand for handling and packing workshops all over the country.

    Of the visit to AIC
    I left there excited to see what can develop in working with this newest generation of conservators. Many of us have had excellent relationships with individual conservators through the years, but it appears to me there is an increase of interest on a broader scale in areas practice where we can provide solid practical expertise. I have also sensed a related increase in respect for our profession as a whole. This new relationship opens a set of possibilities that demonstrate yet another aspect of why this is such an exciting time to be participating with PACIN, and helping to chart its course.

    PACIN is all about the walk not just the talk. When PACIN comes to the party things get done. For starters see “PACIN supports AIC Angels”.


    The 2009 AIC “Angels” and Museum curator, Lorene (Lori) Sisquoc at the Sherman Indian School, Riverside, California

    Every year a group of conservators volunteer to assist a local institution in the host city of the annual meeting. (If this sounds familiar it is probably because the Registrars committee traditionally puts together a group of registrars called the “white glove gang” to complete a project to coincide with AAM’s annual meeting).

    The purpose of this years project is to inventory, survey and re-house objects and archival materials from the Sherman Indian Schools Museum’s collection. The project was organized by Molly Gleeson and Özge Gençay Üstün, recent graduates the UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in Archaeological and Ethnographic Conservation, and is supported by generous contributions from:





    Sherman Indian Museum curator, Lorene (Lori) Sisquoc, discussing the history of the museum with Angels volunteers


    Ellen Pearlstein and Linda Lin with storage mounts; Mylar (Melinex - courtesy of PACIN) being put to good use.

    A big “thank you” to the conservators that are our partners in protecting objects and artifacts.