Liaison Program News

Regional, Graduate School, and Speciality Group Liaisons kept busy this past Fall and Winter with event planning forming connections with their regions and networks! Continue reading for some of those highlights!

Jennifer Beetem and Kathryn Peneyra (Seattle) hosted an Art Night for pumpkin carving and a Portfolio Review with a recent graduate. Kaitlyn Wright (Atlanta), Travis Zuidema and Jennifer Bullock (Columbia, SC), and Nhat Quyen Nguyen and Caroline Shaver (Williamsburg) have also hosted a joint Portfolio Night. Kaitlyn also hosted a Q&A for area ECPs to ask questions of established conservators at local museums and libraries. Nhat and Caroline also consistently host a book club. Texas liaisons, Ali Wysopal (Austin), Brianna Warren (Houston), and Emma Ross (Dallas) hosted a Texas-wide Conservators in Private Practice Panel that spoke with CIPP in various stages of their careers. Veronica Mercado Oliveras, Paola Valentin Irrizarry, and Mayuli Santiesteban (Puerto Rico) organized a Meet and Greet event and have been busy translating ECPN resources into Spanish. Mackenzie Fairchild and Brianna Bosley (Chicago) hosted a Midwest Meet and Greet for area ECPs to network and talk about their experiences. Greta Llanes (Boston) and Brianna Turner (Providence) co-hosted a similar Meet and Greet for their combined regions! Emma Cieslik (Indianapolis) has hosted two Meet a Conservator events during which she interviewed practicing conservators (paper, books, paintings, and conservation science) about their education and career pathways to conservation. Olivia Schoenfeld (Upstate NY) has been hosting virtual podcast discussions that focus on issues within the conservation field. Katherine Langdon (St. Louis) sends out a regular email newsletter to her membership list with updates from ECPN and her region. Clair Emma Smith and Laura García Vedrenne (SF) have started a mentorship program with local conservators and their area ECPs - stay tuned for an interview about their program!

We are very excited that we have been able to expand the Regional Liaison network to include five new cities (Indianapolis, IN; Providence, RI; Nashville, TN; Dallas, TX; and Upstate, NY). Currently there are now a total of 29 Regional liaison positions, 5 of which have co-liaison teams. For the 2020-2021 term we are excited to welcome: Hannah Muchnick (Baltimore, MD), Brianna Bosley (Chicago, IL), Anna Ersenkal and Daisy Greenwell (both Philadelphia, PA), Nhat Queen Nguyen and Caroline Shaver (both Williamsburg, VA), Kathryn Peneyra (Seattle, WA), Devon Lee (New York, NY), Brittay Wallace (Denver, CO), Hannah Muchnick (Baltimore, MD), Emma Cieslik (Indianapolis, IN), Briana Turner (Providence, RI), Emma Ross (Dallas, TX), Emily Farek (Nashville, TN), and Liv Schoenfeld (Upstate, NY).  

We are also excited to announce that we will soon be launching a liaison group in Puerto Rico.

We also welcome our new Special Group Liaisons: Brooke Russell (Architecture Speciality Group), Caitlin Sofield (Wooden Artifacts Group), and Kris Cnossen (Textile Speciality Group). 

This summer Jenny McGough and Elizabeth Salmon, Los Angeles Regional Liaisons, worked closely with Madalyn Meehan, CIPP Liaison, on a virtual lab tour of Madalyn's private practice studio, M Conservation. Kaeley Ferguson, Boston Regional Liaison, hosted a happy hour event through Zoom. Brianna Warren, Houston Regional Liaison, hosted a virtual Bob Ross Painting Tutorial Evening. Laura García Vedrenne and Clair Emma Smith, San Francisco Regional Liaisons, have hosted virtual Annual Meeting discussions. 

-Michaela Paulson and Ashley Stanford, ECPN Outreach Officers, ecpn.aic.outreach@gmail.com

As we enter a new decade, the ECPN Outreach team is proud to announce that there are over 50 liaisons within the network, making this one of the most active terms in regard to liaison participation. This includes 24 Regional Liaisons spread out over 19 regions, 10 Specialty Group Liaisons, 9 Committee and Network Liaisons, and 9 Graduate Liaisons. Many new ECPN Liaisons have joined since July 2019, and include Joy Bloser and Jen Munch as co-liaisons to the new Contemporary Art Network (CAN!), Lauren Conway as the new Archaeological Discussion Group liaison, Alexis Machnik for the Book and Paper Specialty Group liaison, and several new Regional Liaisons: Fallon Murphy (Tuscon, AZ), Laura García Vedrenne and Clair Smith (San Francisco/Bay Area, CA), Kaitlyn Wright (Atlanta, GA), Catherine Cooper (Natchitoches, LA), Kaeley Ferguson (Boston, MA), Kyle Clark (Ann Arbor, MI), Taylor Brehm (Twin Cities), Katherine Langdon (St. Louis, MO), Jacqueline Chmura (co-NYC Liaison), Amaris Sturm (Cleveland, OH), and Jennifer Beetem (Seattle, WA). Many of our liaisons have held successful events such as portfolio days, webinar viewing sessions, happy hours, lab tours, and crafting activities. We're incredibly proud of our wonderful, engaged liaison community and hope that many can organize meet-and-greets at this year's Annual Meeting (at which multiple liaisons will be presenting research!).

-Marci Jefcoat Burton and Michaela Paulson, ECPN Outreach Officers, ecpn.aic.outreach@gmail.com

With the start of the new 2019-2020 term, ECPN Outreach Officers are preparing a liaison vacant posting that will include opportunities for ECPs to step into a liaison leadership role in several regions across the country, as well as with various specialty groups and committees & networks within AIC. We are pleased to welcome incoming ECPN liaisons: Sarah Casto for the Photographic Materials Group (PMG), Melissa King for Connecting to Collections Care (C2CC), Hayley Monroe for Conservators in Private Practice (CIPP), Tatiana Shannon for the Objects Specialty Group (OSG) and Céline Wachsmuth for the Education and Training Committee (ETC). We also welcome the following incoming Regional Liaisons: Mari Hagemeyer for Baltimore, MD, Emily Mercer for Williamsburg, VA, as well as Brianna Warren as the new Houston, TX Regional co-Liaison. Incoming Graduate Program Liaisons will be accounted in early Fall, 2019.

-Marci Jefcoat Burton and Michaela Paulson, ECPN Outreach Officers, ecpn.aic.outreach@gmail.com

At the beginning of the term, ECPN Outreach Officers Caitlin Richeson and Marci Jefcoat Burton checked in with the different liaison programs. This was an opportunity for incoming liaisons to hear about the activities returning liaisons held in the previous term. Regional liaisons for San Francisco, Felice Robles and Justine Wuebold, organized conservation lab tours of the Walt Disney Family Museum and Stanford Library. Specialty Group Liaison, Elizabeth Boyne, worked closely with the Conservators in Private Practice (CIPP) leadership to understand the need and development of a mentorship program for emerging professionals in private practice. Our Graduate Liaison program has expanded to include Marissa Stevens as the liaison for the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and Charlotte Eagle from the Pratt Institute. We also welcome new Regional Liaisons Brooke Young Russell (New York), Kate Aguirre (co-RL for Philadelphia, PA), Katya Zinsli (Arizona) and Tessa Young (Williamsburg, VA).

- Caitlin Richeson and Marci Jefcoat Burton, ECPN Outreach Officers, ecpn.aic.outreach@gmail.com

This latest ECPN Outreach series 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 program or specialty, they are here to help!

Click on the pdf below for a Q&A session with ECPN Columbia Graduate Liaison, Gabriela Figuereo, a recent graduate from the Historic Preservation Program at Columbia University. Learn more about resources and tools for graduate school, architecture conservation, and this exciting emerging conservator!

ECPN Outreach Graduate Liaison Highlight Columbia

This latest ECPN Outreach series 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 program or specialty, they are here to help!

Click on the pdf below for a Q&A session with ECPN Queens Graduate Liaison, Grace McLean, current second-year Master of Art Conservation candidate at Queen’s University, specializing in Paper treatment. Learn more about preparing for graduate school, the program at Queen's University, and this exciting emerging conservator! 

ECPN Outreach Graduate Liaison Highlight Queens 2021

This latest ECPN Outreach series 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 program or specialty, they are here to help!

Click on the pdf below for a Q&A session with ECPN Buffalo Graduate Liaison, Abby Schleicher, current second-year student at The SUNY Buffalo State, Garman Art Conservation Department, specializing in works of art on paper. Read more about Abby’s personal insight into Buffalo, graduate school, application tips, and valuable resources!

ECPN Outreach Graduate Liaison Highlight Buffalo

This latest ECPN Outreach series 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 program or specialty, they are here to help!

Click on the pdf below for a Q&A session with ECPN UCLA/Getty Graduate Liaison, Lauren Conway, current PhD candidate and ECPN co-Liaison to the LA Region, Elizabeth Salmon, who have answered questions about their graduate studies, pre-program experiences, and career goals within the The UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program (IDP) in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials.

ECPN Outreach Graduate Liaison Highlight UCLA/Getty 2020

This latest ECPN Outreach series 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 program or specialty, they are here to help!

Click on the pdf below for a 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.

ECPN Outreach Graduate Liaison Highlight WUDPAC 2020

This latest ECPN Outreach series 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 program or specialty, they are here to help!

Click on the pdf below for a Q&A session with current student and ECPN UPenn Graduate Liaison, Meris Westberg (left), and alum and current ECPN Communications Officer, Héctor J. Berdecía-Hernández (right), to discuss their experiences within the Graduate Program in Historic Preservation at the University of Pennsylvania.

ECPN Outreach Graduate Liaison Highlight UPenn 2020