Membership

Membership informs your work, connects you with your colleagues, and advances your career. Share knowledge, celebrate accomplishment, and lead the field.

Membership

Volunteer Opportunities

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Late applications through May 15, 2025

See list for openings for the 2025-2026 term. Groups will start to look at applications after the deadline but positions will remain open until filled.

Apply

We publish a call for organizational leaders at the beginning of each year. Please apply by the deadline for first consideration. We will consider applications on a rolling basis and will remove positions as we fill them. Unless otherwise noted, all applicants must have a current membership.

How to Apply

Our application system is connected to your Member Portal.

Read the descriptions below, then click the Apply button. You can also use the top level navigation in the Member Portal to visit Applications / Browse Opportunities.
Select either Elected Role or Volunteer Application, then Select Submit Application (or Nomination, if you are nominating an officer). Follow the instructions on the form.

Process

Committee members review applications for board-appointed/non-elected positions and make recommendations to the board, which makes the final decision by vote.
Applicant should hear back from the committee chair about their appointments in mid- to late March.
Although we begin training new leaders in April, all terms officially begin and/or end at the AIC Annual Meeting or related business meeting. We list term length in the position descriptions.

If you see a position description missing from the list below, email membership@culturalheritage.org.

Elected Roles

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EMG - Assistant Program Chair

Term: 1 year. After the first year, you will move into the Program Chair position.
Description: The Assistant Program Chair is responsible for assisting the Program Chair with planning the specialty group sessions for the AIC annual meeting. This includes helping draft the call for papers, reviewing submissions, and coordinating logistics.
Requirements:
Include a Statement of interest in the position and a short biography (300 words maximum each). Both will be included in the ballot.
Contact: Dan Finn, current Chair, finnd@si.edu

Appointed (Non-Elected) Roles

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Collaborative Workshops in Photograph Conservation Advisory Committee - Member (3 hr/month)

Term: 2 years with two possible 2-year renewals
Description: The Advisory Committee is responsible for the conception and planning of FAIC's Collaborative Workshops in Photograph Conservation. Examples of their recent project include The Big Picture workshop (2022) and Photomechanical Prints symposium (2023). Committee members provide input, ideas, and advice regarding workshop topics, speakers, and content. Additionally, committee members contribute to special projects as assigned, including acting as the committee liaison for a workshop. Members are expected to commit to monthly calls.
Requirements: Experience with photographic materials. Interest in training and education, public engagement and outreach, or mentorship. Preference may be given to applicants whose geographic locations, employment type, professional background, or experience diversify the current committee demographics. There is no AIC membership requirement. AIC membership is not required.
Contact for Questions: Nikkie Markle at nmarkle@culturalheritage.org (FAIC education manager) or Laura Panadero at L-Panadero@NGA.GOV (CWPC Advisory Committee chair)
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Communications Committee - Vice Chair (2-4 hours per month)

Term: 4 years; Years 1 and 2 as Vice Chair, and Years 3 and 4 as Chair (4-8 hours per month).
Deadline: March 1 or open until filled
Description: The Communications Committee is composed of 6 subcommittees which maintain standards, provide guidelines, and assists as necessary with AIC and Specialty Group publications, annual meeting postprints, outreach, the wiki, and AIC’s web platforms. The committee looks for partnership opportunities between groups both within and outside the organization to improve content, workflows, and volunteer resources.
Committee leadership meets bimonthly (every other month) and includes the Chair, Vice Chair, liaisons from each of the subcommittees, the Board Liaison, representatives from the AIC staff, and the AIC editors. The Vice Chair assists the Chair as needed in leading meetings, creating minutes and board reports, and sharing documentation with the wider committee. The Vice Chair may participate in the work of any of the subcommittees and assumes the position of Chair at the end of their term.
Requirements: AIC membership
Additional considerations: Prior experience with print, online publishing, wikis, or content management systems helpful, but not required.
Contact for Questions: Questions can be sent to Communications Committee Chair Luisa Casella at luisa.casella@gmail.com.
H&SN - Secretary (2-4 hours/month)
Health & Safety Network - Secretary
Term: 4 years, renewable
Application deadline: June 15
The Health and Safety Network is a group of conservators and health & safety professionals who study health and safety trends, collaborate on health and safety resources, and educate AIC members and other cultural professionals on best practices for health and safety issues.
Our officers actively seek collaborators in our mission to increase the profession's knowledge of safety hazards, control measures, and general health issues. An important part of this work is documentation and record-keeping, handled by the H&SN Secretary.
The Secretary:
- Attends the monthly H&SN meeting via Zoom; takes, edits, and uploads meeting minutes to the AIC Community
- Submits documentation to appropriate electronic records management site (Community Library, Google Docs)
- Organizes and maintains the H&SN Library
- Answers emails sent to the H&SN email address
- Optional: Develop a project related to Heath & Safety or join an existing project or working group
Requirements: AIC Membership.
Additional considerations: Attendance at the AIC Annual Meeting is not required.
Contact for Questions: H&SN Chair Stephanie Black, sblack@anchoragemuseum.org.
Imaging WG - Chair track: Vice Chair (5 hours/month)
Imaging Working Group - Vice Chair to Chair
Term: 3 years: 1-year term that transitions into 2-year term as Chair
Deadline: March 3, or until filled
Description: The AIC Imaging Working Group (IWG) is an international community of conservators, photographers, scientists, and others with the shared interested of conservation imaging. We prioritize communication, connection, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to develop and share resources, projects, and solutions. One major effort has been to develop an Imaging Wiki on the AIC Wiki platform (www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Imaging) as a dynamic online resource for the community. The IWG is partnered with the AIC Research and Technical Studies (RATS) Specialty Group and plans annual imaging tracks at the AIC annual meeting.
Vice Chair responsibilities include:
- Attending IWG meetings and Leadership Team meetings (~2hrs/month)
- Supporting IWG Chair and IWG Secretary (~1-2hrs/month)
- Learning/training while providing support to the Chair (~1hr/month)
Requirements: Demonstrated interest in imaging and in networking with other imaging, conservation, and allied professionals. Preference for IWG leadership team to be AIC and RATS members.
Contact for Questions: Chair Adam Neese at adam_neese@moma.org
Imaging WG - Program Chair (5 hours/month)
Imaging Working Group - Program Chair
Term: 2 year term
Deadline: March 3 or open until filled
Description: The AIC Imaging Working Group (IWG) is an international community of conservators, photographers, scientists, and others with the shared interested of conservation imaging. We prioritize communication, connection, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to develop and share resources, projects, and solutions. Our major effort has been to develop an Imaging Wiki on the AIC Wiki platform (www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Imaging) as a dynamic online resource for the community. The IWG is partnered with the AIC Research and Technical Studies (RATS) Specialty Group.
IWG has planned well-attended sessions at the AIC Annual Meeting for several years. We need your help to keep it going!
Responsibilities include:
- Attending IWG meetings and Leadership Team meetings
- Drafting call for single or joint sessions
- Advertising call for presentations
- Reviewing abstracts and attending meetings as part of the review process
- Meetings with AIC and any joint groups to prepare for conference
- Corresponding with presenters
- Moderating session at AIC Annual Meeting
- Planning IWG social at Annual Meeting
Requirements: Demonstrated interest in imaging and in networking with other imaging, conservation, and allied professionals. AIC membership.
Contact for Questions: Outgoing Chair Adam Neese at adam_neese@moma.org
Imaging WG - Secretary (2-5 hours/month)
Imaging Working Group - Secretary
Term: 2 years
Deadline: March 3, or until filled
Description: The AIC Imaging Working Group (IWG) is an international community of conservators, photographers, scientists, and others with the shared interested of conservation imaging. We prioritize communication, connection, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to develop and share resources, projects, and solutions. One major effort has been to develop an Imaging Wiki on the AIC Wiki platform (www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Imaging) as a dynamic online resource for the community. The IWG is partnered with the AIC Research and Technical Studies (RATS) Specialty Group and plans annual imaging tracks at the AIC annual meeting.
Secretary responsibilities include:
- Take notes and circulate to leadership team
- Email announcements for meetings and send out agenda
- Recording, editing, and managing virtual meetings.
- General correspondence with leadership team and Online Community, and maintaining the IWG contact list.
- Attending IWG meetings and Leadership Team meetings (~2hrs/month)
Requirements: Demonstrated interest in imaging and in networking with other imaging, conservation, and allied professionals.
Contact for Questions: Chair emeritus Adam Neese at adam_neese@moma.org or current chair Jeff Evans at aic.imagingwg@gmail.com.
Member Engagement SubCom - Member (3-4 hours/month)
Member Engagement Subcommittee - Member (3-4 hours/month)
Term: Two-year terms with an option to serve a second two-year term.
Deadline: March 1, or until filled
Description: The Member Engagement Subcommittee supports both new and existing AIC members to ensure they are acknowledged and made aware of benefits and various opportunities in the organization, with a focus on enhancing member experience. Alongside committee and staff members, you encourage members to take on volunteer roles, provide support to first-time volunteers, recognize the work of volunteers, and promote ongoing member engagement in AIC, including promotion of membership designations. Members serve staggered two-year terms with an option to serve a second two-year term. While most of this subcommittee work is collaborative, the chair's additional duties are to schedule meetings and coordinate agendas.
The group is currently:
- Planning and hosting the Monthly Member Meetup.
- Developing materials and communication strategies to ensure all members feel welcomed and supported.
- Creating a plan to encourage members, particularly new members, to serve in a volunteer capacity for AIC.
- Hosting an ongoing conservation book club.
- Planning ways for members to engage with one another at the annual meeting.
Requirements: AIC membership
Additional considerations: We are seeking to fill a range of career stages and types. If you don’t feel you can make a commitment to serve a full term, we welcome members who would like to work on a small project during unstructured time. Please let the chair know if one of the above items appeals to you.
Contact for Questions: MES chair Rebecca Rushfield at wittert@juno.com or past chair Jen Hunt Johnson at jhuntjoh@nd.edu
Membership Committee - Member (3hrs/Month)
Term: 3 years (with option to renew for one additional term)
Description: The Membership Committee is a standing committee and is specified in the organization’s bylaws. We are seeking one new member of this committee.
The AIC Bylaws state that the committee consists of “a total of five (5) members who are Professional Members or Fellows, with no more than two (2) members who only hold the designation of Fellow. Committee members represent the diverse disciplines, educational paths, and geographical areas reflected in the AIC membership.
We have 3 primary responsibilities:
- To review applications for Professional Member and Fellow membership to ensure that minimum standards are met by applicants and the applicant’s practice is in accordance with AIC core documents, listed under Organizational Documents in Governance on the AIC website. Applications will be evaluated according to a rubric to establish if they meet the Essential Competencies.
- To assist in encouraging peer-review applications, and communicating to members the benefits of being a peer-reviewed member and taking leadership roles in AIC.
- To report annually to the AIC board, through the board liaison, on trends in applications and changing needs of membership, along with suggested actions in response to noted trends and changing needs of membership.
Requirements:
- Members are appointed by the AIC Board and serve staggered three-year terms, with the option to serve a second term. The chair serves one two-year term within the second term of service. The incoming chair is recommended by the outgoing chair and approved by the committee members. The committee members represent diverse specialties and parts of the country (we’re in four different time zones!).
- Members of the committee must be either current Professional Members or Fellows and be willing to review, meet about, and vote on applications three times annually.
Contact for questions: Current Chair Whitney Baker, wbaker@ku.edu.
Outreach Subcommittee - Member (2-3 hours/month)
Term: 2 years
Deadline: March 4, or open until filled
Description: The Outreach Subcommittee creates, reviews, and improves content to help AIC members engage with their communities as professionals. The subcommittee collaborates with other groups within AIC, or recommends partnerships or alliances, to research and engage in strategic activities that facilitate outreach. Members participate in monthly Zoom meetings.
- Current projects include coordinating new guides for the public on caring for their items, helping members learn more about outreach in their own careers, etc.
- Past projects include a guide for journalists about conservation and a roundtable on working with the media.
Requirements: None
Additional considerations: Prospective members should have broad interest in communications and outreach, including community outreach. Preference may be given to applicants in specialties or areas of focus not currently represented in the subcommittee.
Contact for Questions: Questions can be sent to current committee Chair Megan Brakob Narvey at megan.brakobnarvey@mnhs.org.
PCN Project Support Specialist (3-5 hours/month)
The Preventive Care Network (PCN) is seeking a new Project Support Specialist to join our office group! Please see details on this volunteer position below.

PCN- Project Support Specialist (3-5 hrs/month)
Term: Two (2) year term (May 2025- May 2027)
Description: The Preventive Care Network connects AIC members and allied professionals who are committed to sharing current methods, on-going research, and further questions aimed at mitigating the deterioration of tangible heritage. To meet this mission, PCN delivers programs and resources to encourage continued development and collaboration across the heritage field that include year-round virtual discussions, Annual Meeting programming, updates through the AIC News column, social media, and development of the AIC Wiki along with other web-based references.
The project support specialist will have the opportunity to contribute to all of the above activities, in addition to the following specific responsibilities:
- Participate in monthly conference calls and/or provide updates on activities via the PCN Google documents
- Serve as a point of contact for engaging pre-program, student, and early-career professionals in PCN activities, in coordination with the Outreach, Social Media, and other officers
- Support the Program Chair in AIC Annual Meeting activities by serving on the review committee; proposing and developing sessions; preparing materials, supporting, and moderating sessions, as dependent on comfort level; and/or helping to organize the “Idea Fair”
- Provide assistance to the E-editor with the update of PCN’s webpage and development of PCN sections of the AIC Wiki
- Work with the Virtual Events Coordinator by helping to develop sessions, drafting promotional materials, serving as a point of contact for speakers, and/or moderating activities, as dependent on comfort level
  Preference will be given to emerging professionals, as it provides an opportunity for networking and building professional skills.
PMG - Website Coordinator (2 hrs/month)

Position: PMG Website Coordinator (1-4 hours per month)

Term: At least one year, limit of 4 years

Description: The Website Coordinator plays a crucial role in managing and updating the Photographic Materials Group’s online content. Our current website can be found here: https://www.culturalheritage.org/membership/groups-and-networks/photographic-materials-group. The coordinator works with the PMG Communications Committee and liaises with AIC staff to make the updates.
Requirements: AIC and PMG membership
Deadline: March 1, 2024, or until filled
Contact for Questions: Please email outgoing Website Editor Lisa Duncan at lisaduncan.artconservator@gmail.com with questions or for additional details about the role.
TSG - Achievement Award Committee Member (1 Hour/month)

Textile Specialty Group - Achievement Award Committee Chair Track: Alternate to Chair, 1 hour/month.
Term: 4 years. Year 1: Alternate. Year 2 and 3: Member. Year 4: Chair.
Deadline: March 4
Description: The TSG Achievement Award Committee is seeking a new committee member. The TSG Achievement Award Committee is made up of four TSG members, three voting members and an alternate. They will be responsible for selecting awardees that have shown dedication, commitment, leadership and continuous contribution to the field of Textile Conservation. Each committee member will serve staggered four-year terms with one new member chosen and one finishing their tenure each year. The first year of their term, the member will serve as alternate (non-voting member) and will serve their last year as the committee chair. During this period, the members themselves will not be eligible to be nominated or to nominate a candidate. The Chair of the committee is responsible for coordinating activities of the committee and for keeping the TSG Chair informed of the committee's work.
See more about the award.
Requirements: Must be a member of TSG.
Additional considerations: Textile specialty preferred. Please have a biography and statement of interest in the position (300 words maximum) prepared for the application form.
Contact for Questions: Achievement Award Committee Chair, Sarah Scaturro, at sscaturro@clevelandart.org
TSG - Postprints Copyeditor (5 hrs/month July -Oct)
Position: Textile Specialty Group Postprints Copyeditor

Term: 1 year

The Objects Specialty Group is seeking additional copyeditors for the Postprints editorial team.
Areas of Responsibility:
Open volunteer position for TSG Postprints copy editors. The copy editors are part of a general editing pool. They will edit a certain number of submissions according to JAIC Style Guidelines before the Lead Editor reads them. The number of submissions varies from year to year depending on the number of presentations. At the end of the year the copy editors may decide to remain a copy editor, be promoted to associate editor, or leave the group.
Requirements:
- AIC and TSG membership
Deadline: March 4, 2024, or until filled
Contact for Questions: Alexandra Barlow, Lead Editor 2024, alexandrapbarlow@gmail.com