ECPN Liaison Network

Introduction

Since its inception in 2012, the ECPN Liaison Network has developed into a robust network serving to strengthen the conservation community at the earliest stages of their careers. ECPN has opportunities for representation in over 50 regions around the US, each of the AIC specialty groups, and other AIC groups, committees, and networks. This representation is incredibly important, given that issues like health and safety, sustainability, diversity/equity/inclusion, and others affect early career professionals just as much as anyone in the field, and also for the leadership opportunities these liaison positions provide. Through an application process, we select liaisons to be part of one of our four distinct liaison programs: Regional, Graduate Program, Committees, and Networks. Please see below to learn more about the different programs.

Today, ECPN officers continue to expand initiatives and content in response to member feedback. Over the past decade, ECPN officers have continued to expand initiatives and resources in response to member feedback. ECPN has established the ECPN Liaison Grants, conducted interviews with liaisons, and participated in three formal mentorship programs (including partnerships with HBCUs and CIPP).

Our outreach officers manage the Liaison Program, providing support and guidance to liaisons, and connecting them with the broader AIC leadership. If you have any questions regarding the program, please email our outreach officers at ecpn.outreach@culturalheritage.org.

ECPN Liaison Grants

Spring 2025 marked a significant milestone for ECPN, for the very first time, we were able to offer grants specifically for our ECPN Liaisons, thanks to a generous donation from the Department of Art Conservation at the University of Delaware in honor of Bruno Pouliot. This vital funding will be awarded twice a year over the next five years, empowering even more Liaison initiatives.

• Fall 2025 recipients:
  • Minyoung Kim and Miriam Helene Rudd, NYC Regional Liaisons: Host an in-person and virtual symposium for early career conservators.
• Spring 2025 recipients:
  • Laura Le, Paintings Specialty Group Liaison: Supported attendance for early career conservators at the Easel Exchange event during the AIC Annual Meeting in Minneapolis.
  • Ella Andrews, Miami Regional Liaison: Funded archival supplies for a community conservation workshop at Coral Gables Public Library.
  • Michelle Leung, Williamsburg, VA Regional Liaison: Supported workshop attendance at the Perry Glass Studio of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA.
  • Victoria Feliz and Sydney Goethel, Twin Cities Regional Liaisons: Helped host a picnic at the Walker Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis.
  • Minyoung Kim and Miriam Helene Rudd, NYC Regional Liaisons: Enabled a group trip to visit the conservation laboratories at Yale University.

Liaison Interview Series

Graduate Program Liaison Highlights

Throughout the 2020-21 term, ECPN Outreach Officers interviewed the ECPN Graduate Liaisons to learn more about this fabulous group of students and their prospective programs.

Please click on the highlights below to read each Liaison's personal insight into their graduate program, application advice, tips, and other valuable resources and insights into graduate school! You can also always reach out to the Outreach Officers or the Liaisons themselves for any more information.

• 2021-22 Spotlight on NYU Liaison
• 2020-21 Spotlight on Queens Liaison
• 2020-21 Spotlight on WUDPAC Liaison
• 2020-21 Spotlight on FIT Liaison
• 2020-21 Spotlight on Columbia Liaison
• 2020-21 Spotlight on Buffalo Liaison
• 2020-21 Spotlight on UCLA/Getty Liaison
• 2020-21 Spotlight on UPenn Liaison

Regional Liaison Highlights

• Interview with Laura García-Vedrenne and Clair Emma Smith, ECPN San Francisco Regional Liaisons
  • This latest interview presented by ECPN Outreach Officers is with Laura García-Vedrenne and Clair Emma Smith, ECPN San Francisco Regional Liaisons. We interviewed these two emerging conservators to find out more about the San Francisco Mentorship Program that began almost a year ago. The Mentorship Program, which they helped form in response to COVID-19 lockdowns, was created to help match pre-program students struggling to find opportunities with virtual mentorships in the Bay Area.

Specialty Group Liaison Highlights

Each month during the 2018-20 terms, ECPN Outreach Officers featured one of our fabulous Specialty Group Liaisons on social media. Please see below for the interview series and reach out to the Outreach Officers or the Liaisons themselves for any more information. Thank you to all of our Liaisons for their service!

• 2019-20 Archaeological Discussion Group Liaison
• 2019-20 Electronic Media Group Liaison
• 2019-20 Photographic Materials Group Liaison
• 2019-20 Object Specialty Group Liaison
• 2019-20 Book & Paper Group Liaison
• 2019-20 Paintings Specialty Group Liaison
• 2019-20 Conservators in Private Practice Group Liaison
• 2019-20 Research and Technical Studies Group Liaison
• 2018-19 Textiles Specialty Group Liaison
• 2018-19 Wooden Artifacts Group Liaison
• 2018-19 Architecture Specialty Group Liaison
• 2018-19 Electronic Media Group Liaison
• 2018-19 Archaeological Discussion Group Liaison

Mentorship Programs

ECPN-CIPP Pilot Mentorship Program

In January 2019, ECPN and Conservators in Private Practice (CIPP) piloted a mentorship program for emerging conservation professionals who have recently started or plan to start a private practice.

Volunteer mentors and mentees were solicited for this program in November 2018. The ECPN/CIPP Mentorship Program Advisory Committee then worked to pair a small group of ECPs with mentors who can provide guidance and support based on their own experience working in private practice, taking into consideration each party’s preferences and goals. Mentees have been provided with an honorary membership to the CIPP specialty group for one year. The program began with a 9-month trial period (from January 2019 to September 2019).

Program Goals:

• Facilitate productive relationships between emerging conservation professionals and more established conservators in private practice.
• Provide a network for conservation professionals in private practice who may be more geographically isolated.
• Provide support to emerging conservation professionals entering into private practice.
• This program is NOT intended to provide training, job placement, or work referrals.

Expectations:

• Commit to regular appointments with your mentor or mentee at mutually agreeable intervals (at least once per month is recommended). Please respect his or her time and send notice well in advance of any scheduling changes or cancellations.
• Please understand that you may be asked to participate in an evaluation of your experience after the close of the initial mentorship period.
• Additional guidelines and suggested structure for the mentorship period will be provided upon matching with a mentor or mentee.

ECPN-HBCU Mentorship Program

In September 2019, ECPN commenced the third iteration of the ECPN-HBCU Mentorship Program. This program connected undergraduate students (or recent graduates) who have participated in Winterthur's TIP-C or Yale’s HBCU Summer Teacher`s Institute in Technical Art History (HBCU-STITAH) programs with emerging conservation professionals who have volunteered to serve as mentors. The goal of the program was to pair students with mentors who can provide guidance as they consider potential career paths in conservation, museum studies, or related fields. Mentors were available to speak with their mentees about long-term professional goals, help them achieve short-term goals, and connect them with resources. The mentorship period corresponded with the academic calendar.

Program Goals:

• Provide students of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) access to mentors in the field of art conservation, through the American Institute for Conservation (AIC)’s Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN).
• Provide these students information and resources with regard to the field of conservation generally.

Expectations:

• Participants may indicate their preferred communication method to both program organizers and their partner.
• Mentors should attempt to establish clear goals with the students within the first month that matches are made, but should also anticipate a need to adapt these expectations throughout the mentoring period.
• Mentors should attend periodic conference calls with ECPN (1-2 times per term).
• All participants are expected to respond to a survey at the close of the mentoring period to provide feedback which will be used to refine the program.