Calling all FCTP graduates,
It is now more than 30 years since the Smithsonian Institution's graduate
Furniture Conservation Training Program at the Conservation Analytical
Laboratory (CAL) [now the Museum Conservation Institute] accepted it's
inaugural class. Due to the unique design of the program, students in each
class did not overlap, so many do not know one another. As the founding
Director of the program, I would like to propose a reunion of program
graduates. Obviously, contact information from the 80s and 90s is currently
out of date. If you were a student in the program, please email me so I can
compose a list with up-to-date contact information.
The rough working concept is to meet in San Juan, Puerto Rico in early November
or early December 2018, or the second half of January, 2019. I am working on
planning with FCTP graduate from the 1989 class Cesar Pineiro, who is a native
of PR and lives in San Juan. The reunion would consist of the following
tentative activities.
1) Tours of conservation facilities and projects in the general San Juan area.
2) Speaking to students at the University of Puerto Rico who are interested in
Conservation. Cesar and I for years have been working to establish a graduate
conservation training program in PR possibly modeled after the FCTP but with a
broader group of specialties. His concept has been to draw students from other
areas of the Caribbean as well as Central and South America.
3) Holding a workshop for staff of museums and historic sites on conservation
issues, particularly in light of the hurricane problems.
4) Hold a day-long practicum at a specific museum/historic site in need,
modeled after the AIC Angels projects.
5) Time for socializing and going to the beach and other team-building
activities.
None of this is definite and we would love to get feedback from FCTP graduates.
The potential dates are selected specifically to coincide with when the
University will be in session. Any other thoughts you may have, including
alternative locations/dates, are welcomed.
Marc
Marc A. Williams, President, American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
MS in Art Conservation, Winterthur Museum Program
Former Chief Wooden Objects Conservator, Smithsonian Institution
Fellow, AIC
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