CAA News Today

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) will present a session, called “Facing the Unthinkable: Preparing for the Next Sandy,” at CAA’s 101st Annual Conference in New York on Saturday, February 16, 2013. It will take place from 1:00 to 3:30 PM at the Hilton New York, Concourse C, Concourse Level. This session—which is free and open to the public—is aimed particularly at artists and small-gallery managers and will focus on concrete steps they can take to mitigate the impact of emergencies through planning and preparing for forecasted events, such as storms, and on first steps to take following an emergency. In addition, important health and safety procedures will be outlined, and lists of resources and contact information for assistance will be distributed.

When Superstorm Sandy struck the Northeast at the end of October 2012, individual artists and small galleries were especially vulnerable—especially those concentrated in low-lying areas that were eventually inundated with floodwaters. Many prepared as they had for Hurricane Irene a year previously, but the height and power of the water was far beyond what Irene had brought. Lessons learned from this disaster will be covered in the workshop, including the experiences of AIC’s Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC-CERT) and the current work at the Cultural Recovery Center in Brooklyn.

Speakers will include members of AIC-CERT and volunteers from the Cultural Recovery Center: Cynthia M. Albertson, Assistant Conservator, Museum of Modern Art;  Lisa Elkin, Chief Registrar and Director of Conservation, American Museum of Natural History;  David Goist, Conservator in Private Practice, Raleigh, North Carolina; and  Caitlin O’Grady, Department of Art Conservation, University of Delaware.

AIC, which advances the practice and promotes the importance of preservation of cultural property through publications, research, and the exchange of knowledge, is a CAA affiliated society.

Updated on January 28, 2013.