Washington Conservation Guild

The Washington Conservation Guild (WCG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1967 for professional conservators, students, museum professionals, and members of the public interested in the preservation of art and historic materials.

The idea for the regional conservation group was proposed as early as 1965, when the International Council of Museums (ICOM){{cite web|url=http://icom.museum/|title=ICOM - The International Council of Museums- ICOM|work=icom.museum}} Committee for Conservation met in Washington, DC.{{cite journal|journal=Washington Conservation Guild |title=Newsletter|date=September 2007|volume=31|issue=3}} The first steering committee met informally in the summer of 1967; here, it was decided that the primary intentions of the group was to provide a public forum where members could meet and "sponsor presentations to promote the exchange of ideas among conservators in all fields in the Washington area."

Bylaws are put forward by the WCG to define its governance and scope.{{cite web |url=https://washingtonconservationguild.org/bylaws/ |website=Bylaws - Washington Conservation Guild |access-date=24 May 2023 |title=Bylaws - Washington Conservation Guild}}

Based in Washington, D.C., the WCG draws its members primarily from Washington, Maryland, and northern Virginia. Members include both professional conservators and non-conservators - from government, state, and private museums; as well as studios, laboratories, and other cultural or academic organizations.{{cite web|title=Washington Conservation Guild|url=http://www.conservators-converse.org/2011/06/washington-conservation-guild/|accessdate=19 April 2014}} There are no restrictions on who may apply for membership.

The Washington Conservation Guild is governed by all-volunteer, membership-elected Board of Directors. The Board is composed of five officers and several directors. The WCG is also composed of several committees, led by Board-appointed chairs.

Elections for WCG Board Officers and Directors take place in May at the annual business meeting.

The WCG holds meetings from September through May each year, generally on the first Thursday of each month. Once annually, the Guild hosts the 3-Ring Circus event. The '3-Ring Circus' held January 9, 2014 in partnership with the National Museum of African Art, ran with three consecutive sessions.{{cite web|title=Washington Conservation Guild - 3 Ring Circus|url=https://www.iiconservation.org/node/4466|accessdate=23 April 2014}} The themes for the January 2014 3-Ring Circus were "Conservation in Far Flung Places," "Analytical" and "Contemporary."

The Guild also holds several membership events throughout the year. These events have included lectures, workshops, and networking sessions.

The Community Partnership Project (formerly the Angels Project) is designed to "promote a broader understanding of the importance of cultural preservation while providing meaningful assistance to important local collections."{{cite web|title=Community Partners Project |url=https://washingtonconservationguild.org/community-partners-projects/}}{{cite web |title=FAIC - Community Partnership Grant |url=https://www.culturalheritage.org/resources/funding/community-partnership-grant |website=www.culturalheritage.org}} Members participating in the projects work pro-bono, volunteering their time and conservation expertise at a particular historic site in the broad DC area. This program originally began in 1988 with the WCG's parent group, the American Institute of Conservation, pairing conservators with collections that need care.

On April 30, 2007, a three-alarm fire caused significant damage to the Georgetown branch of the DC Public Library. City officials estimated the cost to repair the library at about $20 million; the renovation included the restoration of exterior doors and windows, stone masonry, and ornamental railings and grates.{{cite news|last=Klein|first=Allison|title=Investigators Pin the Blame On Paint-Removing Heat Gun|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 4, 2007}} Members of the WCG responded and coordinated with the DC library officials to set up disaster recovery efforts. At its annual meeting days later on May 3, 2007, the WCG held a fundraiser raffle. The proceeds went to support the conservation of the library's artwork, manuscripts, maps, and documents damaged in the fire.{{cite press release |author= |title=Washington Conservation Guild holds fundraiser for Georgetown Public Library|url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/files/2007/05/0502gtown.pdf|format=PDF|work=Washington Conservation Guild|date=May 2, 2007|accessdate=2014-04-19}}

The Washington Conservation Guild published a quarterly newsletter written and edited by volunteers to benefit guild members. Offered at first only as a printed edition, the newsletter transitioned to an online PDF. The newsletter was published as a PDF until December 2012, when it was replaced by a continuously updated blog-style website. Archived newsletters{{cite web|url=https://washingtonconservationguild.org/newsletter-archive/|title=Newsletter archive|work=Washington Conservation Guild}} can be found on the WCG website. Later, social media including Twitter,{{cite web |title=@DCconservators Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/dcconservators |website=Twitter |language=en}} Instagram,{{cite web |title=@DCconservators Instagram feed |url=https://www.instagram.com/dcconservators/ |website=Instagram}} and Facebook{{cite web |title=Washington Conservation Guild Facebook Page |url=https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonConservationGuild/ |website=Facebook |language=en}} streams were added to further distribute announcements and regional employment opportunities.

In 2004, the Washington Conservation Guild published the second edition of its eBook, Conservation Resources for Art and Antiques. Conservation Resources is a guide describing how to care for and preserve fine art, antiques, family heirlooms, memorabilia, and personal collections.

• Art conservation and restoration
• Collections care
• Conservation Associations and Professional Organizations
• Conservation-restoration

{{Reflist}}

• [https://washingtonconservationguild.org Washington Conservation Guild website]
• [https://www.culturalheritage.org/events/annual-meeting/community-partnership American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works]
• [http://icom.museum/ International Council of Museums]
• [https://www.iiconservation.org/ International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works]

{{Cultural Conservation-Restoration |state=expanded}}

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Category:Heritage organizations

Category:Organizations established in 1967

Category:Conservation and restoration organizations