Sixth Annual SI-Conservation Conference

The Sixth Annual SI-Conservation Conference was held on Thursday, June 28, 2013 at the Museum Conservation Institute (MCI), the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum Support Center.

The keynote speaker was Richard Kurin, the Undersecretary for Art, History, and Cultural Heritage along with the closing speaker, Dr. Robert Koestler of MCI. The SI-Conservation was activated in the 1990’s to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas among conservators at the Smithsonian Institution. It was the reincarnation of a counsel that had been developed by the heads of laboratory many years before.

As a part of the event’s sixth year, visitors convened to listen to and learn about the projects underway around the Smithsonian being conducted by graduate level student conservators and conservation scientists. The institute likes to organize this “intern festival” during the early part of the summer, in the event another laboratory has experience with a similar project or can offer assistance or constructive criticism. Additionally, a BBQ luncheon was held in the MSC café and patio with the help of “Sweet Dee’s” and other culinary donations made possible by full time SI conservators and conservation scientists.