Contact:
Tobin Tracey (Eryl P. Wentworth)
Architecture Specialty Group Chair (Executive Director)
1717 K Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202.452.9545 x14
Fax: 202.452.9328
E-mail: ewentworth@aic-faic.org
Web: www.aic-faic.org

Membership Information
AIC welcomes anyone interested in conservation and preservation to become an associate member of AIC at $120 annually. Membership in the Architecture Specialty Group is an additional $25 for AIC members. Some AIA/HRC members are already AIC members, and we will be pleased to talk with interested AIC/HRC members about what AIC can offer them. See member benefits on our Web site.

Brief Summary of the Organization and Its Mission
AIC is the national membership organization of conservation professionals that advances the practice and promotes the importance of the preservation of cultural property. The specific purposes of the AIC are to advance knowledge by encouraging education, study, and research of all subjects related to the preservation of cultural property; promote proficiency and skill in the practice of conservation; provide opportunities for continuing professional education; publish and disseminate technical and professional information; and improve conservation approaches and methods needed to protect, conserve, and care for cultural property.

AIC is composed of 10 specialty groups representing different fields of conservators. The Architecture Specialty Group (ASG) was formed in 1988 and has more than 200 members. The ASG's primary goal is to ensure the best possible care for immovable cultural properties such as buildings, monuments, outdoor sculpture and heritage sites. The care of these sites takes into consideration their special needs and complex treatments.

Initiatives in the Past Year Illustrating the Focus and Direction of the Organization
During the past year the ASG has focused on public outreach and education. We are trying to develop formalized liaison relationships with affiliated organizations and invited several to attend our annual meeting in Providence, R.I., this past June. AIA/HRC was one of the organizations present. We also sponsored a tour of the U.S. Treasury Building during the Traditional Building Trade Show in Washington, D.C., that highlighted the work done by architectural conservators. We are putting on a terra cotta workshop in New York City in November and working with the Association for Preservation Technology to put on a workshop at their annual conference in 2007 in San Juan.

ASG has also been involved with the AIC Certification Task Force, which is looking into developing a nationwide certification program for conservators in all fields.

Preservation Issues that are of Particular Concern to Your Organization
ASG in particular is considered that the building industry and general public are aware of the appropriate treatments for materials conservation. There are many preservationists that still don’t use appropriate treatments for repairs or cleaning of architectural materials. There are also many preservationists that don’t even know architectural conservators exist as a profession.

Preservation Trends/ Opportunities that Your Organization Views as Advancements or Potential Advancements in the Field of Historic Preservation at Large and/or Advancements in Historic Preservation within Your Organization
An advancement would be the recognition of preservation specialists through some sort of certification program. Architects are required to be licensed and there are federal guidelines defining a historical architect, but no other profession in the preservation community really has that license or certification identifying them as a specialist in historic preservation. AIC and ASG would like to see some sort of certification for conservators and there has been an initiative through NCPTT and APTI to certify engineers.

Ways the AIA/HRC and Its Members Can Be Supportive of Your Organization
AIA/HRC can be supportive of AIC and ASG by helping to develop a permanent liaison relationship and sending a representative to our annual meeting each year and offering each other a free exhibit table at our annual conference trade shows. Support can be provided by promoting the importance of using architectural conservators on projects amongst architects. AIC and ASG would also like to collaborate on events more with affiliated organizations. We have started to do that with APT and would welcome opportunities to collaborate with AIA/HRC. Perhaps AIC and AIA could look to co-locate conferences one year since both typically hold their annual conferences in the spring. We can also easily cooperate in a speaker exchange.