National Summit on Emergency Reponse: To Protect the Cultural Heritage

While cultural institutions in the United States have made great strides in developing plans to meet emergencies, the natural disasters that have struck the country in the last two years have shown that even the best-prepared institutions need special assistance when disaster strikes. Instant access to information and the quick delivery of on-site assistance are essential to salvage collections, stabilize historic structures, and begin recovery.

To address these issues, the Getty Conservation Institute, the National Institute for Conservation, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will convene a national conference in Washington, D.C., on December 1, 1994. Co-sponsors include the American Institute for Conservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service.

At the conference, leaders from federal agencies and the private sector will discuss priorities for information and on-site services, describe available financial and technical assistance, and propose useful alliances with scientific organizations and other resources outside the cultural field. Special attention will be given to innovative models from other fields that might be applicable to cultural institutions and regional conservation/preservation programs that could be implemented nationally. It is expected that one or more working groups will be created to address the implementation of ideas generated by the summit.

Painted Wood: History and Conservation

A symposium on the history and conservation of painted wood will be held November 11-14, 1994, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Organized by the Wooden Artifacts Group of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) and sponsored by the Foundation of the aic, the program is being chaired by Valerie Dorge, Training Coordinator at the Getty Conservation Institute. Presentations will address the history of painted wood from aesthetic, cultural, and technological perspectives and will discuss problems and ethical issues related to the conservation, interpretation, and exhibition of painted wooden objects.

The Future of Asia's Past: Preservation of Architectural Monuments in Asia

The Asia Society, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Siam Society, in association with the World Monuments Fund, are organizing a conference on preservation in Asia, to be held January 11-14, 1995, in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Photo: Luis Montreal

The purpose of the conference is to bring together scholars, government officials and policymakers, business developers, and tourism officials to create an international network of individuals committed to cultural preservation in Asia and to encourage a comprehensive approach to the management of the region's diverse artistic heritage. The conference is therefore designed to include conservation specialists, as well as political scientists, economic analysts, and tour operators.

Focusing on immovable cultural heritage, the conference will address not only the relationship of tourism to preservation but also examine ways in which deterioration can be minimized. By bringing together those involved in preservation at various levels, the conference, it is hoped, will lead to more coordinated multilateral efforts.