AIC has conducted Angels Projects in conjunction with its annual meetings for many years. Volunteers join together to conduct surveys, make storage recommendations, assist with rehousing, and offer other conservation-related services to an institution in the community that would not otherwise be able to afford such services.

Angels 2008

In conjunction with its annual meeting, volunteer conservators from The American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) will spend a day working with the collections at the American Alpine Club and Colorado Mountain Club, 710 Tenth Street, Golden, CO 80401.  The project will take place on Friday, April 25, 2008.  Both organizations are dedicated to the study and promotion of mountain environments and activities.  Located in Golden, Colorado, 20 minutes West of Denver, the Clubs are housed in a National Historic Register Beaux Arts building.  The AAC and CMC collaboratively maintain the largest mountaineering library in the Americas, as well as the newly opened Bradford Washburn American Mountaineering Museum. The purpose of the project is to preserve rare books and archival documents, such as the Colorado Peak Registers. These collections are used by scholars and enthusiasts to explore and protect mountain enviroments. The project was organized by Beth Heller, a book and paper conservator working in Texas and Colorado. Says Heller  “This project allows Conservators to join Conservationists in a mission to protect fragile resources – whether they are in the library or a glacial lake. Conservators from across the United States will be volunteering their highly specialized skills, and the host sites are grateful for this opportunity.”

Each year, as part of its annual meeting, The American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) works with local conservators to develop similar “Angels” projects.  Sites for past projects include Howard University, and the Naval Historical Center both in Washington, D.C. The primary goal of the Angels projects is to promote a broader understanding of the importance of cultural preservation while providing meaningful assistance to important local collections. Says Eryl Wentworth, Executive Director of the Washington D.C. based AIC, “Angels projects demonstrate that the conservation of art and artifacts is not just for the nation’s largest and most prominent libraries and museums. The preservation of smaller, unique collections, and local culture is equally important and is certainly underserved and under funded.” More information on the Angels projects is available on the AIC website, see http://aic.stanford.edu/faic/forms/angap.pdf