A Passionate Path: FAIC National Heritage Responders
Susan Duhl, Ann Frellsen, Holly Herro, Vicki Lee · Journal of the American Institute for Conservation · 2025
FAIC and AIC have been involved in cultural heritage protection since the establishment of conservation as a profession. Disaster protection, salvage, and recovery efforts have become both a standard in cultural heritage institutional management and integral to FAIC/AIC’s community and collegial outreach. A solid infrastructure has been built through the efforts of pioneers like the Monuments Men and women who salvaged collections during the second World War, as well as early leaders within museums and governmental agencies. This article is an effort to chronicle the development of key emergency initiatives and programming to train conservators, paraprofessionals, and the public, building and strengthening a dedicated national network to safeguard all types of collections and sites. This work is done now by FAIC staff and AIC member volunteers through committees, regional Alliance for Response groups, the FAIC National Heritage Responders team, and by dedicated people and organizations focused on mitigating disasters of all types and sizes.