Holiday greetings to everyone! I would like everyone on the Textile
Conservation Discussion list to consider joining the International Council
of Museums--Conservation Committee!
The Conservation Committee meets every three years (next time autumn, 2005
in The Hague) and provides textile conservators an opportunity to meet
others in the field from different countries, with the same types of
conservation problems. In addition, there is oftentimes an interim meeting:
in the past, in Amsterdam and in Sicily. These are very worthwhile
conferences.
There is a ICOM-Conservation Committee Newsletter and also a Textile
Conservation group newsletter. The textile newsletter provides information
about issues and current research of textiles conservation from different
nations.The official languages are English, French and Spanish.
In addition, the ICOM membership card provides FREE ENTRY TO MUSEUMS all
over the world--from the Metropolitan Museum in New York to the Louvre in
Paris to Uffizi in Florence.
To join the ICOM-CC you must apply in your home country. Each country has
its own application form and method. In the United States, conservators join
via the AAM ($65+$20fee annually (www.aam-us.org/programs/international/icom
). In Canada, it costs $87, in the United Kingdom 42 pounds; In Sweden, 515
kr--about the same. There are about 350 members of the ICOM-CC Textile
Group! Please join us! For further information about ICOM in your country,
please go to www.icom.org and click for membership information.
For more information about the Conservation Committee, the website is
www.icom-cc.org
 
Wishing everyone happy holidays and a wonderful 2003, Sincerely Mary
Ballard Chair, ICOM-CC Textiles Group