Playing to the Galleries and Engaging New Audiences: the public face of conservation

CALL FOR PAPERS

Playing to the Galleries and Engaging New Audiences: the public face of conservation

November 13-17, 2011

Williamsburg, VA.

Conservators increasingly find themselves asked to present their efforts through an ever expanding array of methods ranging from more traditional techniques such as exhibits, lectures and behind the scenes tours to newer technologies such as blogs, podcasts and video learning. These activities are important not only as fundraising tools but also because they have the potential to define why and how communities care for their heritage and create social capital.

Colonial Williamsburg’s department of conservation invites paper and poster submissions for a conference dealing with the public face of conservation. Held in conjunction with our exhibit “Conservation: Where Art and Science Meet” the conference will focus on the role of communicating conservation within a museum context. In addition to papers spotlighting other conservation exhibitions, we would welcome papers focusing on educational initiatives linking students to the arts, sciences and social sciences through conservation; projects involving volunteers and the public in museum-led conservation efforts; and strategies for engaging local communities in the preservation of cultural heritage. What has worked? What hasn’t? What impact has it had on audiences? What was the planning process and how have the results been evaluated? We’d love to hear about your forays into this arena!

Abstracts of up to 300 words should provide a clear enough summary of the proposed paper to allow an evaluation of its quality and significance. Submissions will be evaluated by the planning committee. Papers presented at the conference will be published in an edited post-conference publication.

Deadlines:

March 25th 2011 for abstract submission. Acceptances to be announced by May 1^st 2011. Final written versions of the paper or poster will be due November 7^th 2011 for inclusion in the publication.

Please send abstracts to Emily Williams, Department of Conservation-BHW, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, P.O. Box 1776, Williamsburg, VA 23187-1776, fax (757) 565-8752.