ICEFAT News - ARCS/PACCIN Workshop Report
February 24, 2015 | In the PressFrom ICEFAT News (http://www.icefat.org/newsletter1-15/newsletter1-15print.pdf)
ARCS / PACCIN Workshop
Pittsburgh, PA
“Packing & Crating Dynamics – Current Standards and
Future Trends” – November 6 - 7, 2014
In June 2014, the Steering Committee of PACCIN (Preparation, Art handling, and Collections Care Information Network) made the momentous decision to become an independent organization. PACCIN had been a Professional Interest Committee within the AAM (American Alliance of Museums). This decision is already having positive implications within our industry as PACCIN jointly hosted a workshop in conjunction with ARCS (Association of Registrars and Collections Specialists) at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on November 6 and 7, 2014.
For anyone not familiar with PACCIN, the organization was established in
1989 and became an AAM Professional Interest Committee in 1997. PACCIN is dedicated to building a museum industry network of information and resources available for professionals interested in the highest standards of art and artifact handling.
In September 2012 the AAM changed its name to the “American Alliance of Museums” and began to restructure the organization. At the same time, PACCIN had been growing and evolving as an organization in its own right. It was clear to PACCIN’s Steering Committee that, while the two organizations shared similar goals, remaining within the changing structure of the AAM would no longer afford PACCIN the opportunity to grow and evolve. The decision was made to become an independent organization.
The idea of a joint ARCS/PACCIN workshop was born at the inaugural ARCS conference in Chicago in 2013. PACCIN has worked with many organizations through the years on such programs and agreed to co-organize this workshop with ARCS at the Carnegie Museum of Art.The workshop itself covered a variety of topics via 9 sessions over 2 days. On day 1: Various types of foam were reviewed along with packing methods and documenting specific moving and packing projects. Day 2: Featured a panel, which included our own Greg Gahagan from Ship/Art in San Francisco, leading a discussion on museum exhibition crating systems, followed by sessions on repurposing and reuse of crates, again featuring Greg and finally a session on hybrid crate systems.
PACCIN has incorporated in the State of California and has applied for nonprofit status. An independent PACCIN, versus being under the mantle of the AAM, grants the organization a great deal more autonomy to operate. It also enables them to raise and disburse funds without having to run those decisions past a governing body. That freedom and autonomy also extend to PACCIN’s ability to offer workshops, programs and publications. The Pittsburgh workshop was a prime example and PACCIN intends to strengthen relationships with other industry organizations.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Wamaling, PACCIN Board Chair, at the Pittsburgh workshop. I asked him what support PACCIN might require, if volunteers are needed and, if so, how they might get involved. He told me that PACCIN is actively seeking volunteers to offer website content contributions as well as potential program/workshop presenters and social media savvy people who can help in communication development. He also said that since PACCIN is no longer affiliated with the AAM they are essentially starting from the ground up, so they are actively seeking sponsorship in the form of donations to continue their work within the museum and fine art services community. Incidentally, becoming connected with the PACCIN LISTSERV is as easy as signing up via their website (www.paccin.org). Details for membership will be determined in 2015.
