Introduction
Keynote Remarks:
      Diane Frankel

Fine Arts & Science
Art & Conservation
American History & Preservation
Library Sciences &
      Preservation
Archaeology,
      American History &
      Conservation Practice
Museum Practices & Conservation

"They knew no
bounds and were
willing to tackle
anything."

DON WILLIAMS
FURNITURE CONSERVATOR
CONSERVATION ANALYTICAL LABORATORY, SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

"Children are curious about museums because they tend to be creative and open to art, and, like museums, they collect things. They ask good questions about how a museum works . . . and why exhibitions come and go. They are very interested in how museums acquire works of art, and they enjoy learning about a museums behind-the-scenes, . . . Children learn best when they are actively engaged in their museum experience. By providing a variety of activities, . . . children learn to emulate the museum practices of curators and educators."

VAS PRABHU, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION
FINE ART MUSEUMS OF SAN FRANCISCO

"Collaboration between the MFA's Department of Education and the Conservation Department was a natural one. We both deal with issues of educating the public, and we are concerned with teaching future generations of museum visitors ways of viewing and understanding the museum's works of art."

PAM HATCHFIELD, CONSERVATOR
MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON

This may well be cause for celebration, but what does it really have to do with conservators and museum professionals right now as well as in the future? As Lawrence L. Reger, President of the National Institute for the Conservation of Cultural Property (NIC), explains, "Young people are an important audience for conservation and preservation to cultivate. If children learn about the value of conservation and preservation now, they retain this knowledge when they grow up and become decision makers. And they also can affect policy immediately, as they have with the recycling movement."

Involving young people in conservation and preservation at an early age will be beneficial both to them and to the future of conservation. By piquing the interest of this upcoming generation of consumers and decision makers, we are creating a target audience for the 21st century. The child in awe of a conservatorâs seemingly magical ability to restore a painting to its original brilliance or to preserve a garden wall from crumbling might well grow up to be the head of an international corporation in search of a philanthropic project—or she just might want to know how to keep her grandparents' photographs from fading over time. We can secure the future of museums and conservation labs by making children lifelong constituents today.

This instinct to preserve our cultural heritage is shared by greater numbers of people everyday. It is among NIC's primary goals to advance learning and research, and to make conservation part of every museumâs mission. In this vein, institutions nationwide are developing conservation awareness through exhibitions, public programs, communication, and marketing strategies. They are also recognizing the importance of designing programs and exhibitions to catch the attention of young visitors. Already in place throughout the country are programs designed to expose students to collections care management and conservation projects. Other programs cultivate relationships among teachers, conservators, and museum professionals.

For its annual meeting, held in Washington, D.C., October 21-22, 1996, NIC went directly to the source to learn firsthand what interests and concerns future conservators. It organized a panel discussion of students who had participated in a variety of collections care projects in the area of Washington, D.C. Their insights into the role and responsibilities of conservators were both enlightening and refreshing. Later, a variety of museum educators, conservators, librarians, archaeologists, and school curriculum specialists provided overviews of their efforts to reach young visitors and to introduce them to the wonders of historic sites and museums. The following is a synopsis of the programs described.