[Nhcoll-l] Abstract Call for 2025 Safety and Cultural Heritage Summit Washington DC

[Kathryn Makos]

Now accepting Abstracts for the 2025 Safety and Cultural Heritage Summit:
Preserving Our Heritage and Protecting Our Health

Professional Development Seminar

 

The Washington Conservation Guild, the Potomac Section of the American
Industrial Hygiene Association, 

the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Safety, Health, and Environmental
Management (OSHEM), and the Smithsonian 

National Collections Program will once again collaborate with the Lunder
Conservation Center to host a Safety and 

Cultural Heritage Summit. 

 

Friday, 7 November 2025 Hybrid Event: In-Person and Streamed On-line

 

We are now accepting abstracts focusing on controlling health and safety
risks from preparing, treating, managing, and 

exhibiting artistic, historic, and natural science collections as well as
abating structural hazards and responding to 

disasters and challenges impacting collections, including operating in
uncertain times. We welcome case studies and 

action plans, and we encourage joint presentations by conservators,
collections care professionals, AND health & 

safety professionals!

 

Topics and themes for consideration include but are not limited to: 

● Gallery Exhibits: Installation and management safety challenges--working
at heights or outdoors; with heavy, 

large, or hazardous objects; with touchable/interactive exhibits.

● Hazardous Collections: Exposure determinations and risk controls 

● Conservation Laboratories and Treatments: safe work policies for object-
and material-specific hazards. 

● Emergency preparedness and response in collections, with action steps.

● Maximizing sustainability without compromising safety.

● Scalable solutions for small/large institutions or private practices,
with small or large budgets.

● NAGPRA Due Diligence: Contaminant Testing, Reporting and Disclosure
Policies

 

Presenters have 3 submission options:

1. A podium presentation of 20 minutes, with 5-10 minutes for questions.
(30 min. max) 

2. A lightning round presentation of 5-7 minutes. Q&A segment may follow as
a group.

3. A 60- or 90-minute panel with multiple speakers; either timeframe must
allow for 15 minutes for 

speaker/audience discussion. Abstracts must include names of moderator and
panelists.

 

Posters will be accepted only if content can be reduced to a readable 8½ x
11 inch or folded 11 x 17 inch sheet handout. 

There is no available space at the venue for mounted poster presentations.

 

Abstracts must specify: your submission preference, a provisional title,
names and contact information for each 

submitter, panelist(s) & moderator, and not exceed 400 words. Presentations
will be delivered in person. 

 

Questions are welcome! Please send your presentation abstracts to

summit-abstracts at washingtonconservationguild.org <mailto:summit-
abstracts at washingtonconservationguild.org> 

by close of business on Friday, 1 August 2025.

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