The Washington Conservation Guild supports interns and fellows to participate in the many activities it has to offer. In addition to the monthly meetings, we offer tours of area conservation labs, happy hours with AIC’s ECPN, and host a Career Day in the fall. The Sidney Williston Fund provides five interns or fellows each year with a membership to the Washington Conservation Guild.
Sidney Williston’s studio, Mario’s Conservation Services, provided training for dozens of conservators, many of whom today head their own labs around the country. He was a Fellow in the AIC and an honorary member of the Washington Conservation Guild. He has been greatly missed since his death in December 2000. The Williston Fund was created to recognize his contributions to the DC/Baltimore-area conservation community and to the Guild in particular.
Williston Fund recipients receive a membership for the WCG season that includes free entry to monthly meetings and reduced registration for all WCG-sponsored workshops and conferences. Recipients also have the first opportunity to speak at the Intern/Fellow meeting in spring. In return, recipients are asked to assist the WCG board with meeting administration, like writing meeting summaries or manning the donation table (during our in-person meetings). These are great opportunities for emerging conservators to network with area professionals and learn more about our field.
This year, while interns and fellows must be working for an institution based in the Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia area, they do not have to be physically located in the area. In other words, virtual interns and fellows are eligible. Interns and fellows may nominate themselves and do not have to already be WCG members. We continue to encourage supervisors (sponsors) to nominate their interns and fellows. The application is available here at this link: Sidney S. Williston Memorial Fund Application. Alternatively, you may send the following information to interns@washingtonconservationguild.org:
1. Name of sponsor (must be a WCG member unless self-nominating)
2. Name and position of applicant
3. Applicant’s local mailing address, email address, and telephone number
4. Brief description (half page max) of applicant’s qualifications and of their upcoming
internship/fellowship project/scope.
Applications are due by COB on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 and award recipients will be announced via email and at the November meeting.
