IcefatIcefat
  • ABOUT US
  • MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
  • SERVICES
  • NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • MEMBER
    SIGN-IN
Search
iceartworld2025-04-30T10:22:58+00:00
  • 02.10.20

Chairman’s Brief

  • Company News

Jonathan Schwartz, ICEFAT Steering Committee Chairman

Being a former student of anthropology and history, this period, the Age of Corona, is like any other plague year. There is amazing data about human behavior beginning with the epidemic during the Justinian era, and sadly, human nature doesn’t disappoint.

Meanwhile, the Steering Committee of ICEFAT has been staying the course, and with our Secretary General, has set a date for the annual convention, which according to our Articles of Association, must be held in order to record the events of the year and memorialize them for a final entry by our lawyers in Geneva. Can you imagine? We have to get a minimum of one representative from each of our 76 (we have two new members this year, welcome Crozier Zurich and Museum Complex of Hungary!) to suffer through yet another Zoom meeting?

Well, we will keep it brief. We’re not sadists, you know. And we have some important things to discuss besides the basic mechanics of accepting motions and other maintenance. We have a vote on the ongoing Standards process, where we will hopefully accept the Pilot Program for 3rd party and absolutely impartial vetting of new applicants. You know what that means, right? Validation by a prestigious and accountable auditor that will stand up to scrutiny. It means that the ICEFAT brand will be stronger than ever.

Also, we get to stare at each other through rare earth flat screens and smartphones while lamenting about how things were when we could see each other in person. When we could laugh about silly things you all might find to be terribly boring, shipping company in-jokes, without having to worry about droplet and aerosol viral contaminants.

Yet, with all of this tumult, our industry survives, and culture will continue to need us, whether to satisfy the tastes of the global elite or to facilitate a traveling exhibition. That’s not to say it will be easy, but the ICEFAT colegial way is to help one another so that we can get to the other side of this historic event and once again, fly to another location and say to each other, “job well done”.

Until then, wear your mask, wash your hands, don’t sing out loud in public and stay safe.

BACK TO ALL ARTICLES

Related Posts

ICEFAT Covid Aftermath: Part 2

In the second of our three-part report on ICEFAT’s response to coronavirus, we discuss how usage of fine art... read more

The Impossible Became Possible: Saving the Treasures of Notre Dame

Our global community of art shippers were united in shock and sadness at the awful events of the Notre... read more

COVID NOTES FROM OUR MEMBERS

COVID NOTES FROM OUR MEMBERS Jonathan Schwartz, ICEFAT Steering Committee ChairmanAs we all await what the “new normal” will look... read more

ICEFAT Covid Aftermath: Part 3

In the third and final part of our report on ICEFAT’s members’ responses to the Covid-19 pandemic, we discuss... read more

A Valued Vault: Unlocking the Advantages of Freeports and Bonded Warehouses

Freeports and bonded warehouses are crucial to our global art world and are becoming increasingly popular each year. In... read more

ICEFAT gives back

As well as offering highly reliable, efficient services and running commercially successful businesses, ICEFAT members are involved in myriad... read more

How ICEFAT Has Set the Standards for Safety, Security and Staffing

ICEFAT Member: Crown Fine ArtBack in 2017, art world eyebrows were raised when a thief absconded with $12 million... read more

Women in Art Logistics – Part I

“Excellence has no sex,” wrote the German-born sculptor Eva Hesse, a fact reflected in the work of ICEFAT agents... read more

Chairman’s Brief

Chairman’s Brief Jonathan Schwartz, ICEFAT Steering Committee ChairmanFrom my seat, I wait for a slow Federal system to react, I... read more

The Art World Looks to Hollywood: ICEFAT at the Inaugural Frieze Los Angeles

A marker for an actor is making it in Hollywood, and now it looks to be case for art... read more
EXPERIENCED. TRUSTED. ACCOUNTABLE.

SIGN-UP AND STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE ICEFAT NEWSLETTER

Facebook Linkedin Instagram
© 2025 ICEFAT. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Geneva, Switzerland
  • ABOUT US
  • MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY
  • SERVICES
  • NEWS
  • CONTACT US