Month: April 2012

Paintings Specialty Group Reception at AIC’s 40th Annual Meeting

Attention all Paintings Specialty Group Student Members! PSG has raised funds for all of their student members presently registered for the AIC meeting in Albuquerque to attend the PSG reception on Thursday May 10.  PSG is working out a way to notify students who will be receiving a ticket for the reception in their registration packet.  Unfortunately, for those who are not yet registered, and for those who are not currently PSG Student Members, free tickets will not be provided this year.  Additionally, if there are any PSG Student Members who do not need a ticket to the reception (such as those who have found their own sponsors), please notify Katrina Bartlett (kbartlett [at] menil [dot] org) to help ensure that other Student Members who need/want tickets can get them.

 

Join the Conversation: Communicating Conservation at AIC’s 40th Annual Meeting

With increased visibility and greater access to our written work, are we building support for our efforts or encouraging consumers to take matters into their own hands? Who’s looking at what we write, and what do they want? What key issues should be brought out when talking to a general audience about our work in the media or online? How do we identify the best of what’s out there and push it forward?

Interested in tackling these questions?

Three short presentations will help frame the conversation before we open up to discussion.

Writer and objects conservator in private practice Rosa Lowinger will look at story telling as it applies to conservation issues and treatment, including suggestions for tailoring one’s approach depending on the arena or platform and tips for making sure one is properly quoted in the press.

Heidi Sobol, paintings conservator at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), and Mark Farmer, the ROM’s web redesign manager, will consider contributions conservators make to institutional blogs, and what their analytics tell them about the audience who is consuming that content, how they get there, and where they go online once they’ve finished reading the post.

Conservators of library and archives materials Melissa Tedone and Beth Doyle will share their experiences in creating social media programs for the preservation departments at Iowa State University and Duke University, respectively, to connect with their academic communities, the local and global public, and with other cultural heritage professionals and raise their departments’ profiles within their institutions.

Come join us Thursday May 10, 2:30 pm in the Galisteo/Aztec room at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Whose need is it anyway?

In a writeup of his trip to Mali (“Tribute to Islam, Earthern Yet Uplifting”, The New York Times, April 19, 2012), Holland Cotter speaks of the Great Mosque at Djenne, a mud brick building that was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building now standing does not date to the 13th century, but is rather a “new original” built in 1907. Because in the climate of Mali cracks and leaks form in mud-brick structures, each year the citizens of Djenne replastered the mosque in a ceremony called the “Crepissage de la Grand Mosquee”. Decades of replastering altered the contours of the structure, rounding and softening them and weakened the structure by adding too much weight to its walls. Since 2006, when the Aga Khan Trust for Culture took on the responsibility for the mosque’s well-being, the replastering has ceased. This deprived Djenne of a civic holiday and its citizens of the spiritual benefits of repairing their house of worship. It also raised the very difficult question of which need should have greater priority– that of the building or that of its occupants.

Help us blog from AIC’s 40th Annual Meeting

AIC is continually striving to expand access to the stimulating and important content that is presented at our annual meeting.  For the past two years we have had members blogging about talks, workshops, tours and more.  Use the Search by Category pull down list on the right hand menu to find past posts.  We received a lot of feedback that this extra information was extremely useful to those who were unable to attend, as well as those who were there, but unable to see everything that they had hoped.   The 2012 meeting will have more concurrent sessions and so blogging will be more important than ever.

If you are attending the upcoming AIC annual meeting in Albuquerque please volunteer to help.   You need not be an experienced blogger nor particularly tech savvy.  The WordPress blog format is extremely easy to use and any necessary hand-holding will happily be provided to make you feel comfortable online.  There also is no pressure to be particularly witty.  Although active tense, first-person and personal style are all encouraged in blog posts (this is a chance to free yourself from the writing constraints of condition reports!), the writing is expected to be more like reporting and professional in tone overall.  The goal is for readers to learn more about the talk than they would gain from the abstract.  More guidelines and training will be provided for all volunteers.

Last year our blog saw a huge increase in traffic due to annual meeting posts.  We know that many colleagues are looking forward to hearing more about the conference and hope that you will share your thoughts from the meeting, and take the opportunity to become more comfortable with some of the social networking tools of our present and future!   If you are interested in volunteering or hearing more, please contact me, the AIC Editor, either using email or the comment field below.

If you are willing to participate the initial instructions are below:

  • Please access the GoogleDoc speadsheet to sign up for the talks that interest you.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsAfSHCce5kbdGVrVTBaU1NwWS1TMGN4ZnlNZE1WN2c

  • Each SG, Outreach session, etc. has a tab at the bottom of the page allowing you to easily find the talks that mot interest you.
  • All you need to do is enter your name and email address next to the talks or sessions that you are volunteering to cover.  Your email is essential as that is how I will set up your account on the AIC blog
  • I am hoping that people will sign up for an entire Outreach session or, for SGs a block of talks in a session, but generally four papers is a good number.
  • Once you have signed up please download the AIC Annual Meeting Blogging Guidelines also from GoogleDocs

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r021qzHsjGVEYylcXcfspv5eEYzGNkl-Kmv4sx7LUqQ/edit

  • I am hoping we can get each talk covered by at least one blogger before we ask for a second blogger.  If a talk you thought of covering is already taken, please consider a different topic or add your name as blogger #2
  • We do not expect live blogging.  We hope that you will post as soon as you can – whether that is the same day, by the end of the conference or by the end of the following week.
  • There is no official word length or limit
  • I will check up on assignments after the meeting but if for any reason you are unable to file your posts please see if you can find someone to take your place.  If that isn’t possible just let me know.  There are no penalties for failure.

If you won’t be in Albuquerque please help by forwarding this message to friends who are attending while letting them know that this will be a way for you to share in the fun and learn more of the amazing content that will be presented.

Thank you

Money changes everything

According to The New York Times (“Sculpture vs. Food Stands at J.F.K. in Court Battle”, by James Barron, April 24, 2012), “Star Stifter”, Alice Aycock’s site specific sculpture in Terminal 1 of Kennedy International Airport (New York City) is to be dismantled because the terminal management wants to use the space for food stands. Aycock’s contract stated that the sculpture could be removed only “if required or necessary”. Would the destruction of this sculpture be required or necessary if revenues from the food stands which will replace it were not involved?

New NEH Division of Preservation and Access website

The National Endowment for the Humanities Division of Preservation and Access is proud to announce the launch of our completely redesigned NEH website!  Besides easier access to applying for, and managing a grant, the new site will showcase featured projects, news about NEH staff, and NEH-funded online content that you can explore.

We especially encourage you to visit our Preservation and Access division page where we will highlight news and activity from all of our division’s grant programs: Humanities Collections and Reference Resources, Preservation Assistance Grants for Smaller Institutions, Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections, Preservation and Access Research and Development, Education and Training, Documenting Endangered Languages, and the National Digital Newspaper Program, as well as Chronicling America (chroniclingamerica.org), the site jointly sponsored by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.

For our launch, you will find feature stories about four awarded projects – the online Encyclopedia Virginia, the Frick Collection’s Digital Image Archive, The Southern Courier digital archive, and the Walters Art Museum’s digitization of medieval manuscripts – as well as a fun history of NEH’s home, the Old Post Office Building, as documented through Chronicling America content.  You will also find the latest updates about our upcoming grant deadlines (Preservation Assistance Grants and Research and Development) and details about future conference travel activity by our program officers.

More than just a catalog of recent news and events, the Preservation and Access page will explore trends and developments in the preservation community, from the latest tools and best practices, advances in digital preservation, innovative sustainable solutions to complex preservation problems, new training programs, preserving audiovisual and born-digital collections, and creative collaborations from small historical societies and museums to research university archives and libraries.  We hope to show in the coming weeks and months the diversity of institutional activity as reflected by the many awards that we have made in all our grant programs.

We will be updating content on our division page regularly, so stay informed about all of the latest features, projects, funding announcements, and news by following us on Twitter: @NEH_PresAccess.

We welcome your feedback about the site or ideas for a story that you think we should feature.  Whether you are a past NEH awardee, or a scholar, educator, student, preservationist, administrator, or just someone interested in the collections and institutions funded by NEH and the Division of Preservation and Access, we would love to hear how a particular project has impacted you, your institution, or your community.  Please email us: preservation@neh.gov.

Laura J. Word
Senior Program Officer
Division of Preservation and Access
National Endowment for the Humanities
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Room 411
Washington, D.C.  20506
202/606-8570 office
202/606-8501 direct
lword@neh.gov

The 2012 Great Debate at AIC’s 40th Annual Meeting (Updated)

I’ve had countless great debates with conservators at AIC, but I think they’ve usually happened outside in the hallway, over coffee, dinner, or drinks.

This is year that all changes.  

For the first time ever, at the 2012 Annual Meeting in Albuquerque I’ll be moderating the Great Debate at AIC.  This is a modified Oxford-Style Debate that will feature two tough topics that will be debated by the best and brightest minds in the field of conversation today.  (I got the idea from seeing it at the Annual Meeting for Museum Computer Network; you can watch one of those debates here.)

An Update & Important Note: I have placed debaters on one side or the other arbitrarily!  The side they are arguing from may not actually be the side they truly believe. This was done in an attempt to surface the best argument from both sides.

So, without further ado, here are the topics and the teams set to do battle:

First Statement: Publishing accurate and complete “how-to guides” for conservation and restoration treatments online is the best way for us to care for cultural heritage in the 21st century.

Affirmative Team

  • Karen Pavelka
  • Paul Messier 
  • Mary Striegel

Negative Team

  • Scott Carrlee 
  • Victoria Montana Ryan 
  • Matt Skopek 

Second Statement: Having conservators perform treatments in the gallery is the most successful way to generate funding for museums and raise awareness about the profession.

Affirmative Team

  • Vanessa Muros 
  • Kristen Adsit 
  • Camille Myers Breeze

Negative Team

  • Suzanne Davis 
  • Hugh Shockey 
  • Sharra Grow 

To make the debate successful we’ll need lots of help from a highly engaged audience.  And I don’t mean just to cheer on your favorite team, we need you to participate in the Great Debate at AIC!

There will be a significant amount of time in the debate in which members of the audience will get to ask each team questions to which they  have to respond.  Plus, the audience will decide who wins the debate.

The goal of the Great Debate is to create a new forum at the Annual Meeting that encourages meaningful discussions and provides conservators the opportunity to demonstrate their capacity to address challenging issues directly, openly, and in a fun way.

So be sure to come out on Friday the 11th  from 2:00 to 3:30 pm to see your colleague do battle on stage in front of a lively audience.  I know I’m bias, but this is going to be the most fun you’ll have at the Annual Meeting this year!

 

 

Travel Tips for AIC’s 40th Annual Meeting

With the 40th annual AIC Meeting only a few weeks away, ECPN wants to remind you to visit the Annual Meeting’s Plan Your Visit feature of AIC’s website for useful information about accommodations, restaurants, transportation, and sites to see. We also want to share some travel tips that we hope will be useful. As you prepare for your trip, if you discover any additional tips, we encourage you to share them by commenting below. Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Traveling from ABQ airport to the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque and other points downtown

According to google maps, ABQ airport is located approximately 5 miles from the Hyatt Regency Albuquerque. A variety of ground transportation options can be found on the Albuquerque Official City Website. Some of the options you may find yourself exploring are the Sunport Shuttle, taxis, and the bus:

The Sunport Shuttle travels between the airport and area hotels, residences, etc. and offers individual and group prices. For example, a one-way fare to the Hyatt Regency downtown is $11 for the first person, $5 for each additional person in your party traveling on the same shuttle van. A round-trip is discounted to $20 for the first person, $10 for each additional person in your party. For more information about service hours and fares, visit: http://www.sunportshuttle.com/contact.htm. Reservations are recommended and can be made in advance by calling 866-505-4966 or visiting the preceding link.

The following taxi companies are recommended on the Albuquerque Official City Website. The taxis are located outside of baggage claim, can seat up to four people, and do not require advanced reservations. A fare from the airport to the Hyatt Regency runs between $15-18. Payments must be made in cash, though some of the Yellow Cab Company taxis are equipped with credit card machines.

Albuquerque Cab Company, 505-883-4888

Yellow Cab Company, 505-247-8888

ABQ Green Cab Company, 505-243-6800

If you’re looking to save some money and have a little extra time, you also have the option to take the bus from the airport to downtown Albuquerque. From the airport, ABQ Ride (http://www.cabq.gov/transit) route 50 toward Alvarado Transportation Center will get you close to the Hyatt Regency in about 30 minutes for $1.00. Trip planners are available on the ABQ Ride website and through Google Maps.

Restaurants, cafes, bars, and music venues in relation to the Hyatt Regency

This list was kindly compiled by Jo Anne Martinez-Kilgore.

**highly recommended    ++longish walk

Breakfast and Lunch only

**230 6th St SW, Cecilia’s Downtown, 505-243-7070, 7 am – 3 pm

610 Central Ave SW, Crêpe Central, 505-573-0084, 10:30 am – 5:30 am

Inside and in back of “The Market” @610 a large flea market

Brand new business so not the place if you’re in a rush.

420 Central Ave SW, Schlotzky’s Deli, 505-242-1881

411 Central Ave NW, Al’s Big Dipper, 505-314-1118, 11 am – 5:30 pm

http://www.alsbigdipper.com/

Small “eat in” space – yummy sounding sandwiches, salads, soups, cookies

700 Tijeras Ave NW, Café Lush, 505-508-0164, 7 am – 3 pm ++

http://cafelushabq.com/wp/

222 Gold St. SW, Café Guiseppe, downtown, 505-246-4338, 7 am – 3pm

http://www.cafegiuseppe.com/

Great Coffee

228 Gold Ave SW, P’tit Louis Bistro, 505-314-1111, Lunch 10:30 am – 5:30 pm

http://ptitlouisbistro.com/contact.html

319 5th St. SW, Café Green, 505-842-1600, 7 am – 2 pm

http://www.cafegreenabq.com/

 

Serving Dinner in addition to other meals

723 Silver Ave NW, Flying Star, Downtown, 505-244-8099 ++

http://www.flyingstarcafe.com/

**218 Gold  SW, Gold Street Caffe,  505-765-1677, goldstcaffe@qwest.net

http://www.goldstreetcaffe.com/

**515 Slate Ave NW, Slate Street Café, 505-243-2210 ++

http://www.slatestreetcafe.com/

405 Central NW, Dublin’s Street Pub, 505-243-1807,

**125 2nd St NW, Lucia Restaurant  [4 star restaurant] 505-242-9080 and Ibiza [rooftop patio] at the Hotel Andaluz, 505-242-9090

http://www.hotelandaluz.com/eat-drink/

509 Central Ave NW, Blackbird Buvette,  505-243-0878, 11 am – 2 am

http://blackbirdbuvette.com/

Good food in a bar with music

**215 Central NW, Suite B, NYPD [New York Pizza Department], 505-766-6973, 11 am – midnight

http://jcnypd.com/

Good food, outside seating, good beer and wine selection, but you must order and pay at the counter.

521 Central Ave NW, Sushi Hana, 505-842-8700, 11 am – 9:30 pm

http://www.sushihananm.com/

722 Central Ave SW, Villa Di Capo, 505-243-2006. 11 am – 9 pm

http://www.villadicapo.com/

Historic building

500 Central SW, Lindy’s Diner, 505-242-2582, 8 am – 9 pm

A friend told me this was the best breakfast location.

4th and Central in the Alley, Axxio Pizza, 505 843-9999, 11 am – 7:30 pm

http://axxiopizza.com/

325 Central Ave NW, Maloney’s Tavern, 505-242-7422

400 Central SW, Nick’s Crossroads, 505-242-8635

http://www.nickscrossroadscafe.com/

402 Central SW, Fresh Choices, 505-242-6447

$6.95 buffet

318 Central Ave SW, Asian Noodle Bar, 505-224-9119, 11 am – 9:30 pm

http://www.asiannoodlebar.com

Noodle bowls and sushi and sake etc.

**118 Central Ave SW, Sushi King Downtown, 505-842-5099, 11 am – 9:30 pm

http://www.sushikingnm.com/

110 Central Ave SW, Tucano’s Brazilian Grill, 505-246-9900

http://www.tucanos.com/

Really big buffet.

301 Central Ave NW, BRGR, 505-224-2747, 11 am – 9-9:30 pm

http://www.brgrabq.com/

Good Burgers, good beer.

317 Central SW, Waco’s Tacos, 505-848-8226

Quick bite at lunch or late night – $2 tacos?!

800 3rd St NW, Amerasia 505-247-1619 [11am-2pm] & Sumosushi  505-246-1615 [5pm-9:15 pm]

http://www.amerasia-sumosushi.com

 

Take a daytime walk or evening cab into EDO (East Downtown)

[This walk, under the railroad tracks along Central Ave., is definitely not safe at night]

**320 Central Ave SE, Standard Diner, 505-243-1440

http://www.standarddiner.com/

414 Central Ave SE, The Daily Grind, 505-883-8310, 7 am- 4 pm

http://dailygrindabq.com/home.html

**424 Central SE, Artichoke Café, 505-243-0200

http://www.artichokecafe.com/

Great food – prices to match.

**510 Central SE, Farina Pizzeria, 505-243-0130, 11 am – 10 pm

http://www.farinapizzeria.com/

**600 Central Ave SE, The Grove, 505-248-9800

http://www.thegrovecafemarket.com/

700 Central Ave SE, Holy Cow, 505-242-2991, 11 am – 10 pm

http://www.holycownm.com/

 

Take a long daytime walk or cab to Old Town vicinity

**2031 Mountain Road NW, Season’s Rotisserie and Grill, 505-766-5100

http://seasonsabq.com/

Great dining, drinks, and patio views.

**2111 Church St. NW, Church St. Café, 505-247-8522

http://www.churchstreetcafe.com/

Authentic NM food

321 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Monica’s El Portal, 505-247-9625

Authentic NM food

1520 Lomas Blvd NW, Monroe’s, 505-242-1111

http://monroeschile.com/

Authentic NM food

1736 Central Ave SW, Garcia’s, 505-842-0273

http://www.garciaskitchen.com/locations.htm

Authentic NM food

**400 San Felipe Dr. NW, #C2, La Crepe Michele, 505-242-1251

http://www.lacrepemichel.com/

108 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Old Town Pizza Parlor, 505-999-1949, 11 am – 9 pm

http://www.oldtownpizzaparlor.com/

 

Music

624 Central SW, El Rey Theatre, 505-242-2353

http://www.elreytheater.com/

618 Central Ave SW, Launchpad, 505-764-8887

http://www.launchpadrocks.com/

313 Gold Ave SW, Burt’s Tiki Lounge, 505-247-2878

http://burtstikilounge.com/

509 Central Ave NW, Blackbird Buvette, 505-243-0878, 11 am – 2 am

http://blackbirdbuvette.com/

[CAB RIDE] 2823 2nd St. NW, Low Spirits, 505-344-9555

http://lowspiritslive.com/

[CAB RIDE] 210 Yale SE, Outpost Performance Space, 505-268-0044

http://www.outpostspace.org/

 

Bars/pool halls/breweries

**111 Marble NW, Marble Brewery, 505-243-2739, 1 pm – 10:30 pm ++

http://marblebrewery.com/

Really good beer and a fun atmosphere, not much food.  Walk in groups to and from at night!

406 Central Ave SW, Distillery Bar, 505-765-1534 [bar with pool table]

409 Central Ave NW, Anodyne [bar and pool hall], 505-244-1820

106 2nd Ave SW, Chama River Brewing Co. Microbar, 505-842-8329, 4 pm – 2 am

http://www.chamariverbrewery.com/visitourtaproom

When the temporary becomes permanent

In his essay, “In Praise of Impermanence” (Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2012), Eric Felten makes a plea for the construction of temporary buildings, noting that buildings which are not expected to last for the ages are more likely to be experimental and ultimately architecturally influential. He argues that the Eiffel Tower which was planned as a temporary structure but quickly became an integral part of Paris would probably not have been approved if it had been proposed as a permanent structure. Innovation is wonderful, but what will be the conservation consequences if many other temporary structures end up as permanent ones?

Conservation Fellowship at Northwestern University Library

Northwestern University Library is offering an advanced post-graduate conservation fellowship for a two year appointment, September 1, 2012 – August 31, 2014. The conservation fellowship allows a conservation professional the opportunity to work on diverse special collections, including rare books, paper, and parchment documents.  The conservation fellowship includes a research component ideally leading to publication or presentation at a national conference.  The fellowship also offers the unique opportunity to visit and interact with conservators at other Chicago-area conservation labs that work with a broad range of material including paintings, works of art on paper, objects, textiles, and natural history specimens.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The conservation fellowship provides practical experience in a busy academic library conservation lab balancing treatment responsibilities with professional research activities.  The Conservation Fellow will develop an understanding of the functions and responsibilities of a research library conservation lab working with special collections materials.  There will be the opportunity to gain bench experience, develop skills in treatment decision making, and participate in the management of a complex workflow.

In addition, Northwestern’s unique holdings allow the possibility to gain experience in assessing and evaluating a variety of library and museum objects including paintings, ethnographic objects and textiles. Research topics will be developed in consultation with the Special Collections Conservator at the beginning of the fellowship and could include treatment techniques, materials identification, or historical studies. In addition, there is the potential for project work including needs assessment surveys and other preventive preservation activities.

Recent Conservation Fellowship projects have included the treatment and rehousing of a collection of 10th century parchment documents, the repair of a 19th century atlas, and the rebinding of a set of early 20th century photo albums from western Africa.  The current Conservation Fellow’s research project focuses on identification and treatment of photoreprographic processes and will be presented at the American Institute for Conservation’s 2012 Annual Meeting.  Anticipated projects for the 2012 Conservation Fellow will include repair of a collection of early 20th century scrapbooks related to the Brazilian coffee trade, a book illustrated by Joan Miró, and board reattachments on a 1669 volume of Katherine Philips’ poetry.

POSITION DESCRIPTION
Working in the Preservation Department under the supervision of the Special Collections Conservator, the Conservation Fellow evaluates and treats special collections materials.

In consultation with librarians, curators, and archivists, the Conservation Fellow examines and develops treatment specifications for special collections materials. The Conservation Fellow performs a broad range of conservation treatments on rare books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, maps, and other unbound archival and special collections materials on paper and vellum.  Treatment includes the preparation of condition and treatment reports with an appropriate level of photo documentation.

The Conservation Fellow conducts condition surveys and assists in the development of action plans for special collections.

The Conservation Fellow stays current with new developments in the field of library conservation and conducts research related to an area of interest identified at the beginning of the fellowship.  Research should be of a quality that would result in a publishable paper or presentation at a national conference and would ideally include collaboration within Northwestern or with staff at one or more of the many Chicago-area conservation labs.

The Conservation Fellow may assist other professional staff in the department, including the Department Head, Preservation Librarian, and Conservation Librarian, with additional surveys, preservation education and outreach initiatives, exhibits-related projects, and disaster response initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required:  Master’s degree in library science or associated field, with an emphasis on conservation training, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.  Knowledge of current conservation principles and practices, materials science, and the history of bookbinding and conservation.  Demonstrated ability to perform high quality conservation treatments on special collections materials, primarily book and paper, and to communicate effectively about treatment options and decisions.  Applicants will be asked to submit a portfolio of recent conservation treatments.

Preferred:  Work experience in a recognized research library conservation program.

Salary:  Annual stipend of $45,000. Northwestern University offers a comprehensive benefits plan, including health care and tuition benefits.

TO APPLY
Send letter of application including current research interests and resume, including names of three references, to Scott W. Devine, Head of Preservation, Northwestern University Library, 1970 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208-2300 or s-devine [at] northwestern [dot] edu

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until position is filled.  Interviews may be scheduled at the AIC 2012 Annual Conference.  Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Employment eligibility verification required upon hire.