Month: October 2014

Inaugural FAIC/Tru Vue® International Professional Development Scholarships Awarded by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Eric Pourchot
Phone: (202) 661-8061
Email: epourchot@conservation-us.org


Inaugural FAIC/Tru Vue® International Professional Development Scholarships Awarded by the
Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC) announces two inaugural scholarships made possible by generous funding from Tru Vue® Inc. The FAIC/Tru Vue® International Professional Development Scholarships were created to help individual members of AIC defray costs for attending international professional development events, such as workshops, conferences, and symposia. Key criteria of the award include demonstration of the learning that would occur, its applicability to individual’s professional development goals, and dissemination of that learning to others.
Monetary awards were made to Stephanie Auffret, Associate Furniture Conservator at the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library and to Ingrid Neuman, Museum Conservator at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art.
Dr. Auffret will use this funding to attend the Stichting Ebenist 12th International Symposium on Wood and Furniture Conservation, to be held in Amsterdam, November 14-15, 2014 where she will be presenting a paper entitled “Seeing more clearly through opaque surfaces: a review of furniture finishes materials, their use and ethical considerations related to their preservation”.  Information will be disseminated in many ways as this conference will be the first time that Auffret will be able to publish her research on transparent coatings applied to furniture in English, making it available to a wide range of readers. Additionally, Auffret will share information gained through presentations to colleagues and Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation students.
The scholarship will supported Ingrid Neuman’s attendance of the masterclass, “Plastics: Identification, Degradation and Conservation of Plastics” from October 13-17 at the University of Amsterdam. This course, taught by two pre-eminent conservators well known in the emerging field of plastics in art conservation, included information about 3-D rapid prototyping, the manufacturing and conservation of bio-plastics, including green and biodegradable plastics, the consolidation of polyurethane foam, 3-D scanning and mold-making of plastics, as well as the latest technology and chemistry of cleaning and re-adhering plastics. From this course, Neuman will learn information that is crucial to her understanding as RISD’s as only sculpture conservator which she will also share with undergraduate and graduate students of the program.
“We are pleased to be partnering with the FAIC to offer these scholarships to professionals and students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend, and contribute towards their professional development goals,” said Patti Dumbaugh, Vice President for Tru Vue, Inc. “Our goals for the program include encouraging international exchange and dissemination of training and conference information. We look forward to their report out and sharing of key learning points, and hope conservators with a thirst to learn from all over the world will take advantage of this program and the knowledge it can bring to their communities.”
A companion FAIC/Tru Vue scholarship to assist with international travel to the AIC Annual Meeting will also begin soon. Priority will be given to individuals who have not previously attended an AIC Annual Meeting, and dissemination of the knowledge gained by attending will be required. AIC membership is not required. The maximum award is $1,500. The deadline for receipt of materials is February 15 of each year.
Guidelines and applications for both the FAIC/Tru Vue International Professional Development Scholarships and the FAIC/Tru Vue AIC Annual Meeting International Scholarships will be available soon on the AIC/FAIC website at www.conservation-us.org/grants.

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About FAIC
FAIC, the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works, supports conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of our global cultural heritage. Learn more about FAIC at www.conservation-us.org/foundation.
About Tru Vue
Tru Vue is a manufacturer of high performance glazing products for the custom picture frame and museum markets and corporate supporter of the arts, partnering with art organizations worldwide.  Tru Vue is a leader in both UV protection, as well as anti-reflective and specialty glazing products for these markets.  The company is located in McCook, Illinois and Faribault, Minnesota and is a subsidiary of Apogee Enterprises, which is traded under “apog” on the NASDAQ.  For more information on Tru Vue, visit the company website at www.tru-vue.com.
 
 
>>> This press release can be found on our website  <<<

New online forum! Join the discussion and help us chart our digital landscape

Throughout 2014, FAIC has been investigating the digital landscape of our profession to chart and better define its features and complexity at present, and to develop a forecast of its future development. With this research, FAIC is evaluating digital resources as they are currently used in our field, as well as what we as conservators need from future digital tools, software, or networks. To date, this research has taken the form of a survey of online resources and series of live meetings.
FAIC wants to hear from you via our online forum to discuss the current and potential uses, strengths, and challenges of digital tools. This loosely moderated discussion is open to both AIC members and non-members.
Our initial set of discussion topics include:
– Do you use any collaboration software (e.g. Basecamp, GoToMeeting, etc.) within your institution or for joint projects with other institutions/professionals? Which do you prefer? What are the short-comings?
– What is your greatest concern in using digital or online resources?
– What forms of digital documentation and/or data instrumentation do you use in your practice? Which are must useful/problematic?
– What are your favorite programs/apps for conservation documentation and why?
Please join our discussion of invited peers and conservation professionals and help FAIC to evaluate and understand our digital environment.  For questions or to suggest a topic, email the FAIC Digital Landscape Project Assistant, Ayesha Fuentes, ayesha.fuentes[at]gmail[dot]com

Really reversible conservation

According to an article in The New York Times (“A Return for Rothko’s Harvard Murals”, by Hilarie M. Sheets, October 26, 2014),when the newly renovated Harvard Art Museums open on November 16, 2014, among the works on display will be the five paintings by Mark Rothko which comprise the mural cycle he painted for the university’s Holyoke Center in 1962. While on display, these badly faded paintings will be restored to their original colors with projections of carefully calibrated colored light. When the projectors are turned off– as they will be for one hour each day so that visitors can make comparisons– the canvases will revert to their faded selves. Now, that’s easily reversible conservation!

Job Posting: Conservator, NARA (College Park, MD)

SALARY RANGE:

 $63,091.00 to $98,305.00 / Per Year

OPEN PERIOD:

 Monday, October 20, 2014 to Friday, October 31, 2014

SERIES & GRADE:

 GS-1001-11/12

POSITION INFORMATION:

 Full Time – Permanent

PROMOTION POTENTIAL:

12

DUTY LOCATIONS:

 1 vacancy in the following location:
College Park, MD View Map

WHO MAY APPLY:

 United States Citizens

SECURITY CLEARANCE:

 Not Applicable

SUPERVISORY STATUS:

 No

JOB SUMMARY:

You will serve as a Conservator with Research Services, Preservation Programs Division, Conservation Branch in College Park, MD. The duty location could change to the National Archives Building, located in Washington, DC, as required by workload.
Whether you are new to the Federal Government or an experienced professional seeking a career change, you can make history at the National Archives.  Our dedicated staff works across a variety of career fields to safeguard the records of the Federal Government – more than 10 billion of them.
Visit our Employee Gallery at www.archives.gov/careers to see the kinds of dynamic projects our staff are undertaking.  If you want a career where you can see the difference your work makes, then join the National Archives!
For more information visit: http://archives.gov/dc-metro/college-park
View full posting: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/383893500

A Missed Opportunity for Conservation Outreach

The “Goings on About Town’ section of the October 20, 2014 issue of The New Yorker
opens with a large photo of an antique dress lying on a muslin covered table with small beakers and tools around it. Several pairs of disembodied hands are doing things to it. This photo is the accompanying illustration to a blurb about the “Death Becomes Her: A Century of Mourning Attire” that was to open at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that week. The photo itself has no caption or explanation—just a credit to Pari Dukovic. The person who is familiar with conservation methodology will know that the dress is undergoing either test cleaning or spot cleaning. I wonder what the uninformed person will think. A brief caption would have done so much for conservation outreach. Another a missed opportunity.

Job Posting: Conservation Photographer – Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA)

Conservation Photographer
As a member of the Conservation Department, the Conservation Photographer provides documentary and analytical imaging services for the Museum. The photographer creates publication quality photographs showing the current condition of works of art and maintains an accessible archive of photographs taken. This role performs X-radiography of objects, develops X-ray film in the department’s darkroom, and runs digital, video, and infrared cameras. As needed s/he trains staff in photography, the use of the photography equipment, and related skills such as Photoshop. The Photographer also provides photography consultation to other museum departments and photography projects as needed.
Qualified candidates will have a B.S./B.A. degree in photography plus experience delivering high quality photography services to others, or five years of experience in commercial, industrial, or freelance photography. Must possess good writing skills, have experience using Photoshop and inkjet printers, be capable of carrying at least 25 lbs. of photo equipment, and be willing to work from a stepladder/scaffolding. Must be competent in a Windows operating system. To apply, follow the links at philamuseum.org/jobs/.
 

Job Posting: Conservator – National Archives and Records Administration (Washington, DC)

The National Archives and Records Administration (Washington DC area) has announced an opening for a GS-11/12 Conservator.  This is a permanent full time positions that will focus on preparing archival records in a variety of formats for digitization as well as preventive conservation.
Applications are due October 31.
Please see the link to USAJobs for more information about the positions and the application process:
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/383893500

It’s Been a Busy Time

The end of summer/beginning of fall is always a busy time with the start of the new school year and the beginning of the new season of museum and gallery exhibits. This year, it was also a busy time for journalists writing about conservation and related matters. Each of the many articles that were published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and elsewhere between mid-September and mid-October can be placed in one of three categories which I shall title “The Good”— articles about conservation projects successfully completed or works of art saved from destruction, “The Bad”— articles about works of art that could not be saved or which were intentionally destroyed, and “The Instructive”—articles about technical research projects or complicated installations. Here is a roundup:
The Good
“Calls to Repair Buddhas In Afghanistan Find Legs”, by Margherita Stancati, The Wall Street Journal, September 25, 2014: the Afghan government, UNESCO, and heritage experts are giving serious consideration to reassembling one of the two Buddhas of Bamiyan which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001
“Restored, a ‘Crown Jewel’ Returns”, by Lindsay Gellman, The Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2014: after more than three years of restoration work, the sculpture “Night Presence IV” by Louise Nevelson has been reinstalled on the median at Park Avenue and 92nd Street (New York City)
“The Sistine Chapel Lightens Up”, by Liam Moloney, The Wall Street Journal, September 26, 2014: newly installed LED lights will vastly improve the visibility of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel
“Even Scraps Can Reveal, Given Professional Care”, by Eve M. Kahn, The New York Times, Arts Section, Antiques column, September 26, 2014: experts at the Jewish Theological Seminary (New York City),funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, are working to reconstruct texts out of 43,000 scraps from the Cairo Geniza
“Trying to Turn Back Time. Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs”, by Lee Rosenbaum, The Wall Street Journal, October 9, 2014: after five years of conservation work, Henri Matisse’s “The Swimming Pool” is on exhibit in the Museum of Modern Art
“Tapestries From the ‘60s. Woven Anew”, by Robin Pogrebin, the New York Times, October 6, 2014: because conservation was not a viable option, Sheila Hicks rewove the rotted and damaged tapestries which she created for the Ford Foundation building in 1967
“Church Window Restored”, by Eve M. Kahn, The New York Times, Arts Section, Antiques column, October 17, 2014: the Metropolitan Museum has completed the restoration of a 1530s French church window by Valentin Bousch
The Bad
“A Promise Is Made for a Watchtower’s Restoration, but Not in Ink”, by David W. Dunlap, The New York Times, September 18, 2014: the badly deteriorated 19th century watchtower in Mount Morris Park will be dismantled and stored—- but there are no definite plans for its restoration and reinstallation
“Banksy Mural Satirizing Racism Is Erased After Complaint”, by Steven Erlanger, The New York Times, October 3, 2014: after complaints that it was offensive and racist, a satirical mural painted by the artist Banksy in the town of Clacton-on-Sea was removed by the governing council
“Antiquities Lost, Casualties of War”, by Graham Bowley, The New York Times, October 5, 2014: many of the cultural treasures of Syria and Iraq have been destroyed by extremists in recent months
“An Obituary for Color: Yellow, Orange and Red”, by James Hall, The Wall Street Journal, October 8, 2014: if legislation is approved in December, the European Union will ban the use of cadmium paints by artists—- although it may still allow conservators to use them in their work
“Remembrance of Things Trashed” (an excerpt from the book The Missing Pieces), by Henri Lefebvre, Harper’s Magazine, October 2014: works of art that have been lost, forgotten, destroyed, left unfinished, or never made
The Inquisitive
“This Art Is Indeed Long (66 Feet), And Very Heavy (About 12 Tons)”, by James Barron, The New York Times, September 13, 2014: the transport and installation in Madison Square Park (New York City) of the extremely large sculpture, “Points of View”
“A Run of Rembrandt Reattributions”, by J.S. Marcus, The Wall Street Journal, October 10, 2014: the Rembrandt Research Project led by Ernst van de Wetering has reattributed seventy paintings to Rembrandt
“Anatomy of the Flute”, Library of Congress Magazine, September/October 2014: 40 glass flutes in the collection of The Library of Congress are the subject of a collaborative research project between the Music Division and the Preservation Directorate

Look for the Heritage Health Index survey in your inbox

Heritage Health IndexThe Heritage Health Information 2014; A National Collections Care Survey (HHI 2014) is the only comprehensive survey to collect data on the condition and preservation needs of our nation’s collections. Heritage Preservation, in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the National Endowment for the Humanities, is pleased to announce this new study as follow up to the success of the Heritage Health Index 2004.
You can help us with this key endeavor by responding to the call to participate. Selected institutions will receive an email to participate beginning the week of October 20th. We encourage you to participate in this important survey. Look for the email OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS – The HHI 2014 National Collections Care Survey is here! and help us to ensure the preservation of our nation’s treasured cultural heritage in archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, scientific research collections, and archaeological repositories.
With your help and support, the HHI 2014 will once again prove to be a fundamental tool in the effort to preserve our shared heritage.

Job Posting: Coordinator for “Connecting to Collections Care” (Part-time, Contract)

The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (FAIC) seeks a part-time contract Coordinator for “Connecting to Collections Care,” an online community for information and training on caring for collections.  In addition to monitoring online discussions and posting appropriate links and documents, the Coordinator will oversee production and archiving of webinars.
For full details, see position description (pdf).
This is a contract, fee-based position, with no benefits, renewable annually.  Total compensation not to exceed $20,800 in the first year.  The Coordinator will work from home or own office.  Telephone, email, and internet connections required.  The Coordinator will report to the FAIC Institutional Advancement Director.  A volunteer advisory group will help provide content support.
Review of applications will begin November 1, 2014, with a start date of December 1 desired.  Applications will be considered until the position is filled.  To apply, please send resume or c.v. and a cover letter to:
Eric Pourchot, PhD
Institutional Advancement Director
Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation
1156 15th St, Suite 320
Washington, DC  20005
Electronic submissions are preferred, and should be sent to: epourchot@conservation-us.org