What a wonderful way to begin the conference. We boarded a small motor boat directly behind the conference hotel and headed down the Miami River. The day was sunny and balmy as the boat glided past the river art walk with its mosaics and palm trees. We passed yachts and skyscrapers, traveling between a Tequesta Indian stone circle and an ongoing archeological excavation site to meet the Biscayne Bay. Historian Dr. Paul George entertained us with local lore all along the way. As we left the mouth of the river, the captain opened up the engines, the breeze and spray picked up and it felt like a vacation. We quickly arrived at Stiltsville, with its houses on pilings above the water of Biscayne Bay and the Miami city skyline in the background. The first Stiltsville building was an off shore gambling shack, Crawfish Eddie’s, established in 1933. By the 1940s and 1950s there were fishing, boating, and “social clubs” that were frequented by the well-heeled, and connected. In the 1960s the Bikini Club was offering free drinks to anyone wearing a bikini. These places were suspected of, and often investigated for “vices.” We were told that Teddy Kennedy had his Bachelor party in one of the houses. At its height Stiltsville had 27 buildings, today 7 remain, hurricanes having done what they could to wipe it away. The Stiltsville Trust was established in 2003. The structures are now part of the National Park Service.
The other main attraction of the tour was the Miami Marine Stadium, the subject of a paper in the opening session of the conference. It is a Modernist building designed in 1963 by Hilario Candela. It features a cantilevered concrete roof, and no walls to speak of with seating facing the water. It was originally constructed for watching powerboat racing, later becoming a concert venue. The structure has been coated with graffiti. It is in disrepair, both beautiful and sad.
We passed beneath several draw bridges, past tug boats, and beside restaurants leaking delicious smells to finally be brought back to our hotel happy, windblown and with more knowledge of the area.
Month: May 2015
43rd Annual Meeting – Joint Session: Architecture and Wooden Artifacts, May 14, "Furniture/Interiors Conservation Training in China by Gregory Landrey"
The third class of students has just been accepted into the CRAFT Program (Conservation Resources for Architectural Interiors/Furniture and Training) at the Palace Museum/Forbidden City in Beijing, co-sponsored by World Monuments Fund, the Palace Museum and Tsinghua University, where Greg Landrey worked as Conservator in Residence last fall. Landrey began his lecture by introducing the city of Beijing with a focus on the layout of the Forbidden City, in particular the Qianlong Garden (a cluster of 28 modest buildings in the northeast corner), as these interiors and their furnishings are used as teaching tools and selectively treated by the students in the program. The current student class size is approximately twelve students, and Landrey spoke through an interpreter when teaching. He also introduced the team of American conservators who have been teaching at CRAFT, and stressed that collaboration with the team was extremely important throughout the teaching process. Chinese experts also teach courses on wood identification, furniture history, and architectural history and preservation.
Landrey showed numerous photographs of the students at work in their classroom and lab, which appeared to be a large, modern, and filled with natural light. His curriculum began with conservation ethics and theory, using the “three-legged stool” example as a teaching tool. Other subjects included the nature of wood, building hygrometers to see wood movement in action, wood technology, loss compensation, and casting. Landrey said that learning went both ways, because the students shared their knowledge of craft approaches and techniques with him throughout the semester. Treatment was also a teaching tool, with the students working as a class to document, analyze, and clean a three-part screen from the Qianlong Garden quarter of the Forbidden City. Landrey also had the students carry out drawing exercises each week to hone their drawing and observation skills, and he showed some particularly lovely examples to the audience. Field trips were taken to museums in Suzhou, as well as to the studio of a traditional lacquer artist and brocade museum with active looms.
Landrey had the students regularly read the AIC Code of Ethics as well as the Principles of Conservations of Heritage Sites in China, and expound on passages they felt were particularly meaningful to them. The student answers were shared with the audience as they were very insightful and showed how much they had learned. The goal of the program is to produce conservators to serve projects in China, and eventually the CRAFT curriculum will be entirely taught by Chinese conservators and scholars.
This talk was peppered with wonderful images and insights into Landrey’s life in Beijing, including the lively chaos of the city streets, Tai Chi being practiced by the students and staff in the morning, and the reverence the culture has for trees, which apparently made him feel a little bit more at home.
Job Posting: Mellon Postgraduate Fellowship in Conservation of Furniture and Woodwork – Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA)
MELLON POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIP IN CONSERVATION OF FURNITURE AND WOODWORK – PHILADELPHIA MUSEUM OF ART
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is offering a Mellon Postgraduate Fellowship in the conservation of furniture and woodwork beginning on August 1, 2015 and ending on October 30, 2016.
The applicant should be a graduate of a recognized conservation training program or have equivalent experience. Work will include technical examination, treatment, research, and preservation activities on European, American, and Asian furniture and architectural woodwork in the Museum’s collections.
Each fellowship includes a yearly stipend of $35,198, health insurance, $3,000 in travel funds and $2,000 for research support. Applications should be sent electronically and include: pdf files containing statement of interest, resume, transcripts of graduate courses, and three examples of examination and treatment records with photographs. Please include any published treatments or research.
For electronic submissions please use a file sharing service (such as DropBox or WeTransfer) to gdiefenderfer@philamuseum.org.
Confidential supporting letters from two conservation professionals familiar with the candidate’s work should be sent directly to Behrooz Salimnejad, Elaine S. Harrington Senior Conservator of Furniture and Woodwork, Philadelphia Museum of Art, P.O. Box 7646, Philadelphia, PA 19101-7646.
Questions can be addressed by email to bsalimnejad@philamuseum.org or by telephone at 215-684-7557.
All application materials must be received by June 15, 2015.
Chris Wasson
Conservation Administrator
Philadelphia Museum of Art
215 684 7542
mailto:cwasson@philamuseum.org
43rd Annual Meeting – Joint Session: Architecture and Wooden Artifacts, May 14, "Analyses of the Architecture of Wooden Churches from Buzau County, Romania by Necula Elena-Theodora"
The speaker began with some general information about Romania, where more than 12,000 historical wooden churches survive, eight of which are UNESCO sites. In the north, one distinguishing feature of the churches is a bell tower atop a sharply sloping roof, for drainage due to the abundant rainfall in that area. In the drier south, there are no bell towers and the roof is lower, more in the style of a traditional Romanian house. Focusing on Buzau County (located between Moldova, Transylvania and Wallachia), most of the churches are in the northwest region, with thirty-two historic churches of particular importance. The speaker carried out in-situ investigations of these churches in the summer of 2013, and these investigations appeared to consist of archival research, visual investigation and documentation. Most of the buildings are of wood beam construction with a rectangular floor plan that follows the plan of the Orthodox Church, and include a porch at the front entrance. Many contain interior paintings on sheet metal or on wood, executed in oil (on metal) or tempera (wood). Some exterior decoration survives in the form of shallowly carved motifs. The speaker spent a few minutes presenting each church, usually showing an overall exterior photograph, a floor plan, any specific construction details that made it unique, as well as an abbreviated history of its restoration. Some images of the interior paintings were also shown. The state of conservation of the churches was not discussed, although it was a question afterwards. The speaker answered that while some of the churches are still in use, most are completely abandoned and in need of care.
Job Posting: Assistant/Associate Conservator Paper Conservation Department – The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY, NY)
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
Assistant/Associate Conservator/Paper Conservation Department
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the world’s finest museums, seeks an Assistant/Associate Conservator in the Paper Conservation Department. This position undertakes a wide range of conservation procedures on Western historic, modern and contemporary drawings, prints; miniatures on vellum, paper and ivory; manuscript illuminations on vellum, Islamic and Indian paintings, paintings on palm leaf (individual leaves and bound albums), wallpaper and other materials that are under the jurisdiction of the Paper Conservation Department. Conservation procedures include treatment, examination, evaluating new acquisitions, condition checking of works entering and leaving the Museum, surveying of works in the collection, analysis and identification of materials and structure, by chemical and instrumental means, to determine condition, authenticity, and proposals for treatment and housing. In addtion, all works conserved are photographed and electronically documented, discussed with supervisor prior to treatment and initiate and assist with approved research supporting technical art history, conservation treatment, and preservation. Ancillary conservation procedures include but are not limited to laboratory management tasks undertaken with other members of the department, such as organization and maintenance of conservation supplies, equipment and chemicals according to established safety procedures, preparing chemical solutions, consolidants and adhesives for treatment, obtaining product information, testing materials for treatment, and preparation of materials for laboratory workshops. This full-time position is scheduled to end on December 31, 2015.
Primary Responsibilities and Duties:
- The examination, analysis, documentation and treatment of assigned works of art.
- Carrying out condition examination of works to be loaned, or on loan, or to be acquired.
- Assisting in the management and maintenance of the laboratory including the preparation of chemical reagents and solutions.
- Assisting in the housing and hinging of works of art.
- Other related duties
Requirements and Qualifications: Experience and Skills:
- Demonstrated excellence in performing complex conservation treatments.
- Excellent manual skills.
- Ability to maintain attention to detail and to sustain focus on long term projects. High quality work as well as efficient use of time is valued.
- Working knowledge of chemical and material sciences.
- Knowledge of preservation standards for archival matting and housing, for environmental conditions.
- Ability to use digital cameras and electronic resources in documenting treatment.
- Ability to devise conservation strategies based on knowledge of materials, chemical processes, and aesthetic and ethical considerations.
- In depth knowledge of the history of paper, papermaking, artists’ materials and art.
- Ability to work effectively and constructively both independently and as part of a team, be attentive and engaged with laboratory activities.
- Demonstrated interest in works of art, their fabrication and history, and aesthetic criteria in relation to individual’s conservation projects.
- Excellent verbal communication skills, excellent written communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills, time management skills, including the ability to establish priorities, meet deadlines and achieve goals.
- Ability to work cooperatively at all times with a large group of conservators and curators.
- Willingness to accept supervision and guidance.
- Attentiveness to conservation issues taking place in the laboratory.
Knowledge and Education:
- A graduate degree in Conservation (a Masters or Certificate/Masters) from an accredited university, including course work in chemistry and material science.
- Specialization in paper conservation in graduate level conservation studies, and in subsequent employment.
- A minimum of two years post graduate internship or fellowship in paper conservation, or a minimum of five years of professional paper conservation experience, preferably in a museum conservation laboratory.
Please send cover letter, resume, and salary history to careers@metmuseum.org with “Assistant/Associate Conservator/Paper Conservation” in the subject line. Please submit by June 5, 2015. The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides equal opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, marital status or domestic partner status, genetic information, genetic predisposition or carrier status, gender identity, HIV status, military status and any other category protected by law in all employment decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, training and apprenticeship, promotion, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, transfer, lay-off and termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.
AIC 43rd Annual Meeting- Architecture Specialty Group Session, May 16th: “One Piece at a Time- The Repair of Felt-Bases Sheet Flooring at Johnny Cash’s Boyhood home in Dyess, Arkansas” (Christina Varvi)
Christina first discussed the location- a New Deal planned farming community of 500 homes. It is now the only surviving home from the community and the town now has only 388 residents today. The home was acquired by the Arkansas Heritage Sites if Arkansas State University, located an hour and a half away. The home was furnished with 2 rooms of original flooring and objects owned by the family augmented by furniture dating to the time and 2 rooms of floor covering belonging to nearby Dyess Colony houses. The house was to be opened as a historic site for visitors in August 2014
RLA (Rosa Lowinger & Associates) was brought in at the end of the project to conserve the original floor coverings. Consideration had to be taken into account that the living room flooring would be walked on. There was little time and budget due to this being an add-on to the project at the last minute. The original estimate was double what the project could afford. Discussions led to a scale back in the project and priorities were set to what was most important to happen right away. Treatment was mostly confined to the 2 original-to-the-house floorings- those in the living room and Johnny Cash’s boyhood bedroom. Treatment was confined to cleaning (vacuuming and surface wet cleaning), stabilization of tears (on back with Japanese tissue and B72), fills and in-painting on living room flooring, and varnish (applied by brush) to protect the surface of the flooring. The non-original-to-the-house flooring was not varnished. Recommendations for now are furniture pads to protect the floor underneath, recommendations for visitors to remove shoes and use booties in the living room and roller shades to reduce light during off hours. Next steps are to raise additional funds to finish work on the floor, work on additional buildings on site (outlying farm buildings) and to raise funds for a visitor center.
There were many complexities to this project: the area was very rural, there was no running water in the house, the house was climate controlled but not airtight, no shops to be able to get supplies and the client was an hour and a half away. Everything had to be brought in. Additionally since the floor covering project was a last minute addition, furniture was already in place and could not be moved out of the house. With careful planning, much more was accomplished in the time given than was though possible and the treatment was a success.
AIC 43rd Annual Meeting- Practical Philosophy General Session May 15th: “Suspended Rules for Suspended Worlds: Conserving Historic Stage Scenery” (Mary Jo (MJ) Davis)
I was interested in this talk because it seemed an interesting intersection between textiles and objects together with the complications of working on objects that are still in use.
MJ discussed the set of challenges of working with historic stage scenery: climate, use, lack of funds, space to do treatments, ect. The “Curtains Without Borders” team (started 15 years ago in the state of Vermont) of conservators came up with a standard method of treatment that could be applied, with some differences as need, to the stage curtains. The typical treatment consists of: on-site technical examination, cleaning (vacuuming and dry sponging), mending tears with patches of muslin w/B72, inserts to areas of loss, consolidation of edges (all sides reinforced with muslin w/B72), structural support at top edge if necessary and reattachment of bottom roller, paint consolidation (sprayed B72), in-painting of losses and reinstallation with volunteers or professional riggers as needed. All work is done onsite by conservators and a team of local volunteers (with at least 2 at all times). Many conserved curtains have been revisited over the years and additional issues have been attended to. Issues have mostly come from handling of curtains once they were re-installed.
The project has been a success all over New England- with more requests coming in from all over the country for help. There are plans to continue the project and expand territory.
Job Posting: Pre-Program Conservation Internship – Utah Museum of Fine Arts (Salt Lake City, UT)
Pre-Program Conservation Internship
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Through the generosity of an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Utah Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to offer a paid pre-program conservation internship for summer 2015. This internship is in support of the grant-funded condition survey of our European Paintings Collection and will be primarily focused on that project. The intern will also be expected to participate in day-to-day conservation tasks in the museum including record management and preventive conservation. This internship includes a $3,000 stipend and is a full-time 10 week position to occur between June-September 2015. Applicants are expected to be able to lift 35 pounds from the floor to chest level. This internship is ideal for applicants preparing for graduate level conservation programs, and applicants are expected to have previous museum experience.
For more information on how to apply please contact Robyn Haynie:
robyn.haynie@umfa.utah.edu
Conservator
Utah Museum of Fine Arts
801.585.9769
Job Posting: A.G Leventis Fellowship in Object Conservation – Penn Museum (Philadelphia, PA)
A.G. Leventis Fellowship in Object Conservation
Supported by a grant from the A. G. Leventis Foundation, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (Penn Museum) is happy to offer a one-year Conservation Fellowship to a recent graduate in objects conservation.
The position is full-time, beginning September 2, 2015, and includes benefits. The Fellow will be responsible for conducting a condition survey, re-housing, and photography project for a collection of more than 1,500 Bronze and Iron Age ceramic artifacts from the Museum’s excavations at the site of Lapithos, Cyprus. Additionally, the Fellow will be responsible for carrying out as many previously identified high priority treatments as feasible. Completion of the project will result in improved protection of the collection an increased accessibility for class use, scholarly research, and public exhibition.
Candidates should be graduates of a recognized conservation training program in the USA or Canada or a US citizen who has successfully completed a graduate-level conservation program abroad. Candidates should be eligible to work in the United States. The preferred candidate will possess practical treatment experience, a willingness to learn, good organizational skills, and a solid understanding of the field of conservation, including current ethical and philosophical approaches. Previous experience in undertaking condition surveys is preferred, as is proven proficiency in documentation photography. A demonstrated interest in the Archaeology of the Mediterranean will be beneficial, but not required.
Professional presentation and public outreach opportunities may include presenting a paper on the project at conferences, as well as at lecture series and symposia at the Museum. The Fellow will be expected to make contributions to the Museum’s blog and YouTube channel and take rotations in the Museum’s public Artifact Lab where the Fellow would conduct work and participate in question & answer sessions with visitors. The Fellow will report to the Penn Museum’s Head of Conservation.
Please email your CV and letter of interest to Lynn Grant at lgrant0@upenn.edu by June 22, 2015.
In this case, the names of some of the technical people will be known
Conservators, preparators, and installers usually work anonymously. Museum wall panels and catalogues seldom mention the names of the people whose work made the displays possible. Therefore, it was good to read in The New York Times article about the installation of Picasso’s “Le Tricorne” stage curtain in the New York Historical Society building (“Picasso’s Stage Curtain Is Unfurled At New Home in a Precise Operation”, by Annie Correal, May 18, 2015), that lead installer Tom Zoufaly and the rest of the crew signed their names to the wooden slat that holds the curtain to the wall alongside the signature of James Lebron —the man who installed the curtain in its former home at the Four Seasons Restaurant in 1959.