The November issue of AIC News (Vol. 40, No. 6) is now available for AIC members. Log into the website and visit www.conservation-us.org/aicnews to gain access to the latest issue.
Articles inside the issue include the lead article, “Strategies for the Storage of Cellulose Acetate Film,” by Douglas Nishimura; membership updates; annual meeting announcements; a Health & Safety Committee guide to selecting safety shoes plus tips on gels and masks; grant announcements; and a listing of conservation training program class internships and placements (and more). Specialty Groups and Networks are very active and have provided some interesting updates for their members. Also included in AIC News is a full listing of conferences and seminars to further your career.
AIC News is a great member benefit — if you don’t already belong to AIC as a member, this is a great time to join. Read more about AIC membership in the new member portal at http://www.conservation-us.org/membership/aic-member-center.
As always, comments about the newsletter and any AIC publications can be directed to me at bnaugle@conservation-us.org.
Month: November 2015
Job Posting: Conservation Studio Technician, Menil Drawing Institute – The Menil Collection (Houston, Texas)
The Menil Collection
Employment Opportunity
Title: Conservation Studio Technician, Menil Drawing Institute
Department: Conservation
Reports to: Chief Conservator
General Responsibilities:
The Conservation Studio Technician, Menil Drawing Institute performs a variety of duties in connection with the preservation and management of works on paper in the museum’s collection and ensures that proper procedures are followed with regard to the care, registration, documentation, and exhibition of those works.
Specific Duties:
- Under the direction of the Paper Conservator, prepare safe housing for works on paper including mat cutting and hinging of artworks and constructing specialized housings for non-standard or unusually fragile drawings.
- Perform specialized handling of drawings including, but not limited to, the hinging of artworks.
- Construct specialized housing for works on paper.
- Serve as a research assistant to the paper lab.
- Assist with exhibition preparation, rotation, and upkeep.
- Manage digital image processing, printing, and filing.
- Collect, chart, and process environmental readings.
- Create, organize, and maintain files for works on paper.
- Provide administrative assistance in workshop and symposium planning. Arrange travel, develop and manage itineraries and schedules, and perform related duties as needed.
- Collect micro-fade testing (MFT) data under the close supervision of the Paper Conservator.
- Support Proctor for drawing viewing room. Monitor visitors as needed.
- As needed, assist in the safe transportation of drawings from storage to the viewing.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree and two to three years experience relevant to the position or the equivalent.
- Superior judgement and professional initiative.
- Interest and/or background in conservation, art or art history preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, TMS, Adobe Bridge/Photoshop and other standard office procedures and equipment.
Salary and benefits competitive and commensurate with experience. Please send resume and cover letter to: Director of Human Resources, The Menil Collection, 1511 Branard Street, Houston, Texas 77006. Application materials may also be emailed to: smmaloch@menil.org
C2CC Webinar 11/19/15: The Deaccessioning Dilemma: Laws, Ethics, and Actions
Need to make some decisions about weeding your collections to keep up with your mission? Get help from John Simmons at our next webinar: “The Deaccessoning Dilemma: Laws, Ethics, and Actions.” 19 November 2015, 2:00-3:30 EST. It’s free!
Call for Papers – The 6th International Architectural Paint Research Conference (Columbia University, New York, NY)
Call for Papers – The 6th International Architectural Paint Research Conference
Dates: March 15-17, 2017
Location: Columbia University, New York, NY
Language: English
Website: www.apr2017.org
Powers of Ten: Expanding the APR Toolbox
Like the Charles and Ray Eames 1977 short film, Powers of Ten, Architectural Paint Research (APR) deals with magnitudes of scale, from a single pigment particle, to a painted house, to the decorative tastes of an entire region. In the spirit of the film, the 2017 APR conference aims to take a closer look at how we carry out our research at every level, from the micro to the macroscopic.
The 6th International Architectural Paint Research Conference organizing committee is sending out a call for papers and posters for its next meeting in New York City, March 15-17, 2017. Submissions are invited from APR specialists and advanced students, as well as members of related disciplines including art conservators, preservation architects, decorative painters, heritage managers and materials scientists.
There will be a session on APR standards led by the standards committee, as put into motion at the 2014 Stockholm APR conference.
Topics should ideally include but are not limited to:
Non-traditional or Overlooked Finishes: Projects where finishes identified through APR included unexpected color combinations, non-traditional use of traditional materials, finishes rarely discussed at previous APR conferences, or finishes that may be unique to a single geographic region.
Case studies with a Focus on Cross-section Microscopy: As always, APR case studies are welcome topics at the conference. We request that papers be well supported by cross-section photomicrographs and other analytical data that illustrate your interpretive process.
Research into paint materials and technologies: This can include archival research or research of a technical nature that sheds a new light on paint materials or finishes. Topics may focus on a particular studio or decorative painter/artist’s working methods, colourman’s practices, pigment manufacture, and/or the evolution of paint/pigment/varnish technology.
Replication of Historic Finishes: Spotlight on the challenges and solutions involved with replicating finishes identified through APR. Topics can include methods for removing overpaint, collaborating with decorative painters to replicate schemes, and/or the sharing of information that could only have been gleaned through the preparation/replication process.
Projects Revisited: Have you had the opportunity to re-visit an old project? If so, how have these projects fared over time? How has your work been received by the public? What lessons did you learn that carried over into future projects?
Submitting an Abstract
The language of the conference will be English. To submit an abstract for a paper or poster, please submit a provisional title with a summary (500 word maximum) at http://www.apr2017.org/call-for-abstracts/. Please use the name of one author. The names of any co-authors can be submitted in the body of the abstract.
This year we encourage submissions from advanced students working on APR related projects for a dedicated “Student Research Session”. Select papers will be included in the final publication. When submitting your abstract, please indicate if this is a student submission.
Abstracts must be submitted by February 15, 2016.
Selected speakers and poster authors will be notified by April 16, 2016. Details regarding guidelines for the conference presentations and articles will be provided at the time of notification. Speakers will also be requested to submit their work in the form of a full-text, illustrated article for publication in the conference post-prints. This article will be peer-reviewed and due on November 15, 2016.
Poster authors may be asked to give a 5-minute presentation at the conference, but will not be responsible for an article.
If you have any questions, please contact Mary Jablonski mjablonski@jbconservation.com
2016-2017 Harper-Inglis Post-Graduate Conservation Fellowship – Library of Congress (Washington, DC)
The Conservation Division of the Library of Congress is now accepting applications for the inaugural Harper-Inglis Post-Graduate Conservation Fellowship for 2016-2017. The Fellowship is open to U.S. citizens recently graduated from a recognized art conservation graduate program with a specialization in book, paper, or photograph conservation. The Fellowship is made possible by the Harper-Inglis Memorial Trust Fund and is hosted by the Library’s Conservation Division, the oldest and largest conservation lab in the United States for the conservation of book, paper, and photograph materials.
Responsibilities: The Fellow will pursue an independent research project and have the opportunity to acquire hands-on experience by participating in lab activities as they are conducted by Conservation Division staff, such as: conducting surveys; conservation documentation, treatment, and housing; research and analysis; digitization and/or exhibit preparation; collections emergency response and recovery; and environmental monitoring and analysis. The Fellow can expect to interact with Library staff beyond the Conservation Division, including curatorial staff, staff responsible for exhibits and loans, and scientists in the Preservation Research and Testing Division.
Qualifications:
– U.S. citizen
– Graduate of a recognized art conservation graduate program or equivalent training
– No more than five years of relevant work experience
– Demonstrated experience conducting research
– Clear and effective writing and spoken communication skills
Term and Stipend: The fellowship begins October 3, 2016 and ends (or is extended for one year) on September 29, 2017 and comes with an annual stipend of $39,000. The Library is unable to provide additional benefits – including health, retirement, or transit benefits – as part of the fellowship.
Application Process: Use the link below to access the application form and instructions. Applications are accepted through December 31, 2015.
http://www.loc.gov/preservation/outreach/intern/HIcons.html
This fellowship is generously funded by the Harper-Inglis Memorial Trust Fund.
Elmer Eusman, Chief
Conservation Division
Library of Congress