In the special “Museums” supplement to the March 15, 2018 issue of The New York Times, Joseph B. Treaster provides an update on the situation of the museums in Puerto Rico months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island ( “Museums in Puerto Rico Struggle to Recover” ). In one sentence: There’s a lot to be done and it will be very expensive.
Month: March 2018
World of Maps Project Internships (Washington DC, USA)
The Smithsonian Libraries is offering two four-month paid internships for emerging library/archives and conservation professionals for The World of Maps Project. The World of Maps project seeks to protect and preserve maps across various departments of the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC.
In this internship, two interns will learn how to review collections, assess treatment needs, and perform conservation stabilization for 50 annotated maps; and to further identify preservation needs for housing and storage for an additional 1400 maps, important to past and active museum research. Interns will gain exposure to the methodologies of cartography, archives and librarianship, overlaid with the modern layers of digital enhancement to historic content will be explored, as the World of Maps interns also interact often with the NMNH’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) group.
Both interns would report to the Smithsonian Libraries, with consulting technical supervision by Smithsonian Archives, and curatorial input from staff in the National Museum of Natural History.
The internship is 32 weeks (four months) starting in early September 2018. The stipend is $16,000.00 ($500/week).
The application deadline is May 1, 2018.
Please see our webpage for detailed information and application instructions: http://s.si.edu/2FY5ngb. Email Erin Rushing (rushinge@si.edu) with questions.
Fellow in Contemporary Art Conservation and Research (London, UK)
Tate aims to be the most artistically adventurous and culturally inclusive global art museum. We
deliver this aim through activities in our four galleries across the UK (Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives,
Tate Britain and Tate Modern), our digital platforms and collaborations with our national and
international partners. At the heart of Tate is our collection of art, which includes British art from
the 16th century to the present day, and international modern art from 1900 to the present day.
Contribute to the vanguard of the conservation of contemporary art and research.
Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the research initiative Reshaping the Collectible: When Artworks Live in the Museum aims to transform the way the museum meets the challenges of collecting and conserving art at the forefront of artistic practice today.
This is your chance to work with one of the most globally important art institutions on ground-breaking research into the conservation and stewardship of contemporary art. This role will provide you with the opportunity to contribute to a major research project and also to contribute to the work of Tate’s pioneering time-based media conservation team.
As a member of the wider project implementation team of pioneering practitioners and thinkers, you will be an experienced conservator able to contribute to the work of the time-based media conservation team. As part of your contribution to the research, you will document the case studies, identify what is important to preserve, and provide an in-depth analysis of the vulnerabilities of the case studies and their associated risks. As part of this role you will be required to contribute to the dissemination of the project, you will therefore also write authoritative texts for a specialist readership as well as accessible texts for a general public.
You will have a professional qualification in conservation or equivalent experience with experience of working in the conservation of contemporary art and undertaking the assessment, treatment and documentation of artworks for storage, transport and display. You will also have practical knowledge and experience working with Health and Safety regulations.
Your experience of conducting research is essential, as is your dynamic and flexible approach to working with a team to deliver the project. As the role involves collaborating with a broad range of partners, you will be an exceptional communicator and able to deliver meticulous organisation and attention to detail. Above all, you will be driven to achieve with the ability to use your own initiative.
This position is offered on a fixed-term contract of 3 years.
For a full job description, visit the following:
Click here to apply.
The London Gels in Conservation Conference: Lu Allington-Jones, “Giant sequoia: an extraordinary case study involving Carbopol gel”
This blog post is part of a series of observations about the London “Gels in Conservation” conference co-hosted by the Tate and IAP (International Academic Projects, Ltd). In mid-October, over the course of three days, some 41 authors presented research, techniques and ideas on gels in conservation. The talks were excellent, and I’ve focused on four that were notable for the wide range of materials treated and challenges faced. They ranged from coating/grime removal from a giant sequoia tree cross section, to dirt and varnish removal from Delacroix wall paintings, to removal of repairs from a fragile felt hat from a 18th century ship wreck, and an experiment comparing residues left behind by various gels on paper.
The first session of four, “Giant sequoia: an extraordinary case study involving Carbopol gel”, was presented by Lu Allington-Jones and was intriguing for several reasons: the object was enormous–5 meters (over 16 feet) in diameter. The size alone produced significant challenges, for which solvent gel was particularly suited. The scale meant that it would be treated in situ in full view of the public, thus potentially exposing patrons to chemical fumes; it would require large amounts of materials to treat; and it was at the top of an open staircase, meaning significant height came into play, as well. The giant sequoia cross-section had been on continual display since 1894, so it was incredibly dusty, had a darkened and cracking lacquer coating, and had a very friable bark around its perimeter. A material was needed that could safely remove the failed coatings and accumulated dust without penetrating the surface, harming the friable bark, or creating an unsafe environment for the conservators and patrons during treatment. Using a solvent gel had the advantage of keeping the solvents contained, reducing solvent vapor, and could act as a poultice to reduce grime and solubilize the failed coating. In addition, because gel ensures contact with the treated surface, it means that a lower concentration of solvent could be used as compared to a free liquid solvent. The gel was made 24 hours ahead in Ziploc baggies, the time allowed the gel to reach the needed smoothness and viscosity.
For application, the Ziploc bags were cut open at one end, the gel squeezed out and spread to 20 mm thick (about ¾”), then covered with plastic wrap to slow evaporation, giving the conservator about an hour of working time before the gel became too sticky and unworkable. Once the gel softened the coating, it was then removed trowel-like with a piece of cardboard, repeated, then cleared with industrial methylated spirits and wipes. A significant lesson learned about the gel was once it reached 73F or more, it became runny, causing the gel to slip off the vertical surfaces being treated, which didn’t allow enough working time to reduce the surface coating adequately. Once treated, the cross section was varnished with a protective layer of Laropal A81. The cross section looked amazing in the after images. I would encourage everyone to read the article in the post prints as it describes the details of challenges, decision making, and final outcomes.
This blog series is a result of receiving the FAIC Carolyn Horton grant to help me attend the conference. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the FAIC for helping make it possible for me to attend this important conference.
Northwestern/Art Institute of Chicago External Project Proposals
The Northwestern University-Art Institute of Chicago Center for Scientific Studies in the Arts (NU-ACCESS) is seeking external project proposals to advance the role of science within art history, curatorial scholarship, archaeology, and conservation. The goals of the collaborative program are to enrich the breadth, scope, and reach of scientific studies in the arts and in the wider field of conservation in the US and abroad, by leveraging resources at the Art Institute and materials-related departments at Northwestern University. The Center, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, is the first of its kind to make its resources open to both internal and external users via merit-review proposals, within the framework of a double-pronged approach pursuing both objects-based and objects-inspired scientific research in the arts.
The deadline for external proposals is April 15, 2018.
To apply, please visit the website: http://www.nuaccess.northwestern.edu/proposals/external-proposals.html.
You may direct any questions to: nu-access@northwestern.edu.
2018-2019 Open Officer Positions for the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network: Call for Applications
Are you an emerging conservation professional who wants to advocate for the issues that matter most to you and your peers? Do you want to help AIC develop resources and programs specifically for early-career conservators, conservation scientists, and collections care specialists? If so, please consider applying for one of the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network’s (ECPN) open officer positions! To learn more about the network, please visit the ECPN page on the American Institute for Conservation website. Our Network description, charge, and current leadership can be found here.
ECPN is currently accepting applications from pre-program individuals, graduate students, and recent graduates for the following positions:
- Vice Chair
- Professional Education and Training Officer
- Outreach Officer
- Communications Officer
Please see the following document for position descriptions: 2018-ECPN_Open_Position_Descriptions. All positions will serve a two-year term beginning June 2018, just after AIC’s 46th Annual Meeting.
The Vice Chair is expected serve a one-year term, transitioning to Chair for an additional one-year term. No previous ECPN experience is necessary to apply. The current ECPN Vice Chair, Kari Rayner, is available to discuss this position over email or the phone.
Please direct questions to Kari Rayner at ecpn.aic.vicechair@gmail.com. To apply for an open officer position, please submit a brief statement of interest and your resume to Kari by April 13, 2018.
How many fewer conservators there would be, if designers didn’t take risks
An article by Eve M. Kahn in the “Design” supplement to the March 8, 2018 issue of The New York Times (“When Furniture Fails the Test of Time” ), acknowledges the terrible truth about furniture made from experimental plastics— it discolors, oozes, explodes, melts, and generally falls apart. The only upside to this is the exciting challenges and employment it provides to conservators. As Susanne Granier, head of conservation at the Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein, Germany) is quoted saying, “What a joyless world it be, and how many fewer conservators there would be, if designers didn’t take risks.”
Should the conservation of a country’s past endanger its present and future well being?
According to Nektaria Stamouli, writing in the March 9, 2018 issue of The Wall Street Journal (“In Greece, Buried Ruins Lead to Sunken Costs” ),it is nearly impossible to develop property in Greece because the discovery of buried artifacts—which are everywhere—requires work to stop, an archaeological survey to be undertaken , and plans to be redrawn or abandoned. Investment and development is essential if Greece is to emerge from its economic depression. The very difficult question this raises is should the conservation of a country’s past endanger its present and future well being?
National Fund for Sacred Places – Deadline April 17
Grant Funding for Sacred Places
From prairie churches to urban cathedrals and synagogues, historic sacred places are often the oldest, and most beautiful, buildings within our communities. Grants from the National Fund for Sacred Places help to keep these places as an important part of our national cultural heritage. The Fund for Sacred Places is a comprehensive program that provides training, planning grants, and capital grants from $50,000 to $250,000 to congregations of all faiths for rehabilitation work on their historic facilities. Letters of Intent due April 17.
ECPN Mentor Project with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
If you attended the AIC Member Business Meeting at last year’s 45th Annual Meeting in Chicago, you learned about some of the initiatives our colleagues have been involved in to increase diversity in the field. Last year, ECPN became directly involved with one of these initiatives, a collaboration with WUDPAC, Yale, and the Alliance of HBCU Museums and Galleries (HBCU = historically black colleges and universities).
Just to provide some quick background to ECPN’s involvement – in the winter of 2016, members of the HBCU Alliance of Museums & Galleries, AIC, ANAGPIC, the Smithsonian, WUDPAC and Yale University, met to propose ways of engaging underrepresented students in the field of cultural heritage. This meeting was initiated, organized, and led by Dr. Caryl McFarlane, an independent diversity consultant, and strongly supported by Dr. Jontyle Robinson, Curator of the Tuskegee Legacy Museum and CEO of the HBCU Alliance of Museums and Galleries.
One result of this meeting was the development of two programs which occurred back-to-back last summer (summer 2017): Yale University’s HBCU Students, Teachers and Mentors Program and the University of Delaware’s TIP-C or Two-week Introduction to Practical Conservation. For more information on these programs, make sure to follow the links included here.
Mentoring was identified as an important component for these initiatives, so the HBCU program leaders reached out to ECPN, and ECPN identified and solicited mentors for a pilot mentoring program. Based on recommendations from ECPN and a survey of the mentors, matches were made to pair the 11 TIP-C students with conservation professionals. ECPN also created resources for both the mentors and the 11 TIP-C students, which included useful links and resources and a suggested reading list. The mentoring period began at the end of last summer, and is wrapping up this spring.
ECPN is currently working with Dr. McFarlane, Yale, and WUDPAC to facilitate the TIP-C students’ attendance at the 2018 AIC annual meeting pre-session: “Whose Cultural Heritage? Whose Conservation Strategy?”. This pre-session, taking place on May 30th, is AIC’s first symposium on diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in cultural heritage preservation. Students will also be encouraged to attend the Untold Stories “Storytelling as Preservation” program, which immediately follows the pre-session.
Attending these programs at the AIC annual meeting this year will not only be an opportunity for the students to learn more about conservation and to experience attending a large professional meeting, but it will also allow some of the students to connect in-person with their mentors for the first time! It has been a privilege for me to be involved in this program, both in my role as a mentor as well as in my role as the AIC Board Director of Professional Education and the Board Liaison to ECPN.
We hope to feature at least one student from this program on the blog later this year, so stay tuned for more information.