Author: Ryan Winfield

A roundup of fairly recent mentions of conservation projects in The New York TImes

Over the past few months The New York Times has published a number of articles and short notices about conservation projects:

A Hidden Treasure Struggles in Los Angeles (February 1): The Los Angeles County Museum of Art has taken over responsibility for Simon Rodia’s Watts Towers from the City of Los Angeles which can no longer afford to maintain the work. A preliminary estimate of the cost of needed restoration work is $5 million.

Restoration is Planned for Historical Murals (February 23): A set of murals depicting events in African-American history owned by Talladega College in Alabama will be cleaned and restretched at the High Museum(Atlanta) before they are exhibited in Atlanta and Indianapolis.

A Plan to Restore a Destroyed Buddha (March 1): After studying fragments of the statues for eighteen months, scientists at Munich’s Technical University have concluded that the smaller of the Bamiyan Buddhas (which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001) could be reconstructed at the site from its 1,400 fragments .

George Inness’ unexpected 1851 masterpiece is rediscovered, and its beauty restored

Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise that a masterpiece in the basement goes unnoticed for more than half a century. It is a wonder, however, when a neglected nothing, a dirty ragamuffin of a painting, is suddenly noticed amid a quarter-million stored confreres – is pulled out, looked at, looked at more closely, and finally recognized for what it really is beneath the soot, the grime, the clouded varnish: a treasure.

This is precisely what happened with George Inness’ 1851 landscape Twilight on the Campagna, acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1945, [and was put in storage soon after, and forgotten until 2005.]…

Conservator Judy Dion managed the cleaning, and what emerged stunned all involved…Beneath the varnish, the canvas was covered by a thick layer of what is called bleached shellac, probably applied by Inness himself; while the shellac was discolored in some spots, the surface of the painting was extremely well preserved – somewhat unusual for Inness’ work – which allowed his rendering of light to shine…

Read the full article in the digital Philadelphia Inquirer.

10 Tips for Becoming a Conservator

Tip #10: Make sacrifices

“People make a great mistake in thinking that my art has come easily to me but nobody has devoted so much time and thought to music as I.” -Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

This one I saved for last because it’s sometimes the hardest to hear; when a great opportunity arises, you should take advantage of it, even if it means making some sacrifices. This is certainly true of any goal we set in life, but seems particularly applicable to this stage of becoming a conservator. As I look back over the other 9 tips, two fundamental sacrifices stand out to me: time—to visit conservators, read online resources, attend events, and create a bibliography—and money—to join professional organizations, fulfill the pre-requisites required for application to the programs, and, again, to attend events.

I’m not suggesting that you go without sleep in order to read every conservation blog, or accumulate credit card debt so you’re able to join every organization. Just do the best you can with the resources at hand. If an amazing internship opens up in another city, consider commuting as a possibility. If the only experience you can find is unpaid, take it and maybe a paid position will open up in the future. If an interesting and instructive conference is about to take place and you can’t afford it, ask about volunteer opportunities in order to waive the registration fee. It’s true that the more sacrifices you make the more you’ll reap the benefits, but the main point, no matter what the situation, is to be determined to make it work.

If you chose conservation as a career, you must have a passion for art, or science, or both! You’re giving a lot, but what you’re getting in return is a job that you love–and, in my opinion, that’s worth the effort. There are some great things about being pre-program, like having the opportunity to work with a variety of materials, or take classes in all the areas that interest you. So, when this process becomes stressful and/or you need some motivation to keep at it, remind yourself to enjoy each and every step. Believe it or not, these few years will fly by and before you know it, you’ll be a conservator! Good luck!


Was there something I missed? Please feel free to post an additional tip to the blog as Tip #11 (nobody said there had to be 10!).

Education and Training Committee seeks a new student member

The Education and Training Committee Seeks a New Student Member
1-Year Term, beginning May/June 2011 (at AIC), submission deadline: March 15, 2011

The Education and Training Committee (ETC) works in conjunction with the AIC Board Director of Professional Education and the Director of Institutional Advancement in developing short and long-term goals and program content; assists with planning workshops and reviewing professional development award applications and proposals from the membership as needed; develops and implements strategies to increase student interaction within AIC, in conjunction with students, staff, membership committee, training programs, and the AIC board; reviews and updates training related publications.

The ETC communicates primarily via email correspondence and occasional conference calls. The committee meets in-person annually at the AIC meeting.

Please submit a brief statement of interest and your resume to Stephanie Lussier, Chair, AIC-ETC, (stephaniemlussier [at] gmail [dot] com) by March 15, 2011.
Questions about committee activities can be directed to Stephanie, or ETC’s current student member: Kirsten Travers (kirstenetravers [at] gmail [dot] com)

Julia Brennan is a “conservation crusader” in Thailand

From the Bangkok Post:

Flying in and out of Bangkok regularly over the past two years is textile conservator Julia Brennan. US-based Brennan is no newcomer to Thailand, having grown up in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai at the time Her Majesty the Queen was establishing the Support Foundation and reviving the nearly lost textile traditions.

Julia Brennan has taught textile conservation in Asia for the past decade. She helped establish the National Textile Museum, under the royal patronage of HM Ashi Sangay Wangchuk in Bhutan. Over a period of eight years she helped train the first generation of Bhutanese textile conservators.

However, working in Thailand as a professional conservator, to preserve Thai cultural treasures was a long held dream that has now come true. In Thailand, she has been working on a number of textile projects, mainly as a consultant training a group of textile conservators, helping to set up a new textile conservation laboratory, and helping to establish the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles, organised under the Support Foundation and Her Majesty’s the Queen’s Personal Affairs Division Office. The museum is expected to open in August.

Another project, which she has just completed, is the conservation of the ceremonial robe presented by King Chulalongkorn to Phraya Cholayuth Yothin, otherwise known as Vice Admiral Andreas du Plessis de Richelieu, a Danish navy officer who became the first and only foreigner to take command of the Royal Thai Navy at the beginning of the 20th century…

Joyce Hill Stoner receives the CAA/HP Award for Distinction in Scholarship and Conservation

Joyce Hill Stoner was awarded the 2011 College Art Association/Heritage Preservation Award for Distinction in Scholarship and Conservation at the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Her many contributions to the field of conservation include her advocacy for collaboration with living artists as well as being a pioneer for art conservation programs at academic institutions.

Amber Kerr-Allison made the video which can be watched on YouTube.

Read the announcement on the Heritage Preservation website.

Reports from Canterbury, NZ cultural repositories after the recent 6.3 magnitude earthquake

Museums Aotearoa, the professional organization for New Zealand museums and related professionals, has started to post status updates from various area cultural repositories about their status since the February 22, 2011 earthquake near Christchurch.

The February 2011 6.3 magnitude earthquake is considered an aftershock of the September 2010 7.1 magnitude earthquake, centered about 20 miles away and also damaged cultural buildings. The region has experienced periodic seismic activity since then, with at least seven aftershocks with magnitudes over 4.

Read the Canterbury Earthquake Museum Update blog on the Museums Aotearoa website.

Museums Aotearoa also has a Facebook page that is actively being updated.

AIC has offered the assistance of the Collections Emergency Response Team.

Interviewing for Graduate Programs

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I still remember the nerves, excitement, and stress of interviewing for graduate school last spring, and as interview time rolls around again I’ll share some advice and relate my experience at Buffalo State College.

This will sound obvious, but re-read the requirements the school has given you and be sure you have everything they want! If you aren’t sure exactly what the school would like you to bring, ask them. I called and emailed all three departments with questions on their requirements- and they were all slightly different.

I made myself a checklist ahead of time and when I was packing for the trip to be sure I didn’t leave anything out. It also made me feel more relaxed knowing that I was prepared. I interviewed at WUDPAC, NYU, and Buffalo, and by the end of March I was so sleep deprived and anxious I might have forgotten my own head 🙂


I decided to buy two large hard-sided art portfolios with shoulder straps to help transport the 2-D art I was bringing to the interview. The documentation from my pre-program conservation experience went into a three ring binder. I was lucky enough to be able to meet with WUDPAC graduates Kristin deGhetaldi and Brian Baade who kindly showed me examples of their portfolios and gave me a mock interview.


I also arranged to practice my Powerpoint presentation ahead of time in front of the wonderful scientists and conservators at the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute. They provided a lot of helpful feedback, caught my mistakes, and built my confidence speaking about conservation in front of a room full of people. I picked out an interview outfit ahead of time (slacks and a top) and asked for feedback on that too! I wanted something I would feel comfortable in but that looked professional and wouldn’t wrinkle.


Because I was bringing art (including breakables) and a heavy binder along with my clothes and overnight kit, I decided to drive to Buffalo (from Silver Spring, Maryland) rather than fly. I arrived the afternoon before my interview and had time to see a little of the city by car. I had arranged ahead of time to my first year student host, Gwenanne Edwards, at her apartment near campus, where I left my bags before we headed off to a potluck dinner hosted by another first year student.

Despite being nervous and not knowing anyone, the dinner was actually fun, with lots of great food. I got to chat with many of the first and second year students, and asked a lot of questions about the program, the professors, living in Buffalo, and for last-minute interview advice. It was interesting to hear what other people, including fellow interviewees, had done already, and find out where the students were going for summer internships. Everyone was very friendly and informative.


My interview was the next morning, and Gwenanne took me to school with plenty of time to spare. She gave me a tour and I took a color blindness test and had my picture taken. Finally it was my turn to interview, and we carried my portfolios, binder, bag and box into a conference room where the committee was waiting. All of the artwork was put out on a table, someone helped me load my Powerpoint presentation (saved on my flash drive), and I passed around the treatment binder.

Basically, the presentation outlined the projects I included in the binder. I was frequently interrupted with questions, which I did my best to answer. I wasn’t reading a formal script, but I did have a typed outline which helped me get back on track when I was distracted by questions.

Everyone got up to look at my art portfolio, and I answered questions about specific items. I also had a “cheat sheet” of the history, materials and techniques of my artworks in case I got flustered and forgot something (it came in handy when I was asked about the ingredients of the glaze on a ceramic pot). Then we sat back down and chatted about the program; I asked a few more questions, talked about my background and interests, someone asked how I felt about snow- it was very relaxed, and I felt that the committee was interested and welcoming. With the interview over, we packed everything up again and Gwenanne helped me load the portfolios back into my car for the drive home. As soon as I got back I sent a thank you to the committee, and to my student host, and settled in to wait for a decision.


Asking questions is a recurring theme in this blog, and I’ll repeat the advice- ask questions! I’ve found that conservators are friendly and helpful, and like to share what they know. Rose Daly also wrote a post about interviewing here and you can ask other current and former students about their experiences. Personally I owe a great deal to all the people who contributed their knowledge and advice to help me show the committee what I’d done and what I knew.

Good luck!

Modifying high-tech tools to meet conservation challenges

Only a handful of high-tech tools have been created specifically for art conservation. Most of the tools conservators use, ranging from syringes and enzyme gels to X-ray imaging and lasers and beyond, have been adopted from other industries.

An example of this adoption and creative modification is the use of a Computer Numeric Control industrial cutting tool (CNC) to remove concrete from a previous treatment from the back of a Byzantine mosaic.

Read the article in the Yale Daily News.

Restoring the unrestorable at Yale University Art Gallery

The Yale University Art Gallery conservation department is hard at work restoring pieces of the collection for a 2012 reinstallation in the renovated wings of the gallery, but conservators say there are some art works that have damage that simply cannot be reversed because of the ways in which they were constructed.

Read the full article about the struggle with inherent vice in the Yale Daily News.