AIC Blog Archives: Conservators Converse
Former Blog of the American Institute for Conservation
A quick aside from our continuing coverage of the Annual Meeting in Milwaukee:
There was a front page article in the New York Times yesterday about the Smithsonian-led effort to assess damage to cultural heritage in Haiti and aid in rescue efforts. AIC-CERT members Sue Blakney and Vicki Lee are part of this team.
The AIC Green Task Force 2008 membership survey revealed that making environmentally conscious choices for lighting is one of the ways in which conservators have made efforts to “green” their labs and institutions. In 2010 a series of postings on the Conservation DistList and other preservation forums raised questions about the use of Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) as an appropriate choice for museum collections. While LED illumincation might be considered a “greener” form of lighting, its impact on collection preservation has not been well understood. The GTF tasked Steven Weintraub to investigate this issue and provide information to the conservation community.
Access the information from AIC’s Green Resources page
January 3 – February 4 WINTER 2011
University of Delaware
Center for International Studies
Program Overview
Join us for an exciting adventure in exploring the ancient and living artistic traditions of Peru. The UD Art Conservation Department in conjunction with the Center for International Studies will be offering a study abroad program in Peru in the Winter Session 2011. Our journey will start in Lima, where we will begin our immersion into Peruvian painting and textile traditions through visits to important archaeological sites, museums and conservation labs. From there, we head to Arequipa, Peru’s second largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The historic center of Arequipa, with its robust walls, archways, vaults, courtyards, and intricate Baroque facades made of white volcanic stone, will be our base for class time and practical work. Our final stop is Cuzco, the Inca capitol, where we will explore the living textile customs in weaving communities and the unique painting traditions of the Altiplano.
In addition to visits to important museums, conservation labs and Inca ruins, students will have the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of weaving traditions, see dyeing and weaving demos at weaving cooperatives, and visit some of the finest examples of Peruvian wall paintings in remote mountain villages. There will be field trips to an alpaca and llama preserve, the largest indigenous market in South America, and facilities that process fibers and pigments. We will have a weekend excursion to the stunning Colca Canyon to learn about indigenous life, ancient forms of terrace agriculture and mestizo architecture. Our trip will culminate in a tour of the Sacred Valley and ruins at Machu Picchu.
This program is open to pre-program students interested in pursuing a career in art conservation. For the duration of three weeks in Arequipa, students will be housed in pairs with local families for a cultural exchange. It would help to have at least a minimal background in Spanish due to housing arrangements in non-English-speaking homes. While in Lima and Cuzco, we will stay in hotels. Most meals will be provided in Arequipa, but some meals may not be included in our trips beyond Arequipa.
Courses
The program includes two courses that offer an overview of the history & techniques of Peruvian painting and traditional textile production with an introduction to basic conservation methods. The courses will include lectures, museum and archaeological site visits, demos, tours of indigenous communities and ruins. They will offer hands-on experience in the production of textiles and wall painting reconstructions using traditional techniques. We will also gain practical skills in textile and painting conservation.
For information and to apply, please visit http://international.udel.edu/studyabroad/programs/database.asp?PWDID=734
Why has the OSG never published a catalog? Many conservators love the diversity and range that the objects specialty offers: one could literally go years before seeing the same problem twice. But when it comes to setting knowledge into print, the endless variety can become a liability. As long-time Postprints editor Ginny Greene put it, “I remember several discussions on an OSG catalog, but the idea foundered each time because of the incredible complexity.” With so many subjects, materials, and techniques considered ‘objects’, it is impossible to know where to start.
AIC’s new wiki at www.conservation-wiki.com, funded by a 2006 NCPTT grant, has nudged the OSG into action at last. A wiki’s horizontally-linked, decentralized model can serve very well for an overlapping discipline such as objects conservation. It is also well-suited for short entries, which could allow members to share the burden of such a massive undertaking. Many conservators find themselves with specialized knowledge of unusual materials or unique situations, but in amounts too small for a research paper. Or are you short on time, but willing to do a bit of editing? Small contributions are very welcome.
Coming to the wiki without a published catalog may give the OSG an advantage. A wiki represents a new way of sharing information, and approaching it with an open mind can maximize the benefits. Each page is a stand-alone work that can link to any number of other pages without hierarchy or order. It can be a struggle to let go of long-held habits such as outlining and editorial oversight. Having never committed to the traditional catalog format, OSG members may find themselves free to experiment now.
For these reasons, the AIC wiki has generated a lot of interest within the Objects Specialty Group. Many members are excited about using the collaborative approach to create a flexible, user-friendly conservation research tool. Currently about 15-20 members have joined the OSG Wiki committee, and content is growing quickly. Interested OSG members are welcome to join: a wiki works best with many participants. It takes only a brief training session with AIC Director of Communications Brett Rodgers to begin contributing. Further learning comes through hands-on participation and the on-line discussions linked to each page.
But be aware: the wiki is a fundamentally a public, shared forum. If you choose to join, be ready to accept continuous editing of your work! The original Wikipedia emphasizes two fundamental strategies: be bold, and assume good faith on the part of your colleagues. OSG members interested in joining should contact Katie Holbrow, Committee Chair, at kholbrow@asianart.org.
– Katie Holbrow
Conservation internship
The Chinati Foundation
Marfa, Texas
The Chinati Foundation http://www.chinati.org is a
contemporary art museum based upon the ideas of its founder, Donald
Judd. The specific intention of Chinati is to preserve and present
to the public permanent large-scale installations by a limited
number of artists. The emphasis is on works in which art and the
surrounding landscape are inextricably linked. The Chinati
Foundation offers a conservation internship starting July or August,
2010. The intern will work under the supervision of the conservator.
Conservation intern responsibilities include: assisting the
conservator with routine maintenance of the collection, condition
assessments, environmental monitoring, art installation, research
and treatment of objects, report writing and photography. The intern
will gather insight into a wide variety of materials and conditions.
Conservation internships typically last from 3 months to a year. A
minimum of 1 year experience in a conservation studio or the current
enrollment in a Conservation Training Program is preferred.
As compensation, the Museum offers interns a modest stipend of $ 100
per week and a furnished apartment on the Chinati grounds. To apply
for these or later dates please send your statement of interest,
resume, one letter of recommendation and your dates available for
the internship directly to:
Bettina Landgrebe
Conservator
The Chinati Foundation
1 Cavalry Row
PO Box 1135
Marfa, TX 79843
landgrebe [at] chinati__org
Phone: 432 729 4742
Fax: 432 729 4597
~ On a personal note: I was an intern at the Chinati Foundation in 2004 and I absolutely loved working there, I know the stipend doesn’t seem like much but you really don’t spend a lot of money, since housing and furnishing is completely covered I was really comfortable there. I would highly recommend going, especially as you really understand Judd’s vision when you have some time to be there and think about his sculptures.
Please contact me if you have any concerns about living in West Texas ~ Rose Daly. www.dalyconservation.com
Conservation Technician (State job title – Museum Specialist)
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens
New Bern, NC
Deadline: May 12th, 2010
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens is seeking a Conservation Technician
This is a permanent full-time state position.
Description of Work
The position assists the Museum Conservator in providing conservation
of the buildings & objects of the Tryon Palace decorative arts &
utilitarian collection. Conservation includes individual object
treatment conservation, preventive conservation, educating the public
and staff about the importance of conservation, and increasing public
and staff awareness of conservation. Collection objects providing
conservation for include: furniture, upholstered objects, glass,
ceramics, books, paper, paintings, metal objects, textiles &
ethnographic objects. Duties include object condition surveys,
performing condition reports, organizing treatment schedules,
transporting objects, examining & documenting objects with photos &
written descriptions, performing research & analysis to develop
conservation steps and completing conservation treatment. Assists in
promoting conservation awareness to staff & outside organizations.
Works closely with collections, education & exhibits staff.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
The conservation technician must possess knowledge of period
cabinetmaking & finishing techniques, & the materials & techniques of
construction of several period decorative art objects. The technician
must have the skills & abilities to reproduce these techniques. The
technician must have the knowledge of the most recent preservation
safe materials, and ability in performing the most recent conservation
techniques. This requires knowledge of chemistry & art history, &
ability in studio art. The conservation technician must be well
versed in the theory & practice of preventive conservation including
environmental monitoring & control, integrated pest management &
visitor traffic. The conservation technician must be able to identify
problems & propose solutions to supervisor. Must have ability to
effectively use Microsoft Office software; store and retrieve digital
images; use a digital camera & familiarity with collection data base.
Valid N.C. driver’s license is needed.
Training and Experience Requirements
Graduation from a four-year college or university preferably with a
major in history, art/history, museology, or closely related field and
one year of experience in progressively responsible museum work in
specific area assigned; or an equivalent combination of education and
experience; management prefers a master’s degree in a conservation
program and experience with further treatment and preventative
conservation with a similar institution or with a private conservator;
experience in inorganic and physical chemistry; and experience with
digital cameras and Photo Shop or similar software. Degrees must be
from appropriately accredited institutions.
About Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens:
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens’ mission is to engage present and future
Generations in the history of North Carolina from early settlement and development
of statehood through the mid twentieth century by collecting, interpreting and
preserving objects, buildings, landscapes and events that enrich understanding
of the making of our state and nation.
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens is an accredited museum, which includes
the reconstructed 18th-century Palace of a Colonial royal governor, five house museums,
1 gallery museum with permanent exhibits, 11 period gardens and a visitation of 100,000
visitors annually. It is located on 22 acres on the waterfront in downtown New Bern,
North Carolina, a historic coastal town founded in 1710. The site is expanding with the addition
of the North Carolina History Center, a 60,000 square foot visitor services and museum building
scheduled to open in the summer of 2010. The Center contains two interactive museums,
timeline gallery, rotating exhibits gallery, gift shop, orientation theaters, classroom,
performance hall and cafe. The Center is designed to revolutionize the historic site experience.
Tryon Palace Historic Sites & Gardens is part of the State of North Carolina, Department
of Cultural Resources, Office of Archives & History. There are currently 53 permanent
employees, with the staff anticipated to expand to 90 upon the opening of the North Carolina
History Center. In addition many temporary employees and volunteers staff our operations.
Salary Range: $32,796 – $51,446
Hiring Range: $32,796-$32,796
To Apply: For detailed instructions on how to apply go to www.tryonpalace.org or www.osp.state.nc.us/jobs/ .
Look under Vacancy Listings: Agency: Department of Cultural Resources.
Application Deadline: All applications must be received by May 12, 2010.
Image linked from UCBS site, www.uscbs.org/haiti.htm
FAIC has been working closely with the U.S. Committee of the Blue Shield (USCBS) to send members of the AIC Collections Emergency Response Team (AIC-CERT) to assist with relief efforts in Haiti. NEH, NEA, IMLS, and PCAH have committed funds for assistance. These will help cover travel expenses and some supplies. AIC-CERT members volunteer their time.
The first team will deploy to Haiti from May 4-8. AIC and the USCBS are working in conjunction with the Smithsonian. An MOU between the Smithsonian and the Haitian Ministry of Culture has been completed, and a liaison has been assigned to us.
Two representatives of AIC-CERT will join the first trip to assess the situation: Sue Blakney, paintings conservator at West Lake Conservators in Skaneateles, NY, and Vicki Lee, senior conservator at the Maryland State Archives. Vicki and Sue will accompany Hugh Shockey, a conservator from the Smithsonian American Art Museum; Cori Wegener, President of the USCBS; and a team of construction/engineering personnel from the Smithsonian Institution. They will be looking at a proposed building to house the Cultural Heritage Recovery Center, and recommending equipment and layout for a conservation/stabilization lab there. They will also tour some sites in order to determine future needs for personnel, equipment, and schedules.
We expect to deploy a second team for about a week starting May 15th. While we know that there is work to be done to stabilize paintings (some are paintings on cardboard), we don’t know what other types of collections will be included once permissions are obtained (potentially murals, sculpture, and paper items). Once this initial team returns, we’ll know more about conditions on the ground and what our plans should be moving forward.
Rose Daly, the co-chair of the ECPN, spoke recently at the 2010 ANAGPIC conference about the importance of the network. Here is a summary of what she said, “Think of the ECPN as a party you have been invited to join. As good party hosts we provide a location, invite guests, and offers party games. These games include: an emerging conservator blog where you can post your research to an international audience and seek feedback. You can also post casually about your ideas and inspirations, and the blog is also a source for information about internships and post-graduate funding.
Other party games include a Flickr site where you can post or download pictures. We have a Facebook page, and we just started a Twitter ID that will be updated from the 2010 AIC Annual Meeting in Milwaukee.
The ECPN will have opportunities for you to meet conservators offline at the upcoming AIC Annual Meeting. On Tuesday, May 11th there will be a business meeting from 4-6 PM in the Crystal Ballroom followed by a happy hour from 6 PM to 8PM at Buck Bradley’s in downtown Milwaukee. The ECPN is coordinating the Angels Project on Saturday after the meeting, which will be at the Milwaukee Historical Society, the project is a survey of it’s photographic collection. Angels Project are great to meet other conservators and give back to the community.
We would really love it if you joined our party, and I hope as good party guests you might bring a gift – like a blog post about your research, some photos for the flickr site, a wall post on the facebook page, or your time for an Angels Project.
We hope you enjoy the party, meet people, make friends, get involved on a project, and continue to build our network of professional contacts.”
Preservation Week is coming up, May 9-15, 2010.
The Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) has put out a nice press release about the annual event:
Preservation Week provides a time when thousands will turn to libraries across the U.S. for information and expertise on how to preserve collectables, photos, family records and other valuable materials. During Preservation Week, themed “Pass it on,” participating libraries will offer special programs and services that will help connect library users with preservation tools; promote the importance of preservation; and will strive to enhance knowledge of preservation issues among the general public.
“Libraries offer more than just books, they also are an excellent resource for high-quality information and expertise on how to preserve family keepsakes,” said ALA President Camila Alire. “Preserving items such as old photographs, letters, collectables and family movies, provides a map of the past and access to a full range of information that can impact the future.”
The Preservation Week Web site (www.ala.org/preservationweek) connects librarians and the public with excellent resources, tracks programs across the country, enables people to share their stories, and provides information on a wide variety of preservation issues.
Libraries can enter their programs and events on the Google map right on the main page. People can share their stories by clicking the “Share your Story” icon on the main page. Find a speaker for your event under “Events Toolkit” along with other program ideas. Find more events on the “Events Calendar” including two free live preservation webinars on May 11th and 13th. Click the “Toolkit” for important resources and information you can use and libraries can share with their users. Coming soon will be a press kit with logos and more information. Check back often as more information and resources are being added every day.
AIC is a partner in this great program – in fact the Annual Meeting in Milwaukee is during the Preservation Week! Join us, won’t you?
JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND PRESERVATION
The Sheridan Libraries’ Department of Conservation and Preservation is pleased to announce a one-year advanced fellowship in book and paper conservation. Funded by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Kress Fellow will have a unique opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary conservation program which incorporates advanced book and paper conservation bench work, collaborations with the Homewood Museum, and with the department’s heritage science for conservation project. The Kress Fellow will have the opportunity to work on a wide array of rare books and manuscript materials from the Sheridan Libraries which includes the George Peabody Library, the Garrett Library Collection, and the collections at Homewood Museum. This unique environment will provide the Kress Fellow with a scope of interdisciplinary and inter-institutional engagement fundamental to professional effectiveness and growth.
Since its inception in 1974, the Department of Conservation and Preservation at Johns Hopkins has played a leadership role in providing both conservation educational opportunities and innovation in conservation practice. In addition to working on rare books and manuscripts from the rich collections, the Department is engaged in an active materials science research agenda for book and paper-based collections through its heritage science lab and in collaborations with the Homewood House museum, the Whiting School of Materials Science and Engineering, the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, as well as industry partners.
The Sheridan Libraries Kress Conservation Fellowship aims to broaden the experience of post-graduate-level fellow through practical training that introduces state of the art analytical techniques, advanced bench experience, collaboration with curators, and awareness of the historic and philosophical issues concerning the conservation of book and paper collections. The Fellow has have access to an extraordinary array of resources, including the Baltimore Museum of Art (adjacent to the Hopkins campus) and the renowned libraries and museums in the Baltimore/Washington area.
Deadlines:
June 15, 2010: Deadline for receipt of all application materials; incomplete applications will not be considered after this date.
July 1, 2010: Interview of selected candidates.
July 15, 2010: Notification of successful candidate
August 30, 2010: Program begins
Stipend: $25,000 year, includes benefits, health insurance, and $1,500 for travel to conference.
Eligibility: Completion of graduate-level training in conservation; additional courses in material sciences is desirable. Preference is given to those who have completed graduate-level training in conservation, but third year graduate students will also be considered.
Application Procedure: A complete application includes curriculum vitae, a one page single spaced statement summarizing the applicant’s interests and intent in this fellowship and chosen specialization, official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate studies, and three letters of recommendation. Submission of a portfolio of conservation treatments including photo documentation, condition reports, and treatment reports is mandatory. All materials must be submitted in English and electronically.
Please send application materials and supporting documents to:
Sonja K. Jordan-Mowery
Joseph Ruzicka & Marie Ruzicka Feldman
Director of Library Conservation and Preservation
PI, Heritage Science for Conservation
Johns Hopkins University
sjordan@jhu.edu