Author: Ryan Winfield

4/16/09 ECPN Conference Call
Present:
Ruth Seyler
Jason Church
Ryan Winfield
Katie Mullen
Rachel Penniman
Karen Pavelka

I – Welcome
Welcome All!!

Minutes will henceforth go to leadership group soon after the call, who will then have a week to comment. Once comments are complied, leadership group will approve over the listserve. Then it will be posted to the blog and email list.

II – Charge
Charge, as sent on 3/30/09 by Ruth, will be sent to AIC board via Karen Pavelka, who will update ECPN on its status.

III – Project Updates

A draft of ECPN goals for the year will be drawn up by Ryan as based on following discussions about project updates.

• Communications –

Review of 3/23/09 email about breakdown of communication media given. This will be the working model for communications.

– Blog –In addition to posting training opportunities, Jason will compile a list of people who will commit to making several blog posts. Karen suggests that we figure out who our target audience is and Ryan suggests that shorter announcements can count as a post, that not everything needs not be an article, as it were. There is an application on the blog to track the number of hits an entry gets. RM’s post about TYVEK is the one we’ve gotten the most hits on – it was sent out to the manufacturers. JC says he can tag entries and link tot them in other places to draw hits.

JC will set up facebook page for ECPN to funnel people over to NING. Karen suggests linkedin as a more professional outlet, as well. Jason and Katie will investigate and report at next call.

• Outreach

Blog has been discussed.

Angels project – Outreach component is to find site for Milwaukee that local conservators can work with a little before and after, as well as the Angels on the day of.

Ruth indicates that a long term outreach goal would be to find ways to interact w/ AAM emerging leaders group going forward. Jason will begin looking at webpage and see what ways their might be for interaction. (In general, working with other emerging professional groups is a goal for outreach).

(Karen P leaves. She will send charge to board and get back to us.)

• Professional Development/Training

Amber Kerr-Allison is not present, but has sent report to Ryan.
Goals are working w/ programs to develop contacts, volunteer and internship opportunities and publicizing the same.

Developing mentoring program – the forms will stand. Erin will write up description of program and then the form and intro will be sent to PA and Fellow membership of AIC by Ryan.

Rachel is going to ANAGPIC. On April 24th she will make short presentation on ECPN, its goals and projects then stay for the day to talk to people about the group. If we have ideas for what should be presented, get them to RP before the 24th. Ryan will put together a handout for Rachel to distribute that has info about Ning, etc. Ruth suggests that we follow up w/ an email to ANAGPIC attendees. Rachel will ask Elizabeth Pena if she will share mailing list. ECPN will cover RP’s expense to Buffalo, since AIC workshop is off.

(JC leaves)

IV – 2009 Annual Meeting Events Updates

Planned Events – informal dinner offsite Tuesday evening.

Tote Bag Flyer – in progress

Issues Session – 5 minutes to introduce group and highlight mentoring program, dry run will be ANAGPIC.

Blogging –effort continues to get volunteer bloggers so as to kick off blog at the meeting. RW will send out email to group asking for volunteers and say what we’re looking for, which is more than reports on talks. Pictures are good!! Blog about tours, workshops, fun things going on at the meeting. Highlight LA sites on the blog, like LACMA, Getty.

Business meeting Friday afternoon.

Poster – Info still being gathered from the leads. It’s getting down to putting poster together when that is done. Posters are to be set up on the 19th in L.A. Needs to be completed at least two weeks prior.

(Ruth Leaves)

V – New Business/ Open Discussion

No new business.

VI – Setting of next call and adjournment

There will be business meeting on May 22nd. Those not present can call into the conference as usual, and Ryan will put us on speakerphone on his cell.

Meeting adjourns at 2PM.

Emerging conservators planning to attend the AIC Annual Meeting in LA this year should be on the lookout for the following ECPN activities. We hope to see you there!

Tuesday the 19th
7:00– informal dinner We are planning to have a dinner at the foodcourt of the upscale Century City mall next door. It’s no ordinary food court- they call it a dining terrace- with a view of the city, and actual plates. The upside to meeting at the food court is that we don’t need reservations, we don’t have all have to agree on a type of food, it is walking distance from the hotel, it should be less expensive than a restaurant and people can come and go as they please. We will meet up in the hotel lobby to walk over to the food court together but feel free to wander over when you can. The ‘dining terrace’ closes at 9:30, so people can go for drinks at the fancy hotel bar, at a restaurant in the mall, or somewhere fantastically wonderful, after dinner.

Thursday the 21st
12- 2 Issues Session– Go to the Issues Session! There is usually really good information, and you should be aware of what is going on. ECPN will be making a statement to the board about the group, and the more newbie conservation whatevers in attendance, the better. The Green Task Force will give an update on what they have accomplished this year, and where they are headed. This is also the place for bringing up issues on social media and conservation, or whatever Conservation 2.0 might mean to you.

3:30-4 Poster Session- Author in Attendance The ECPN will be presenting a poster in the general poster session introducing the group to the AIC community. Representatives from the group will be author-in-attendance session which is during the last refreshment break on Thursday. We may attempt to find volunteers to stand with the poster during other refreshment breaks. The poster will be up from 8ish am on Wednesday to 4 pm on Thursday.

4-530 AIC Business Meeting Very few new conservators seem to go to the business meetings, but it is the place where important things happen.

Friday the 21st
3:30-4ECPN Meeting We have scheduled the official meeting of the ECPN for the last refreshment break on Friday. Yeah, the time isn’t great- many people may be leaving the conference early, we will all be tired, and 30 minutes is not very much time. However, the time does not conflict with anything else going on, it is not at 7 am (our other non-conflicting time), and we get free muffins and coffee. I hope that people will be talking throughout the whole annual meeting so that on Friday, we will be able to get down to business quickly. A loose agenda for the meeting will be made available before we arrive in L.A.- or at least before Friday. For those who can’t attend the annual meeting, we may try to work something out so you can be involved, too. If you have ideas about how best to do that, whether through some kind of webinar or conference call, let us know.

Throughout the Annual Meeting
Paul Messier, Director of Communications on the AIC board, has asked for volunteers to actively blog during the Annual Meeting. Anyone who is interested is welcome to blog.

The AIC Health & Safety Committee currently has two opportunities for student involvement.

Student Member, Health & Safety Committee.
The H&S Committee is seeking one student to join the committee for a 2-year term. One of the most active AIC committees, Health & Safety members contribute articles and guides to the AIC Newsletter, host an informational booth and workshops at the Annual Meeting, and regularly address questions and issues related to health and safety in our field. The ideal candidate will have a strong interest in these issues, and a desire to participate and learn from the more experienced members of the committee.

Student booth volunteers at the Annual Meeting in Los Angeles.
Continuing our yearly tradition, the Health & Safety Committee is seeking student volunteers to help staff our informational booth at the AIC Annual Meeting in Los Angeles. This year, we have teamed up once again with the Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Comittee to cover a variety of topics of concern to the field. Students will sign up for 1-hour time slots during the exhibition hall open hours of 10am-5:30pm on Wednesday May 20 and Thursday May 21, and will work along side members of each committee. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about health, safety, and emergency issues, and to network with committee members and visitors to the booth.

For more information please contact:
Meghan McFarlane
MeghanMcFarlane@yahoo.com
Current Student Member,
Health & Safety Committee
Third Year Graduate Fellow,
Winterthur/University of Delaware

Big new ECPN updates for the month of March! The ECPN has a new status as a committee within AIC. This will not change our name or any of the projects we are working on. It is just a new way to identify our group and our structure within the larger organization of AIC. We are very excited with this new status.

We also have formal leadership positions in place now. As you may have seen on the NING site, we had open nominations for the position of chair, co-chair, and communications coordinator. Because the nominees ran unopposed, they have all been appointed to their positions. AIC appointed Laura Brill as chair and Rachel Penniman as co-chair. The two nominees for the communications position have agreed to share the role. Katie Mullen is now in charge of internal communications while Jason Church is heading up our external communications/outreach efforts. Also, Amber Kerr Allison has also offered to take over as educational development and training liaison.

Sadly, due to personal reasons Laura Brill has stepped down from her position as chair of ECPN. While she was only officially the chair for a short time, she has spent a year as an unofficial ECPN leader and inspiration. Her hard work has gotten this organization off the ground and we are so grateful for all she has done. With Laura’s departure, Rachel has stepped up into the role of ECPN chair. This leaves the co-chair position vacant and open for nominations. We are hoping some motivated ECPNer will consider taking a more active role and fill this position.

Our next step is to work with AIC on developing our charge as a committee to be presented to the AIC board for approval. Keep your eyes peeled for more on this in the future. Join us for our next conference call on April 16 at 1 PM (EDT)

The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is looking for a full time sculpture conservator to care for the museum’s collection of indoor and outdoor sculpture. The successful applicant will work in the conservation lab of the Hirshhorn Museum as well as in the outdoor sculpture garden, and on both modern and contemporary sculpture.

Duties of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Performs a full range of technical and analytical examinations of objects to identify the materials, structure and construction; determines their condition as well as the appropriate conservation procedures to be performed.
• Performs examinations, treatments, and general maintenance of the sculpture collection of the Hirshhorn Museum, including the art works installed outdoors on the museum plaza, sculpture garden, and on long-term loan.
• Carries out and oversees the maintenance program for museum sculptures, including those installed in galleries, outdoors on the plaza and in the sculpture garden, on long-term loan to SI Affiliate members located nationwide and stored at on and off-site facilities.
• Publishes articles in recognized art and/or conservation journals and/or gives talks at international, national, regional, and or educational meetings and conferences, highlighting a treatment or a series of treatment.
• Assists with the installation of oversized sculptures and room-sized installations, involving the use of cranes, gantries, cherry pickers, forklifts, pedal lifts, and palette jacks; oversees the work of contractors hired to treat oversized outdoor sculptures on the premises of the museum or at specialized facilities.

For more information, visit:

http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=79769694

Questions regarding the job description and responsibilities should be directed to Susan Lake, Chief Conservator and Director of Collection Management: lakes@si.edu or 202-633-2731

The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer.

One of my interests is in the documentation of contemporary art installations; I’ve been working on this for a while at my museum, which is getting ready to put 7 new commissioned works in a place we’ve started to call 100 Acres. Last year I presented some research along side Rebecca Uchill on the subject.

With this in mind, I was particularly stoked to find the following thing. A web thing. It can help people who document art.

I’ve showed it to everyone that’s come near me or my laptop; I’ve sent the link to folks that I thought might find it interesting and even printed a few copies and placed them strategically in other departments at the IMA.

Here it be:

It was made by Inside Installations. You can download your own copy here. The download is much higher resolution than that image. You should look at that one. And, check out the Legend for the diagram, and check out the description of the Basic Modules. It’s super detailed and worth spending some time looking at.

It’s important because it’s very useful, it’s free, and available right now. It describes how we collect and store information about artworks.

Here’s why Inside Installations made it:

“Documentation of contemporary art covers a wide spectrum of technical and conceptual aspects, i.e. the documentation of light, sound, space, movement, video, interaction with visitors, tactility and olfactory, etc. In order to preserve, present and understand these artworks there are innovative instruments and structures required. Without adequate documentation and conservation management many of these works will not be accessible in the future. Today many museums are using digital collection management systems for documentation and maintenance of their artworks. These systems have been developed for traditional artworks such as paintings and sculptures. Complex multimedia installations are presently not considered, while the need for an adequate documentation of these works is extremely urgent for future preservation and re-presentation. The related media management is a major challenge for many museums. Within this project it was the aim to develop new strategies, tools and templates for the documentation, administration and maintenance of contemporary art.”

I agree and think that creating documentation around contemporary artworks, and especially museum-commissioned artworks, is one of the most important specialties inside the field of art conservation.

And the graphic design is so beautiful that I assume it was made by someone that usually illustrates super complex things like automobile transmissions or the inner workings of metropolitan water systems. There’s no way I could create such a thing.

Yesterday I spent my first day participating in a project called “ConservationSpace“. I think this is an amazing project filled with great potential. And last night I was having a beer with some folks involved with the project and perhaps foolishly came up with what we thought was the most important ideas around conservation documentation. Here’s what they are:

It’s totally oversimplified, but really, as conservators isn’t this basically we want to do better?

The 2009 Angels Project will take place on Tuesday, May 19, at the Sherman Indian Museum in Riverside, CA (about 45 minutes from downtown LA). The Sherman Indian Museum is located on the campus of the Sherman Indian High School, which derived from the Perris Indian School, the first off-reservation Indian Boarding School in the state of California. The museum is dedicated to preserving and exhibiting more than a century of the school’s history, student body history, Indian boarding school history, and the ethnographic history of the staff and students. The museum’s collection contains objects representing tribes from all over the United States, as well as school records, photographs and other memorabilia. In addition to holding significance for current Sherman Indian school students and school alumni, the museum’s collection and archives are an important and unique resource for the greater Native American community and the general public.

During my grad studies in the UCLA/Getty Program, I had the opportunity to work with this museum and its only staff member, Lorene (Lori) Sisquoc. She has a lot of projects in mind, and on Wednesday, my former classmate, Ozge Gencay Ustun, and I will visit the museum and discuss the possible projects with Lori. We will likely do a few things that day, focused on surveying and re-housing objects, archival materials and electronic media from this collection. Ozge and I are helping Paul Messier organize the project this year, so if you have any questions or are interested in volunteering please email me at ecpn.angels@gmail.com

Thanks again, and look for updates as I find out more info…

and if you’re interested, here’s a link to a radio/podcast interview with Lori from 2005, where she discusses the museum and its history:

http://www.podcastdirectory.com/podshows/407120

Conservator Rebecca Cashman posted these Valentines to the ECPN Ning forum, compliments of the Inherent Vice Squad. If you haven’t heard of IVS yet, well that’s because it is a brand new business started by a group of new conservators. The will have a booth at the AIC annual meeting this spring, and judging from the Valetine’s, you may want to save your pennies!

In order to download them you might have to go to: http://aic-ecpn.ning.com and look under forums.