Category: Grants & Scholarships

This category provides information for the membership about upcoming deadlines for national grants, funded opportunities, and awards. Descriptions of funding opportunities that are culled from other sources (announcements from newsletters, websites, etc.) are also included.

From the Bench: Making Things Amber Clear

This post is part of the “From the Bench” series celebrating the work of conservators. Part scientist, part detective, they work to preserve the past for the future. This series features the voices of conservators who are working on IMLS-supported projects in museums across the United States. For more information about IMLS funding for museums see www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

Elizabeth Nunan, Associate Conservator, Natural Science Collections, American Museum of Natural History

With funding from the IMLS Conservation Project Support grant program, the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) conservators and fossil preparators have spent the past 12 months treating and documenting the museum’s unique and global collection of fossils in amber. The AMNH amber collection is one of the world’s largest, most diverse, and scientifically significant with nearly 17,000 pieces containing well over 25,000 inclusions of insects and other ancient life forms. When exposed to ambient conditions, such as light, temperature, and relative humidity, amber darkens, and over time microscopic cracks can form on exposed surfaces. In severe cases, this network of cracks, or crazing, can completely mask the inclusion, and large fractures can extend through their bodies. Without treatment, the amber can break or crumble, exposing the inclusions to further deterioration and making the specimen unsafe to handle or study. The IMLS Amber Fossil Conservation project was designed to stabilize all of the most scientifically important and some of the most deteriorated pieces in this collection so they can be safely stored, handled, and preserved for future research and exhibition. Of particular concern was treatment of the scientifically important type specimens – the first specimen to which the scientific name of an organism is attached.

To prevent the darkening and crazing that obscures and damages inclusions each amber type specimen is treated with Epo-Tek 301-2 epoxy,  either by coating exposed surfaces or embedding whole pieces under vacuum.  Embedding the amber in epoxy stabilizes the specimen by infiltrating the cracks, and making it less likely to break during trimming and polishing. One of the key benefits of such preparation is that researchers can get much closer to the inclusion and gain clearer views of important characteristics, without risking breakage or internal cracking. Many fossil insect specimens in amber could never have been properly studied without this process.

Before and after images show how treatment minimized cracks and crazing in the amber

This project has helped ensure the preservation and overall accessibility of the museum’s priceless amber collections for the benefit of generations to come. In addition, the AMNH has already shared lessons learned and procedures developed with other institutions through publications and lectures at professional conferences such as the Society for Preservation of Natural History Collections, the International Paleoentomological Society, the Paleontological Society of India, and the University of Lucknow, India.

From the Bench: Preservation of Art Objects Help Restore Historic Halls to Past Splendor

This post is part of the “From the Bench” series celebrating the work of conservators. Part scientist, part detective, part artisan, part caretaker, a conservator works to preserve the past for the future. This series features the voices of conservators who are working on IMLS-supported projects in museums across the United States. For more information about IMLS funding for museums see www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

 Valentine Talland, Senior Conservator, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum received a Conservation Project Support grant from IMLS in 2009 to conserve objects that were the highest priorities for preservation in two important galleries: the Titian Room and the Tapestry Room. The Gardner was engaged in a major capital preservation project, concluded in 2012, with two objectives: first, the systematic preservation of whole galleries, including the conservation of art objects and the restoration of architectural finishes; and second, the construction of an addition to the building to relieve wear and tear on the museum’s historic interiors and to house expanding museum programs. The Titian and Tapestry rooms were central to these goals as well as to enhancing the visitor experience and education programs at the Gardner. Generous support from IMLS provided for the following conservation treatments:

  1. Ten side chairs upholstered in 18th-century painted and gilded leather. Six of these chairs are positioned in the center of the Tapestry Room where visitor traffic is relatively high. These chairs were reupholstered with handmade leather, reproducing the original colors and design (called Corfus). The de-upholstered original leather coverings were stabilized, cleaned, and safely housed for study and storage. Four of these chairs are exhibited out of visitor traffic; their original upholstery was cleaned, conserved, and retained on the chairs.
  2. Bust of a Venetian Senator. This monumental marble sculpture was cleaned using the Gardner’s laser cleaner. It was remounted on a structural stainless steel pin. Prior to its reinstallation in the Titian Room, its gallery mount was re-engineered to safely support the sculpture’s weight.
  3. King Philip IV of Spain, by Velázquez, and frame. A complete conservation treatment and investigative analysis of the painting was carried out. This included X-radiography and comparative study with versions in the Prado and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The frame, originally from a suite at Kingston Lacey, was consolidated, cleaned and retouched.
  4. Namban Chest. This rare early Japanese lacquer chest was stabilized and cleaned. Treatment revealed original graphite scribe lines and brilliant mother-of pearl inlays. X-ray fluorescence analysis confirmed gilding on the silver mounts.

For more information on the Renzo Piano-designed addition to the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum and restoration of the Tapestry Room visit:

http://www.buildingproject.gardnermuseum.org/vision/tapestry-room-restoration

http://www.gardnermuseum.org/multimedia/featured_video?filter=4372

Review of FAIC Preventive Conservation Workshop: Ossabaw Island, GA (January 7-20, 2012)

How does one care for a historic home that is currently being inhabited? How much care should be given to maintain such a site when funding and physical isolation prevent a clear future?

Last January I attended a two-week preventive conservation workshop along with five other participants on Ossabaw Island, a wilderness barrier island off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, to try to tackle these questions.  As a pre-program conservation student, this workshop offered me a chance to consider conservation outside of traditional contexts, to engage in preventive conservation, and to experience a truly unforgettable adventure.

The island, whose earliest settlements date to 2000 BCE, was occupied by the Guale and Creek Indians, Spanish and English explorers, and plantation owners until its eventual purchase in 1924 by Dr. Henry Norton Torrey of Michigan.  Dr. Torrey’s daughter, Eleanor Torrey West, inherited the family’s home in addition to the entire island where she fostered a creative retreat, The Ossabaw Island Project, attended by writers, artists, and scientific researchers. Mrs. West (99) continues to live on Ossabaw today, but has since sold the island to the State of Georgia under the condition that it be kept as a nature preserve for academic pursuits. The island offered a meditative and isolated setting for our preventive conservation study; ancient shell middens, Spanish moss draped palmetto and live oak trees, tidal marshes, untouched beaches, wild pigs, and the ruins of tabby slave quarters comprised the island’s lush landscape.

The primary focus of the workshop was to discuss and employ preventive conservation strategies, including monitoring the temperature, relative humidity, light, and pests, while following and revising a housekeeping manual for the 1924 Spanish colonial revival style Torrey-West house. The workshop, taught by Peebles Island Resource Center conservators David Bayne, Kristin O’Connell, Abby Zoldowski, Michele Phillips, and private practice conservator Rose Cull, also included dedicated sessions on the care of the house’s textiles, books and works on paper, furniture, and outdoor iron structures. Several preventive sessions were continuations of the 2010 campaign, including the recording of pest activity, temperature, and climate within the house.  We identified insects found in traps, discussed data reconnaissance techniques, recorded light and ultraviolet readings, and selected two rooms on the ground floor to be lightly cleaned using housekeeping methods appropriate to historic houses.

In the object-based workshop sessions, the group learned about ideal conditions and care for different objects within the house’s collection. We selectively intervened based on the house’s two main limitations: the climate could not be kept constant, and most importantly, the house was inhabited. During the two weeks, we examined textiles damaged by insects and conducted a freezing cycle on two infested pillows, we learned about the basic mechanism of iron corrosion and treated a corroded window grate, we constructed protective enclosures for books, and took part in lectures and demonstrations on conservation tools and proper handling techniques.

This workshop provided me with an invaluable and thorough introduction to preventive conservation and historic housekeeping. The artifacts in the Torrey-West house presented challenging scenarios for proposing care or treatment; many objects were in daily use, such as the rugs, furniture, and stove, or had potential to be used, such as a book on a shelf.  The need for interpretation also arose when choosing which rooms to monitor or clean, and which damaged objects ought to be stabilized.

Not only did the instructors teach us practical skills and concepts, but they encouraged the students to explore ideas about value, and balancing treatment ideals with real-world limitations.  The landscape, the lessons learned, and the networking prospects (two of the participants, myself included, continued on to intern at the Peebles Island Resource Center) at Ossabaw Island made it well worth the trip! The FAIC generously awarded the participants a travel stipend to attend, and housing was provided by the Ossabaw Island Foundation in the restored “Clubhouse” building.

Applications for the next workshop (1/18- 2/1) are due November 12!  For more information, visit www.conservation-us.org/education.

Stories of Success: A Collaborative Survey Shines Fresh Light on Korean Paintings

This post is part of the “From the Bench” series celebrating the work of conservators. Part scientist, part detective, part artisan, part caretaker, a conservator works to preserve the past for the future. This series features the voices of conservators who are working on IMLS-supported projects in museums across the United States. For more information about IMLS funding for museums see www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

By Katherine Holbrow, Head of Conservation, Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

Shared expertise plays an essential role in good collections care. In Spring 2012, valuable support from IMLS enabled the Asian Art Museum to bring together an interdisciplinary team of experts to carry out a conservation survey of rare Korean paintings.

Korean paintings conservator Chi-sun Park and her assistant, Eun-Hye Cho, of Jung-Jae Conservation Center in Seoul, Korea, collaborated with Asian Art Museum conservators, curators, and translators to examine hanging scrolls, albums, and screens dating from the 14th to 19thcenturies. The team examined each painting, then identified conservation and curatorial priorities, evaluated scroll and album mounts, and discussed treatment alternatives.

Left to right: Asian Art Museum director Jay Xu, visiting conservator Chi-Sun Park, associate curator Hyonjeong Kim Han, and paintings conservator Shiho Sasaki discuss a Joseon dynasty painting.
Did you know that due to a tradition of under-floor heating, Korean folding screens typically have feet? Above, Chi-sun Park examines a Korean painting mounted as a folding screen. The mount uses a mixture of Korean and Japanese elements.

The project quickly grew beyond an assessment of treatment needs, sparking stimulating discussions of the broader ethical and aesthetic questions that surround the remounting of Korean paintings, including the following:

  • What characteristics do Korean mounts share with Chinese or Japanese mounts?
  • What elements are unique to Korea?
  • How can the mounts help tell the history of our paintings?

 Good conservation decisions require a cultural sensitivity to fine detail and a clear grasp of such abstract questions, even if there is more than one right answer!

This lively debate, along with explanations of common types of scroll damage, strategies to extend the life of a painting mount, and repair options, was shared with senior docents and museum visitors in publications, tours, and lectures. Read more about the Korean paintings project on the Asian Art Museum website.

From the Bench: Rehoused Instrument Collection Is Once Again Instrumental

This post is part of the “From the Bench” series celebrating the work of conservators. Part scientist, part detective, part artisan, part caretaker, a conservator works to preserve the past for the future. This series features the voices of conservators who are working on IMLS-supported projects in museums across the United States. For more information about IMLS funding for museums see www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

By Catherine Sease, Senior Conservator, Peabody Museum of Natural History

             The Yale Peabody Museum’s collection of historical scientific instruments consists of approximately 4,000 instruments from a variety of scientific disciplines. Despite its significance, the collection has been completely inaccessible since 1991. At that time, due to the planned demolition of the building in which it was stored, the collection was packed up and, due to a lack of storage space, remained packed up until 2011. Over the years the boxes were extensively stacked and restacked and were moved at least three times, including the most recent move over seven miles. They have been stored in areas with uncontrolled climatic conditions, and have been exposed to drastic fluctuations in temperature and relative humidity as well as minor leaks and floods. These are all conditions that could easily cause the deterioration of the instruments.

             Because they were packed up, the instruments were unavailable for study, teaching, and exhibition. Their inaccessibility was further compromised by the inaccuracy of the catalog record. We knew that the catalog contained numerous errors; for example at least two percent of the collection was listed as missing. In addition, many instruments had accessories and parts that were not catalogued and some were packed separately from their primary instrument.

             Our IMLS-funded project enabled us to unpack the entire collection and rehouse it in new high-quality storage cabinets in a storeroom with climate control suitable for the long-term preservation of the collection. As each instrument was unpacked, the museum’s catalog was checked to verify that the description was accurate and all the pieces were present. Many were also photographed and the pictures were uploaded into the database. We now have a complete inventory of the entire collection on the museum’s database that is available to anyone with access to the Internet. The instruments are now spread out so that students and researchers can easily browse through the collection and see the instruments without touching them. They are now readily available for teaching and exhibit. Even though the project is not quite finished, we have already had requests for the loan of instruments for exhibits and professors are using instruments in their classes.

New Guidelines for IMLS’s Museums for America (MFA) Grant Program Announced

Guidelines are now available for the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ (IMLS) Museums for America (MFA) grant program, which now includes funding for projects previously under Conservation Project Support (CPS). The MFA deadline is January 15, 2013. We encourage our members and colleagues to review the new guidelines and begin planning their application(s) as soon as possible.

There are three categories within the MFA program, including Collections Stewardship.

As stated in the guidelines, “Projects should support the care and management of collections to expand and sustain access for current and future generations. Projects should reflect systematic, holistic, logical approaches to the documentation, preservation, and conservation of tangible and digital collections to sustain and improve public access.” There is no restriction on the number of applications an institution may submit to one or more of the three categories.

To aid those interested in conservation and collections care projects, the Connecting to Collections Online Community will host a free webinar featuring Connie Bodner, IMLS senior program officer. Connie will review MFA guidelines and answer questions live on November 7 at 2:00 pm (Eastern). No prior registration is required to participate in this webinar. On November 7, simply go to the www.connectingtocollections.org and click “Access Meeting Room.”  IMLS staff will also be conducting a series of five web conferences to provide an overview of the program and answer questions.

In addition to MFA, activities once supported under the 21st Century Museum Professionals grant program have now been consolidated under National Leadership Grants. The deadline for this program is also January 15, 2013.

To further highlight their commitment to conservation, IMLS has launched a new blog series, “From the Bench.” Cosponsored by Heritage Preservation and the American Institute for Conservation, the series will provide a platform for conservators to share their work with the public and will highlight how IMLS funding has supported collections care efforts.

2013-2014 Getty Graduate Internship Program Announced

Getty Graduate Internships are offered in the four programs of the J. Paul Getty Trust—the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Research Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, and the Getty Foundation—to students who intend to pursue careers in fields related to the visual arts. Training and work experience are available in areas such as curatorial, education, conservation, research, information management, public programs, and grantmaking.

Eligibility
Internships are open to students of all nationalities. Applicants must be:

  • Students currently enrolled in a graduate program leading to an advanced degree in a field relevant to the internship(s) for which they are applying, or
  • Individuals who have completed a relevant graduate degree on or after January 1, 2010, with postgraduate activities in their field, paid or unpaid.

Terms
Internships are located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles or the Getty Villa in Malibu. All positions are full-time beginning September 9, 2013. Most internships are for eight months, ending May 16, 2013. Conservation internships are twelve months, ending September 5, 2014. Grant amounts are $17,400 for eight months and $26,000 for twelve months. Support for research travel is available for up to $2,500. The grant includes health benefits, but housing and relocation funds are not provided.

Deadline
The deadline for applications is 5:00 p.m. PST, December 3, 2012.

For more information, visit www.getty.edu/foundation/funding/leaders/current/grad_internships.html.

ConservationSpace Update

In January of 2012, the  funded the continued development of the ConservationSpace initiative. The goal of ConservationSpace is to develop an open-source software application that will address a core need of the  conservation community for a shared solution to the problem of documentation management. The conservation community has long recognized that a digital approach to managing its documentation would improve continuity in procedures, increase access, expand research opportunities, and better ensure the preservation of its documents.

The National Gallery of Art remained as the lead institution. Six partner institutions also renewed their commitment to the project: Courtauld Institute of Art, Denver Art Museum, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Denmark’s Statens Museum for Kunst, and Yale University. The NGA and its partners are poised to release the final Request for Proposals (RFP) and supporting documentation that will bring a software developer on board to build the first version of the system. Once the software developer is selected, the work to develop a “core” version will begin. This version will be a hosted BETA solution that will be tested by all of the partner institutions. The first version of ConservationSpace will focus on: examination (single object), examination or survey (multiple objects), treatment (single object), treatment (multiple objects), and basic document/system management.

On October 11, 2012 the NGA released, on behalf of the partners and the conservation community, the Request for Proposals to hire the developer to build the open source application. The full call for proposals can be seen by visiting the Federal Business Opportunities website at www.fbo.gov.

The deadline for submissions is November 13, 2012. The NGA and project partners hope to award the contract by the end of 2012.

As part of the RFP development, the partners in working groups or teams, created a substantial dossier of documents, notes, and drawings to represent the “universe” of conservation work, documentation, and data. The NGA and the ConservationSpace team would like to direct interested parties to its Google work site. Although final versions of critical project documents will continue to be hosted on ConservationSpace.org, the Google site allows the conservation community to see the process and considerable effort of the partners behind the work to-date.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation continues to generously support ConservationSpace, and the partner institutions remain committed to this challenging and exciting project.

For more information, visit www.conservationspace.org.

Christine E. McCarthy
Chief Conservator
Preservation Department
Yale University Library
130 Wall St.
New Haven, CT
203-432-1710

From the Bench: New Discoveries from What Lies Beneath

This post is part of the “From the Bench” series celebrating the work of conservators. Part scientist, part detective, part artisan, part caretaker, they work to preserve the past for the future. This series features the voices of conservators who are working on IMLS-supported projects in museums across the United States. For more information about IMLS funding for museums see www.imls.gov/applicants/available_grants.aspx.

By Nancie Ravenel, Objects Conservator, Shelburne Museum

While there are two conservators on staff at Shelburne Museum to take care of its day-to-day conservation needs, some projects within the museum’s diverse collection require the talents of a specialized conservator. With funding from IMLS in 2010, we were able to hire paintings conservator Pamela Betts for 17 months to examine and treat a selection of paintings from the 50 best in our collection. In the course of her examinations, Pam made some very interesting discoveries. Here are a few:

  • A portrait of a woman hidden beneath a still life depicting oysters and a glass of ale painted sometime between 1855-1870 by Charles D. Sauerwein  revealed in an x-radiograph.
  • An x-radiograph showed that Henry Durrie had included his hands and maybe an artist’s palette in his self-portrait painted 1830-1839, but they were later painted out.
  • The local hospital that helps us out with the x-rays archives the digital radiographs that they take of the objects in our collection. Their radiological technologists know the paintings by their radiographs but may not know what they look like on the wall!
  • Using two different methods of infrared photography, Pam documented compositional changes that Jasper F. Cropsey made to his 1844 landscape painting depicting Greenwood Lake.
  • We found that it is possible to get reasonable infrared images of painting underdrawings by putting the appropriate filter on our digital camera. Expensive equipment isn’t always required.
  • The ornate Rococo-style frame on Rembrandt Peale’s Girl with a Tuscan Hat is at least the same period as the painting if it is not original to it.

Paintings conservator Pamela Betts (right) discusses her progress on William Merritt Chase’s portrait of General James Watson Webb (1880, collection of Shelburne Museum) with curatorial fellow Erin Corrales-Diaz.

Since 1986, Shelburne Museum has had the honor of being awarded 16 Conservation Project Support grants. These have run the gamut of the activities supported:

  • improving environmental systems and storage furniture
  • conservation surveys and treatment
  • training both for new conservators and the conservators on staff

The common tie among the projects is that grants from IMLS have allowed us to innovate and collaborate in ways that would not have been otherwise possible and confer benefits for years after the project is complete. We’re excited to be able to share these discoveries with our visitors, especially those radiological technologists from the hospital who learn about the paintings in Shelburne Museum’s collection through their x-rays.

Call for Nominations: Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Preservation Award

Deadline for nominations is December 1, 2012.

Please help recognize an outstanding colleague by nominating them for the Paul Banks and Carolyn Harris Award. The award is given to recognize the contribution of a professional preservation specialist who has been active in the field of preservation and/or conservation for library and/or archival materials. The winner will be determined by the person’s accomplishments as they relate to preservation leadership in such activities as:

  • Leadership in professional associations at local, state, regional or national level
  • Contributions to the development, application or utilization of new or improved methods, techniques and routines
  • Evidence of studies or research in preservation
  • Significant contribution to professional literature
  • Training and mentoring in the field of preservation

To submit a nomination, please send the following to the jury chair by the deadline

  • Name of nominee;
  • A formal statement of nomination, with a brief rationale for the nomination;
  • A resume or narrative career outline upon which the award jury can base its determinations.

Beth Doyle, Jury Chair
b.doyle [at] duke__edu
Duke University Libraries

Letters of endorsement are encouraged and should provide additional evidence of the worthiness of the nominee. Nominations for persons not selected for the award in one year may be updated and resubmitted. Current employees of Preservation Technologies are not eligible.

For complete information on the award including a list of jury members, please visit www.ala.org/alcts/awards/profrecognition/banksharris