Category: Emerging Conservation Professionals

The theme for the 39th Annual Meeting, to be held in Pittsburgh, PA, May 17-20, 2011, is titled ETHOS, LOGOS, PATHOS: ethical principles and critical thinking in conservation.

The goal of this year’s meeting is to examine how ethics, logic, and perception guide conservation decisions. Assumptions long held in the practice of conservation are being challenged by the modern world. How are the issues of: environmental sustainability, economic drivers, art as entertainment, the use of cultural heritage, and public access concerns changing the practice of conservation? Do the core values of conservation still hold? We will examine existing assumptions about the way conservation decisions are made and the changing environment in which these decisions are taken today. For example, do the core values of conservation still guide conservators presented with the challenges of preserving new media? Does the increasing trend in collecting institutions towards outsourcing conservation services affect the long term preservation of cultural heritage? What is the impact of these changes on conservation education today?

Possible subjects for presentations include increased accessibility and use of built heritage, the effects of changing environmental standards on lending practices, the treatment of contemporary and ephemeral works, artists’ and owners’ rights; the evolution of ethical codes of conduct.

How to Propose a Paper

Please submit an abstract of your paper for consideration. For 2011, we are going to continue to use the system developed last year which allowed authors to submit their talk to any combination of three session types: General Session, Specialty Session, or Poster Session.

For example, you preferences can be:

• General Session, Objects Session, and Wooden Artifacts Session

• General Session, Posters Session, and Book and Paper Session

• Photographic Materials, Electronic Media, and Research and Technical Studies

To submit an abstract for consideration, please send an abstract of no more than 500 words to Ruth Seyler, Membership and Meetings Director, at abstracts@conservation-us.org by Tuesday, September 7, 2010.

Papers maybe be submitted for the General Session, Specialty Sessions, and/or Poster Session. Specialty Session papers are encouraged to address the meeting theme but may also explore other topics relevant to that specialty. Please indicate on the abstract which session/sessions you wish the paper to be considered: General Session, Specialty Session, or Poster Session. Please limit your choices to three sessions and rank them in order of preference. Naturally, you may submit your presentation to only one session if you so choose. Papers for the 2011 meeting should be tailored to a 20-30 minute presentation time.

The deadline for posters only will be extended to October 1, 2010.

Submit an Abstract Online

The Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC) strives to provide high quality, meaningful articles representing the accepted standards of practice found in all specialty group categories of the art conservation field. To fulfill this mandate, the manuscripts are selected for publication via a multi-tiered evaluation method that consists of senior editors, associate editors, two peer reviewers, and a copy editor. The system ensures that each submission is read by several people who provide a diverse set of perspectives. While the editor positions are fixed, the peer reviewer slots are open to the entire membership of AIC.

The editorial team of the JAIC invites you, as emerging professionals in the field of conservation to participate in the growth and development of your Journal by becoming a peer reviewer. The process does take time but it can also provide several personal and professional benefits to you, your career, and to the Journal.

Being a reviewer gives you the chance to apply the critical thinking skills developed in your graduate training. As a representative reader of young conservation professionals, you can provide a unique perspective on the appropriateness, readability, completeness, and currency of the articles. Review steps can include:
1. Assessing the relevancy and significance of a paper. Does the background information establish the current status of the topic? Will the paper advance this set of information?
2. Examining the structure and flow of the paper. Is it logical? Does it meet the JAIC format requirements?
3. Determining whether the information is presented in enough detail. Is each step understandable? Can the process be replicated? Is sufficient data present to ensure accuracy?
4. Evaluating whether the study has been placed into context of its benefits or applications to conservation. Did it consider the pros and cons, describe limitations, discuss the affects of various parameters or conditions, and/or specify areas for further study?

A very important aspect of the conservation field is the solicitation and valuation of opinions from our peers. This consultation process is formalized for publication using the peer review system to provide fresh eyes and new insights on each manuscript. Through the anonymous process, the reviewer takes on a mentoring role to help the writer produce a publication with greater depth and more thorough, thoughtful descriptions. In general, JAIC reviewers are extraordinarily conscientious and fair in their assessments of the manuscripts.

Being a reviewer is often a first step to becoming a published author in JAIC. It provides the advantage of learning about the publication process and requirements. It also supplies the alternate, and important, perspective of being on the review side of a manuscript. That aspect can allow you to look at your own writing more objectively. Additionally, once a paper is submitted to the Journal, you have the understanding that the reviews are written with constructive goals in mind.

To be included in our reviewer list, please send a request along with your name, email, and areas of interest and specialties to Brett Rodgers, AIC Communication Manager (brodgers@conservation-us.org). All volunteers are welcome. We just received a cycle of papers on May 1 for which we need reviewers. The other submission cycles are February 1, August 1, and November 1.

Please direct any question regarding JAIC or the peer review process to me.

Michele Derrick
JAIC, editor in chief
mderrick@mfa.org

ECPN meeting: May 11, 2010 – Hyatt Regency Milwaukee Crystal Room

Present at the Meeting:
Anna Marie Weiss
Blanka Kielb
Emily Macdonald-Korth
Amy Brost
Julie Benner
Josiah Wagener
Nathan Sutton
Gary Frost
Karen Pavelka
Rose Daly
Ryan Winfield
Jason Church
Amber Kerr-Allison

1. ANAGPIC
2. Angel’s Project
3. Outreach – flier, AAM Emerging Museum Professionals Network
4. Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia
5. Mentoring program
6. Liasons with graduate programs
7. Survey results
8. CIPP membership

1. Rose checked in with her impression of the ANAGPIC 2010 meeting. She said there was a lot of interest, especially in the mentoring program. She regretted that she did not have a flier prepared so it could be included in the bag the students received at the conference.

2. The Angel’s Project was discussed and all the logistics had been worked out for the project, generously sponsored by Tru Vue Gaylord, Hollinger Metal Edge, and University Products.

3. More outreach projects were generally discussed, Ryan suggested we make a flier we could send to Art History or Museum Studies undergraduate programs. In later discussions it was mentioned that if there can be more visibility for the profession it will be a great benefit. Later it was discussed how conservators and museum professionals could network at the 2011 AAM meeting in Houston, Texas. Rose suggested proposing a panel discussion, having a information booth, or some other such project. Ruth Seyler and Ryan Winfield will be asking their contacts at AAM and reporting back at the next conference call.

4. Jason gave some updates about the facebook page, which has a number of followers and it is hoped that discussions about internships, graduate schools, and conservation training can begin in the discussion section of the facebook page. There is a twitter account, Rose is contacting Brett Rogers with info about the account so the proper AIC signage can be used on the site. ECPN members are interested in being more involved with the AIC wiki.

5. Mentoring Program – this is probably currently the most exciting project. The importance of helping emerging conservators to find mentors was really stressed and everyone was happy the project has been going well for some of the mentors and mentees. More mentors are needed as there is an excess of mentees. Members of the ECPN are encouraged to ask established conservators they feel would be good mentors to become involved. The mentors and mentees need to be AIC members,

6. Amber is hoping to have a set of graduate student and faculty liasons set up by the end of the year with all North American graduate programs for art conservation.

7. Survey results – the survey results are ready, and should be e-mailed out to the committee members in the next few weeks. A summary of the survey findings will be posted to the blog.

8. CIPP – Do we still have a reduced membership rate for CIPP?

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

Attending the annual AIC conference in Milwaukee? Join us at the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) Meeting, where study abroad director Blanka Kielb will be waiting to meet you and answer your questions.

TUESDAY, MAY 11 • 4:00 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.
Hyatt Regency: Crystal Room

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.

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.”

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

Will you be attending AIC’s annual meeting next month? Do you like sharing information with your colleagues? Do you take good notes? Are you always online? If so – then we have a job for you!

We are looking for candidates to post on the AIC blog about the content of talks given at the meeting. We are ideally looking for two individuals to share the coverage of talks at each specialty group session. Bloggers will be trained on a short conference call prior to the meeting on how to access and post to the Blog. If you are interested in being considered, please contact the AIC E-editor Rachael Arenstein at Rachael@amartconservation.com.

Recently, the ECPN has expanded their social media network to include a Facebook group. In the survey sent out by AIC asking what members wanted from the ECPN; the vast majority stated that the original Ning site was outdated and they would prefer a Facebook page. Ask and you shall receive.. Emerging Conservation Professionals Network.

The group page is open to anyone who would like to join and there are currently 83 members. The page is also open to allow anyone that wishes to post to the wall, start discussions, post events, and pictures.

The hope is that the Facebook group will give AIC and ECPN members, prospective members, and those just interested in conservation a place to openly and informally chat about events, programs, projects, etc. This is the place to through out questions like; “Does anyone want to share a hotel room at AIC?” or “Who has gone through the graduate program at X and did you have professor X?”.

Remember this is your social media so it only works if you use it. So invite your classmates and friends and start connecting.