The previous blog post “Respond Now to IMLS Grant Guidelines” gives information on the AIC Board of Director’s response to IMLS’s proposed grant revisions and outlines ways in which you can, and should, make your voice heard. For more information on the topic also read the June 1 post Collections Matter on IMLS’s blog from Connie Bodner, IMLS Senior Program Officer. In her post she describes her experience at AIC’s recent annual meeting, mentions the proposed changes to the grant guidelines and highlights some of the recent Conservation Project Support recipients.
If you have ever applied for an IMLS grant (or intent to in the future) don’t let the opportunity pass to provide informed feedback!
If you have not yet done so, please respond now to the request from IMLS posted below. The AIC Board of Directors agree that that the proposed new grant guidelines pose a real threat to conservation funding and the long-term care of collections. It is imperative that IMLS hear from the conservation community—from individual conservation professionals as well as from AIC as a whole. AIC is submitting a response on behalf of the organization. Some points taken from it include:
By merging Museums for America (MFA) and Conservation Project Support (CPS), there will no longer be a funding source dedicated to conservation.
Although multiple applications will be permitted by IMLS, multiple submissions from institutions will ultimately compete against each other. Exhibition or education proposals, for instance, would be pitted against conservation proposals.
If museums focus their grant writing efforts on the support of exhibitions, education, and community outreach, the grants will provide important support for annual programming budgets, yet these funds will do little to support museum missions to preserve and make their permanent collections accessible in a more lasting way.
One January 15 deadline for all proposals puts a great burden on museum staff members, particularly for those working in smaller institutions.
While AIC applauds IMLS for considering changes to improve its grant services, combining the CPS and MFA programs and instituting a single application deadline will have unintended consequences that will result in museums placing less emphasis on conservation of collections. AIC urges IMLS to consider leaving CPS as a separate program or combining it with collections stewardship.
How have the collections for which you are responsible benefited from IMLS conservation support in the past? What impact on collections care do you envision with the implementation of the draft guidelines being presented by IMLS?
Draft Museum Grant Guidelines Available for Public Comment
Washington, DC—The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is seeking public comments on the draft guidelines for the FY 2013 Museums for America and National Leadership Grants for Museums programs. The guidelines for these programs have been revised to align with the IMLS Strategic Plan. We are seeking comments to assess how well these guidelines accomplish the following goals:
Make federal dollars more accessible by reducing complexity
Increase clarity and readability
Make it easier to see where a project idea fits best
Make it easier to articulate the impact of project ideas
Provide greater ability for museums and organizations that serve museums to pursue National Leadership Grants that have broad impact for their communities and create models that can be adapted by others
Make it possible for IMLS to continue to support the full range of museums, large and small, and representing every museum discipline and every geographic area
The comment period will end on Friday, July 6, 2012. Please send comments to comments@imls.gov. Final guidelines will be posted no later than October 15, 2012.
I love Angels Projects. There is nothing precious about them. They are practical, down-to-earth conservation projects in which the rubber meets the road, and they give AIC members a chance to reach out to ordinary people who care passionately about their unique collections. On May 8, 2012, several new Angels earned their wings at the Sandoval County Historical Society, working side by side with volunteers to preserve archives, rolled maps, photographs, and oil paintings.
Sandoval County Historical Society is located in Bernalillo, New Mexico, in the home of artist Edmond DeLavy. DeLavy studied illustration at the Pratt Institute in New York, and following World War II, he moved from Maine to homestead the Bernalillo property: two and a half acres of what had been Santa Ana Pueblo lands. (The tribe is now buying back the surrounding land; they own the successful casino next door.) Before DeLavy’s death in 1989, he bequeathed his adobe home and studio to the local historical society.
Photo displays at the Sandoval County Historical Society
Its collection includes dozens of DeLavy’s original paintings and hundreds of photographs documenting the local Spanish villages and Indian pueblos, many of which have been mounted on posterboard. The historical society also collects archival documents, genealogies and family histories, bound volumes for its library, and maps. Its all-volunteer staff includes Martha Liebert, who acts as the archivist, and Dirk van Hart, who has been single-handedly digitizing the society’s photographs. Many of these photos are themselves copies of family pictures belonging to the local people, who often burn the originals after the deaths of those depicted. Often, the Sandoval County Historical Society retains the only images witnessing to the Spanish or Indian heritage of the surrounding families. The posters that illustrate this heritage travel to local schools and service organizations to educate and instill pride in today’s Sandoval County residents.
Last Tuesday, about fifteen volunteers with AIC’s Angels Project joined the society’s volunteers to begin the task of organizing and re-housing its maps, oil paintings, and archives. One team hauled the paintings from their storage closet, where they had been stored in groups in large plastic bags, and rewrapped them individually where necessary. Another team gathered the rolled maps for flattening and rehousing in a map case. A third team, which included me, gathered the society’s most-used archival documents and transferred them from acidic bankers’ boxes to new folders and polyethylene sleeves in alkaline boxes.
Paintings after rehousing
As is often the case with Angels Projects, we worked with few tools and a narrow assortment of supplies. We were forced to be creative, and to make efficient use of the short time we were given. The team rehousing the paintings lined them up against the walls and selected the most vulnerable images–for example, those without frames–to wrap in paper. They then returned the paintings to their storage closet, ensuring that no canvases were in danger of denting or stretching. Without a humidity chamber, the map team resorted to mechanical flattening, using stones in polyethylene sandwich bags as weights. Over the course of the morning and afternoon, they gradually unrolled and rehoused all of the society’s rolled maps, which are now stored flat in a dedicated case.
Volunteers examine the flattened maps.
In the archives team, faced with mountains of paper, photos, and newspaper clippings, we debated about how we could be of most use. Should we start an Excel database of each folder? Each item? Should we attempt to reunite loose materials with the folders where they belonged? Where should we start? And how could we include the society’s volunteers, who were desperate to help? Eventually, we decided to begin with the most used materials, and to spend our time removing staples, paper clips, and sticky notes. We rehoused items that had been fastened together in polyethylene sleeves, and we moved sticky notes to sheets of acid-free interleaving folded around the originals. When folders were overstuffed, we subdivided them into new archival folders, and we kept records of the types of materials found in each folder.
More importantly, we sat down with the volunteers and gave them a basic overview of archival maintenance. We explained how fasteners and sticky notes can damage paper and photos in the long term, and offered suggestions for their removal and replacement. We also discussed possible options for cataloging the collection and for storing and backing up its digital images. All afternoon–after a delicious home-cooked lunch of deviled eggs, enchiladas, salads, cakes, and pies provided by the volunteers–we worked side by side to improve the housing and organization of the society’s archives.
Volunteers rehouse the Sandoval County Historical Society archives.
The day was a tremendous success, and we all left feeling that we had made a big difference. The work was a reminder that sometimes we need to set aside our conservation ideals–the clean benches, the lab coats, the high-tech gear and the high-brow jargon–for simple conversations. We need to explain what we do and why, in plain language, without condescension. We need to empower other cultural caretakers to do whatever they can for their collections. In short, we need to make colleagues and friends.
Like all Angels Projects, the work with the Sandoval County Historical Society opened a short window in which to build long-lasting connections. We helped its volunteers preserve their own cultural heritage, whether they are rehousing their collections themselves or calling a conservator for advice, guidance, or to undertake a complex treatment. Next year, be an Angel! It might be the best outreach project you’ll ever undertake.
Dr. Hany Hanna, who is the General Director of Conservation for the Helwan, El-Saf and Afteh Sectors of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, delivered a general call for increased levels of attention on a local, national, regional and global scale to the protection and conservation of global heritage. While his talk did not relate to wooden artifacts specifically in any way, it was directly related to the theme of the Annual Meeting as a whole, and since Dr. Hanna specializes in the conservation of wooden objects and has spoken to our group in the past, no doubt he felt WAG was the appropriate venue for his talk this year.
Dr. Hanna began by defining cultural heritage as including both the tangible and intangible. Tangible heritage includes:
Cultural
Natural
Cultural Landscapes
Intangible heritage includes:
Practical experience
Knowledge
Skills
He pointed out that cultural heritage is priceless for humanity as a whole, as well as for nations and groups. It both strengthens identity within groups, as well as respect for and appreciation of other groups. Dr. Hanna discussed the fact that while great strides have been made on a global scale in protecting our global cultural heritage through education, advances in technology, and the development of new facilities and international partnerships, more must be done to protect cultural heritage form man-made and natural threats. In general, he called for more training, more investment in research and education, as well as facilities to carry out this research and training, and more international cooperation and partnerships.
At the same time, Dr. Hanna encouraged self reliance on the part of governments, NGO’s and universities in individual countries. His point seemed to be that while networking, cooperation and partnerships are vital for the preservation of global cultural heritage, local action and raising local public awareness are the most effective means of achieving preservation goals of emergency preparedness and recovery, risk and damage assessment, and reconstruction and restoration.
In general the ideas and approaches outlined by Dr. Hanna are completely in accord with the thinking of the US conservation community. But it was encouraging to hear them being expressed by a colleague from Egypt. Dr Hanna made two points which were somewhat more surprising. He called for what amounts to an international certification program, validated by local governments but defined by professional organizations, which would include measures to protect against malpractice. I for one had not heard this idea suggested before, and I’m not sure US conservators are ready to embrace such an idea, given our recent decision on a US certification program. But it may reflect the different experience of Dr Hanna in the practice of responsible conservation.
Dr. Hanna also called for the integration of cultural heritage and conservation issues with other economic sectors, suggesting that this would aid social and economic development. This seems to me to be essentially the same argument the Anne-Imelda Radice made in her address to the general session. But in discussing this, Dr. Hanna suggested that conservation training needed to be based “on every day life on a wider level”. By this I took him to mean that conservation training needs to be related to and made relevant in the lives of the people living with the cultural heritage the training program is intended to protect. This seems an eminently sensible suggestion, and relates Dr. Hanna’s talk to the next talk in the WAG session by Ton Wilmering, discussing the World Monuments Fund’s new conservation training program in the Forbidden City in Beijing China, which I will discuss in my next blog.
If plans go through and an auditorium and a multistory building are constructed close to the Scrovegni Chapel (also known as the Arena Chapel) in Padua, home to Giotto’s frescos, the stability of the building and its decorations will be compromised. An international campaign is under way to postpone the construction until the Chapel’s foundations can be fortified. English language information about the campaign can be found at http://storiedellarte.com/2012/02/save-giotto-english-version.html
In this 23 minute video ( http://moppenheim.com/#Jill_Whitten ) for m/Oppenheim’s Insight, Jill Whitten discusses changes in the art conservation field over the last two decades based on her experience as conservator of paintings in various museums and in private practice.
A recent mailing, Conservation, from the Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation contains a brief article about AIC’s online resources and the benefits of membership:
Sometimes the virtual world of the web is a collector’s best friend, especially when a simple click can help you save anything from a collection of old master drawings to a christening gown.
The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works website at www.conservation-us.org is a case in point. This veritable treasure chest of resources offers advice on how to choose a conservator and how to find one in your part of the country. It offers helpful tips for caring for all types of things, including architectural structures and detailing, manuscripts, prints, books, tools, jewelry, tableware, quilts, costumes, samplers, and flags.
The AIC also offers you the opportunity to establish connections with others who share your interest in preservation through publications, conferences, workshops, and daily networking opportunities. The Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation is a proud member.”
Each year, participation by small business owners who work in the museum field has been a unique and important part of Museums Advocacy Day. With the current legislative agenda focused almost exclusively on jobs and job creation, legislators will really appreciate hearing from small business owners like conservators. Please consider joining AAM in Washington, DC on Februrary 27-28, 2012 to share your story with elected officials.
In 2012, AAM is planning a continued focus on helping independent professionals who work for and with the museum field make the critical case for museum funding and how it supports jobs and contributes to the local economy. You are invited to work with AAM to plan Museums Advocacy Day, including developing this important message.
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is scheduled to consider a transportation reauthorization bill, the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21),” that would eliminate the current authorization category specifically dedicated to supporting transportation museums within the Transportation Enhancements (TE) program.
“Targeting transportation museums in this way represents a fundamental misunderstanding about the role that museums play in our communities,” said AAM President Ford W. Bell. “This is a misguided effort, especially if the goal of the legislation is to increase states’ flexibility in administering TE funds.”
Since 1992, the Transportation Enhancements Program has provided more than $110 million to support programs in transportation-related museums, and has allowed states and communities to rehabilitate bridges and tunnels, restore historic structures and revitalize local historic districts.
The Committee is scheduled to take up the bill for consideration on November 9 and AAM is continuing to monitor ongoing developments.
Please consider taking 5 minutes to send an email to your Senators today. You can use the email generating tool on the AAM website.
Work is beginning this week to use custom restoration fill materials in the visually-disturbing cracks of the Tomb of the Unknowns. AIC is among a group of cultural organizations that have served as consulting parties to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers over a period of several years in determining the best approach to conserving and maintaining this iconic monument for future generations. Now the public can learn about this effort on a newly released video and slide show produced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
In 2007, the Arlington National Cemetery published a report that recommended four options for the Tomb: a) to do nothing b) to repair the Tomb c) to repair the Tomb while procuring a replacement stone d) to replace the Monument. Working with AIC members Martin Burke, Mary Striegel, and Shelley Sturman, AIC strongly recommended consideration of appropriate treatment and maintenance of the Tomb in a letter to decision-making entities. AIC also joined in partnership with other cultural organizations, which include the National Park Service (NPS), National Center for Preservation Technology and Training (NCPTT), National Trust for Historic Preservation, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, and U.S. Commission for Fine Arts, to urge the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Arlington National Cemetery to undertake conservation treatment of the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Joining forces with NCPTT staff, AIC helped ensure that professional experts were consulted and sound recommendations made for a color-matched, stable fill for the cracks. In consultation with Norman Weiss and Richard Pieper, Amy Hollis, a conservator with Worchester Eisenbrandt, Inc, has created and tested a series of custom restoration fill materials to be used on the Tomb. AIC also recognizes its Professional Associate member Amber Tarnowski, U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center (USAHEC), who shared her expertise and was actively involved in the Tomb of the Unknowns preservation project over the past several years. The work is being undertaken after hours at the cemetery in respect of the changing of the guard and the visitors’ experience.
