The importance of leadership in conservation and developing leadership skills throughout one’s career is a rich topic that ECPN explored in the Fall 2016 webinar, Emerging Leaders in Conservation: Developing Leadership Skills as an Early-Career Professional. EPCN received a number of questions in response to the webinar, and speakers Michelle Facini and Molly Gleeson have generously taken the time to answer these questions. This post also provides a bibliography on leadership, including a number of insightful Ted Talks, for those wishing to delve further into this topic. At the end is a list of links to leadership training programs for future reference.
Q&A
Do the speakers have suggestions for how to balance the roles of colleague, friend, and leader in the workplace? Do they have tips for how conservators can step up to a leadership positions while maintaining other facets of their relationships with others?
Molly Gleeson: For the benefit of all work relationships, making space for personal connection is important. No matter what position you are in, you can demonstrate leadership qualities by speaking up with opinions and ideas, but also by making sure to ask others for their input, and being open to different viewpoints. If you are asked to lead a project and to supervise a peer or friend, I believe that taking a collaborative approach is the best course of action – you will need to take responsibility for the decision-making, planning, etc. but much of the work to get there can be collaborative, and recognition of your colleague(s) when presenting decisions and ideas is just as critical. This acknowledgment will help to empower them and make them feel included, respected, and an important part of your team.
How has your leadership style changed/evolved over the years?
Michelle Facini: My ability to recognize project priorities and maximize my time spent on tasks has become more efficient over time. Having good working relationships with colleagues also helps to streamline expectations and makes collaborations effective. As I become more senior in my organization, I am expected to bring clarity and good solutions to tasks because I understand how the organization works. As a result, it is important for me to actively listen, so I can offer good recommendations and ensure success for everyone involved in a project.
How, would you continue to inspire engagement of all colleagues, interns, volunteers, members etc. if the community or team you lead is growing? This question is aligned with making everyone feel included, and the difficulties in generating an intimate collaboration if member size increases.
Michelle Facini: Good colleagues are ones that you trust and respect. Finding a way to build those relationships with your peers is key, and doing so differs greatly from person to person. Leaders who regularly engage with their workforce and recognize their staff for their accomplishments and commitment are generally the most respected. Emotional intelligence is a skill that should continue to be honed throughout our careers so that our work relationships are rooted in kindness and empathy, while still maintaining a supportive and productive work environment.
What can conservation learn from other fields in which management and leadership skills are more explicitly praised, e.g. Business, public policy? Did you look to leadership role models in different disciplines?
Molly Gleeson: There is so much we can learn from other fields about leadership – in fact, most of the recommended reading and resources come from the business world. We can and should look at global trends in leadership, such as the concept of collaborative leadership, which focuses less on top-down management and more on teamwork, transparency, and networks. But we can also look to the museum field for examples of inspirational leaders, even if these leaders are using leadership styles that we may not gravitate toward ourselves. Check out the Leadership Matters book and blog, and forthcoming book, Women & Museums.
With the changing museum field, do you anticipate any changes to your leadership style?
Molly Gleeson: While it is important to think about our “default” leadership styles, it is just as important, as Sarah emphasized in the webinar, to remember that leadership responds to the situations and positions we find ourselves in. Being aware of how the field is changing, current institutional operations and goals, and our individual roles within an organization, will help us all expand and adapt our leadership styles as we grow as professionals.
How did our panelists develop their leadership skills and what resources/opportunities did they find helpful?
Molly Gleeson: Most of my leadership skills were developed by putting myself in positions to lead – by volunteering to organize a conference session, to teach a workshop, run for a committee position, or to take on a new project or role at work. Many of these situations are uncomfortable at first, but I have learned a lot from them and they only empower me to continue to step up into leadership roles. I am currently taking a leadership course offered through my job, and as a part of this we took the Gallup Strengths Assessment, which identified our top 5 strengths. Anyone can take this online for only $15 (there are more expensive options but our course instructor said that they are not worth it and that Gallup actually prices them higher to discourage people from doing them).
What kind of leadership do we need in the field now? What directions should we, as a field, encourage?
Michelle Facini: The availability of digital products to use for outreach is staggering— as information is instantaneously shared and consumed by vast numbers of folks, the preservation field needs to find its voice. This voice should speak humbly of our past while addressing a future that is diverse and inclusive of many skill sets. Inclusiveness allows our community to extend support to those colleagues who yearn for funding, recognition and opportunities for professional growth. Sharing our knowledge via presentations, publications and teaching elevates our standing as a profession and attracts the jobs and financial support necessary for our continued growth.
Is there a way to ask a conservator to be your mentor in a polite way, or should you let the relationship develop naturally?
Molly Gleeson: Either approach works – there are great mentor-mentee relationships that have grown out of the ECPN mentoring program where people are matched often without knowing each other beforehand – but some of the best relationships may end up developing naturally. Most importantly, mentoring works best when expectations and questions are clearly defined – so before approaching someone sit down and think about what you’d like guidance on, and what you’re hoping to get out of that relationship, and prepare to communicate these goals with your potential mentor. It is also important to be respectful of time, availability, and communication styles. Some people prefer emailing while others work better on the phone, and some people may prefer to meet in person – be open to different types of communication.
Do you have any tips for someone transitioning into a promotion and facing changes in one’s role and leadership responsibilities?
Michelle Facini: Make an appointment with yourself to determine your strengths and weaknesses in your new position. Identify ways you can acquire the necessary skills needed for your new responsibilities. Seek out mentors and peers that can assess your progress and help you find ways to rise to all your new challenges. Make sure you set goals for yourself that are attainable to keep your momentum going, but also in the distance so you always know where you are headed.
Bibliography:
This comprehensive bibliography, including both published literature and Ted Talks, was compiled by Courtney Murray for the April 2016 workshop, “Learning to Lead: Training for Heritage Preservation Professionals,” held at the Winterthur Museum. Thank you to Courtney for her willingness to share her work.
The following are addendums to this bibliography:
The Art of Relevance, by Nina Simon
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain
Blog – Leadership Matters: Thoughts on 21st Century Museum Leadership by Anne Ackerson and Joan Baldwin
Opportunities for Formal Leadership Training or Networking:
Applicants for a number of these programs must have previous museum experience or currently hold a leadership position, so they do not apply to emerging conservators; however, you may wish to keep them in mind for the future.
The Getty Leadership Institute’s NextGen Program: Executive Education for the Next Generation of Museum Leaders – designed for mid-level staff with 3-5 years of museum management experience
The Clore Leadership Programme (UK-based, but with International Fellowships available for select countries) – applicants must have worked in the cultural sector for at least five years
The American Alliance of Museums Leadership and Management Network – professional network and repository of articles on leadership and management
Association of Academic Museums and Galleries (AAMG) Leadership Seminar – applications are open to those currently holding leadership positions in academic museums and galleries
Thank you to all of the individuals who submitted questions, and thank you once again to our speakers Sarah Staniforth, Michelle Facini, and Molly Gleeson. We are also grateful to Courtney Murray for the bibliography and Debbie Hess Norris for her input on leadership training. If you have additional suggestions for resources to add, or further questions on this topic, please email ECPN.aic.webinar@gmail.com.
Tag: Emerging Conservation Professionals Network
Recap: ECPN's Digital Tips and Tools for Conservators
Back in June we posted a series of tips to the ECPN Facebook page. Now that school is back in full swing we thought we’d post a reminder. We hope you enjoyed this collection of digital resources! Feel free to contribute your own tips in the comments below.
1: Zotero Bibliography management tool (https://www.zotero.org/)
Zotero allows you to make bibliographies easily and keep track of abstracts (it pulls them directly from some sources) or your own notes. It also helps you to keep track of artworks from museum collections, and you can keep all the relevant information (catalog information, dimensions, conservation history notes) in one place. Zotero is free and if you install it as a plug-in to your preferred internet browser you just click and –ta da!– it magically saves all the bibliographic information for you. You can share collected references and notes with other Zotero users through groups as well.
Image 1: Desktop Zotero application.
Image 2: Saving an artwork from a museum’s online catalogue using Zotero on an internet browser (Firefox or Chrome).
2: Compound Interest has lots of infographics (http://www.compoundchem.com/infographics/) which are great references for chemistry topics. The site has lots of good information on analytical techniques as well as fun chemistry facts and a weekly roundup of chemistry news. Print materials out for your lab!
Some examples of particular interest to conservators:
- Gelification: http://www.compoundchem.com/2016/05/23/shtb-gelification/
- Interpreting mass spectra: http://www.compoundchem.com/2015/05/07/mass-spectrometry/
- IR Spectroscopy: http://www.compoundchem.com/2015/02/05/irspectroscopy/
3: With Inkpad Pro or other vector drawing apps, you can make diagrams for condition mapping, mounts, and packing. These apps are generally far less expensive than the PC-based programs they emulate, like Illustrator or Photoshop, and range from free to a few dollars. You can use a stylus on your iPad to trace from photographs and annotate. There are lots of color, line weight, and arrow options, and it’s easy to do overlays. Since the iPad is also smaller and more portable, you can do your condition mapping in the gallery or during installations as well. You can export your final drawings as PDFs and share them through Dropbox or email.
Images 3-6: Creating a vector drawing and condition map from a photograph using the iPad app InkPad Pro.
4: Podcasts
We’d like to highlight one of our favorite podcasts, “Chemistry in its Element” by the Royal Society of Chemistry. There are short episodes about all sorts of interesting chemical compounds. Of particular interest to conservators are podcasts on mauveine, carminic acid, citric acid, calcium hydroxide, goethite, vermillion, and PVC, for example. Episodes are about 5 minutes long each.
(link: https://www.chemistryworld.com/podcasts)
5: RSS feeds for Cultural Heritage Blogs
Using an RSS feed can help you keep tabs on conservation news reported on blogs. We recommend Old Reader, a free replacement for Google Reader (https://theoldreader.com/), to keep track of the many conservation blogs. AIC has a blogroll list that can help you find conservation blogs: look to the right sidebar here on Conservators Converse.
There are too many great blogs to name, but one favorite is the Penn Museum’s “In the Artifact Lab” (http://www.penn.museum/sites/artifactlab/), which is frequently updated with great photos and stories about conservation treatments underway. Another one you might like is Things Organized Neatly (http://thingsorganizedneatly.tumblr.com/)– not strictly speaking a conservation blog, but definitely has some appeal for conservators!
Feel free to add your favorites tips and tools below in the comments!
All images courtesy of Jessica Walthew, Professional Education & Training Officer, Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN).
ECPN Fall Webinar Announcement – Emerging Leaders in Conservation: Developing Leadership Skills as an Early-Career Professional
The Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) is pleased to introduce our next webinar, “Emerging Leaders in Conservation: Developing Leadership Skills as an Early-Career Professional,” which will take place on Thursday, October 27th from 12-1 pm (EST).
We are delighted to welcome three guest speakers to explore this topic. Our presenters have varied backgrounds and represent different career stages, but each has displayed great leadership aptitude: International Institute for Conservation (IIC) President Sarah Staniforth, who recently co-taught the workshop at the Winterthur Museum, “Learning to Lead: Training for Heritage Preservation Professionals,” in April 2016; Paper Conservator Michelle Facini from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, a Fellow of AIC who has formerly chaired the Book and Paper Specialty Group; and Molly Gleeson, a Project Conservator in Objects Conservation at the Penn Museum, Professional Associate of AIC, and former chair of ECPN.
The presenters will briefly introduce theoretical information pertaining to leadership styles, discuss why it can be important to cultivate leadership skills, and consider what it means to be a leader at any stage of your profession. The speakers will also draw from their experiences to discuss specific instances in their careers that have required leadership skills. Finally, we will be discussing strategies for early-career professionals to cultivate leadership skills and provide information on additional resources for individuals who would like to learn more.
Attendance is free and open to all AIC members. To register to watch the webinar, please visit our registration website. If you are unable to view the program on October 27th, or are not a member of AIC, the full video will be recorded and uploaded onto the AIC YouTube Channel.
We would like to hear from you with any questions up until the morning of the webinar. Please feel free to email ecpn.aic.webinar@gmail.com or submit questions as comments to this post. These questions will either be answered during a Q&A session or follow-up blog post or session.
Please read on to learn more about the speakers:
SARAH STANIFORTH was elected President of the International Institute for Conservation (IIC) in January 2013. Sarah is a Fellow of IIC, the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Society of Arts. From January 2011 – June 2014, Sarah was Museums and Collections Director at the National Trust. She was Historic Properties Director from 2005-2010 and Head Conservator from 2002-2004, and she joined the National Trust in 1985 as Adviser on Paintings Conservation and Environmental Control. Sarah studied easel paintings conservation at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She has also written and lectured extensively on preventive conservation for collections in museums and historic houses; some of this work is recorded in the National Trust Manual of Housekeeping and Historical Perspectives on Preventive Conservation. Sarah was awarded a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the New Year’s Honours 2015.
MICHELLE FACINI is an American Institute of Conservation Fellow, the former Chair of the Book and Paper Specialty Group, and a paper conservator at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. She has a forthcoming publication describing Degas pastels on tracing paper and has presented research in the past on the preservation of oversized artworks and the materials and techniques in illuminated manuscripts. Michelle regularly collaborates with curators and conservation scientists, as well as conservation colleagues, globally. She received her Masters of Science in art conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program and has worked at the National Archives and Records Administration. She participated in fellowships and internships with the British Museum, the California Palace of the Legion of Honor and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
MOLLY GLEESON is the Schwartz Project Conservator at the Penn Museum. Since 2012, Molly has worked in the museum’s open conservation lab, “In the Artifact Lab: Conserving Egyptian Mummies.” She has worked as conservator for the University of Pennsylvania’s excavations in South Abydos, Egypt since 2015. Prior to joining the Penn Museum Conservation Department, she worked on contract in Southern California and as a Research Associate on the UCLA and Getty Conservation Institute feather research project. She completed her M.A. in 2008 at the UCLA/Getty Master’s Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials. She is an American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Professional Associate and is a co-chair of AIC’s Archaeological Discussion Group (ADG).
ECPN Interviews: East Asian Art Conservation
To promote awareness and a clearer understanding of different pathways into specializations that require particular training, the Emerging Conservation Professional Network (ECPN) is conducting a series of interviews with conservators in these specialties. We are kicking off the series with Chinese and Japanese painting conservation. We’ve asked our interviewees to share some thoughts about their career paths, which we hope will inspire new conservators and provide valuable insight into these areas of our professional field.
In our first interview, we spoke with Sara Ribbans, Assistant Asian Paintings Conservator at the Cleveland Museum of Art. She earned her BFA from York University and Master’s of Art Conservation from Queen’s University where she concentrated on paper conservation.
![Sara Ribbans - Assistant Asian Paintings Conservator, Cleveland Museum of Art [Photo: Howard Agriesti]](http://www.conservators-converse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/W0H6435.jpg)
ECPN: Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Sara Ribbans (SR): I began my training in paper conservation but by the end of my program I was intent on traveling to Japan and concentrating on Asian paintings conservation. I had never really traveled much prior to getting into conservation, but throughout my Master’s degree, I had never stayed in one place longer than 9 months so the idea of packing up and moving to Japan was not strange. I helped reconstruct a section of a 400 year old castle, restored the wall paintings in a large Buddhist temple, and remounted hanging scrolls, handscrolls, folding screens, and panels. It gave me the opportunity for a great deal of hands on work and the ability to create something in the process, which–coming from a fine arts degree–really appealed to me.
ECPN: How were you first introduced to conservation, and why did you decide to pursue conservation?
SR: While I was studying fine arts, I had come to realize that I really wanted to learn more about techniques and materials, not just what made a pleasing composition. Luckily, York University in Toronto, Canada, had a course on historical techniques taught by Srebrenka Bogovic-Zeskoski who had studied paintings conservation. Throughout the course, she would mention this idea of the permanence and degradation of materials and the conservation work done to preserve different artworks. It was the first time I had even heard of art conservation, and I quickly decided that I was more suited to conserving artwork than I was to creating a career out of being an artist.
![Final Lining Replacement [Cleveland Museum of Art, 2015.85; Photo: Joan Neubecker]](http://www.conservators-converse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2015.85.jpg)
SR: The only way that I really became aware of Japanese paintings conservation was through the tools used in paper conservation. We would have lectures on Japanese papermaking, use Japanese brushes when pasting out paper, and even wheat starch paste comes from the Japanese tradition. But what really pushed me to learn more was a really difficult lining of a large poster. It was clear that while paper conservators knew the theory of lining an artwork on paper, the technique was very rarely practiced therefore complications were hard to deal with. I decided to do an internship with a Japanese paintings conservator to get a better grounding in the materials, tools, and techniques that had found their way into paper conservation. I loved the work so much, though, that I never looked back.
ECPN:What has been your training pathway? Please list any universities, apprenticeships, technical experience, and any related jobs or hobbies.
SR: I started as a Fine Arts student at York University, Toronto, Canada. From there I got my chemistry requirements from Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada and Athabasca University, Edmonton, Canada, before doing my Master’s in Art Conservation at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada where I concentrated in paper conservation. During my Master’s degree I did internships at the National Archives in Kew, England, the Oxford Conservation Consortium in Oxford, England, and Nishio Conservation Studio in Washington, D.C. Through this last internship, I was introduced to Japanese paintings conservators, which led to a one year apprenticeship with Kentaro Tominaga in Kumamoto, Japan. This was unpaid, but teaching English at night and on the weekends helped me pay my way. When my apprenticeship was complete, he introduced me to the studio where he had trained, and I found my first job as a Japanese paintings conservator at Usami Shokakudo Co. Ltd. in Kyoto, Japan.
ECPN: Are there any particular skills that you feel are important or unique to your discipline?
SR: While a grounding in paper conservation was really important there are aspects of Asian paintings conservation that incorporate objects and textiles as well. Carpentry, or an ability to work with wood, and sewing are actually two skills that are very useful to have when it comes to Asian paintings and their mountings. The lattice cores in screens and panels are made out of wood, as are the roller rods and hanging rods. This means that you need to be able to saw, plane, whittle, sand, and generally manipulate wood. Certain parts of the scrolls are sewn, such as the decorative hanging strips at the top of the hanging scroll. If you have never done any of these things then developing the skills while also learning all the parts to mounting Asian paintings can be time consuming.
ECPN: What are some of your current projects, research, or interests?
SR: Right now I am fully concentrating on the remounting of a portrait painting on silk from the Kamakura Period (1185-1333). This painting has been lined overall with silk rather than paper, probably as a quick and easy way of compensating for loss to the silk substrate. The problem is that silk-to-silk adhesion is poor and therefore the lining delaminated. The mounting was also quite soiled and worn. Over the next couple of months, I will be doing a dry lining removal and filling the losses with silk which has been artificially aged. I am also working with a silk weaver in Japan to create a reproduction of the gold brocade used for the inner border of the scroll mounting as the pattern is no longer available and we like to maintain as much of the old mounting aesthetic as possible.
![Remounted Hanging Scroll [Cleveland Museum of Art, 1985.273; Photo: Joan Neubecker]](http://www.conservators-converse.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/1985.273.jpg)
SR: I feel that Asian paintings conservation, whether it is the Chinese or Japanese tradition, is not very well understood and could benefit from some promotion to the general public and to students interested in entering the field of conservation. There is a great deal of Asian art in collections throughout the world, and there are very few people who understand their construction and are trained to deal with their deterioration. This does not always mean packing up your life and traveling to Asia for extended training to become a mounter as well as a conservator. There is also the need for conservators who understand the materials and the construction of Asian paintings who may not be able to remount a painting but who are able do remedial treatments, such as flattening and reinforcing creases, consolidating pigment, replacing cords, etc.
ECPN: Do you have any advice for prospective emerging conservators who would like to pursue this specialization?
SR: Everyone who has entered this specialization, both conservation and Asian paintings conservation, has done so from such different directions that it is hard to hand out advice. I would say to talk to as many people in the field as you can because they can be a great help in getting you where you are going. Spending some time interning with a studio in the US can be a great introduction to the field and will give you necessary skills to draw on. Look for grants and scholarships to help you start out. There is a developing interest to train young and emerging conservators in the specialization of Asian paintings, both in the Chinese and Japanese traditions. Finally, getting a basis in the language of the country you are moving to would be really useful as English speakers are rare. I managed to learn Japanese as I went along, and picked up a lot of technique from watching, but the ability to communicate effectively would have certainly made things go more smoothly.
ECPN: Please share any last thoughts or reflections.
SR: I would just like to say that anyone who is interested in becoming an Asian paintings conservator should go for it and not let themselves be discouraged. It is, of course, a lot of work, and living in a different country is challenging–but I would say that all of the students emerging from programs throughout the US are very capable of facing challenges. It is an incredible experience and will add to their skills no matter what they end up choosing.
2016-17 ECPN Committee — Open Officer Positions
Are you an emerging conservator who wants to advocate for the interests of other emerging conservators? If so, then please consider one of the open officer positions on AIC’s Emerging Conservation Professionals Network Committee:
-Vice Chair
-Professional Education and Training Officer
-Communications Officer
-Outreach Officer
All positions will serve for a one year term, beginning in June 2016 just after AIC’s 44th Annual Meeting. New officers will have the option of renewal for a second year, except for the Vice Chair who will be expected to move into the Chair position after the first year, for a one year term.
To learn more about ECPN, please visit: conservation-us.org/emerging
Position descriptions should be requested and any questions directed to Michelle Sullivan at michellerosesullivan@gmail.com. To apply, please submit a brief statement of interest and your resume to Michelle Sullivan, ECPN Vice Chair, by April 15, 2016.
Getting the Interview: Emerging Conservator Involvement in the FAIC Oral History Project
Since 1975 the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation (FAIC) has supported an initiative to chronicle the history of the field of conservation. The FAIC Oral History Project has resulted in a growing database of transcripts and audio recordings of interviews with conservators, conservation scientists, and individuals in related disciplines. This archive constitutes an invaluable professional resource.
I became involved in the project a little over a year ago, contributing to the archive by conducting interviews. I can testify that my involvement has been both immensely rewarding and unexpectedly challenging. It’s reasonable to feel pressure to do justice to someone’s legacy. Before even arriving at the interview, however, the greatest obstacle I’ve encountered has been to simply schedule a meeting.
Though some individuals firmly decline an interview, the most common response has been agreement to interview — but in a few months. These few months usually turn into several additional months, which may turn into a year or more. In many cases, this is understandable: I’ve found that the timing of my request and the career trajectory of the potential interviewee are crucial. Conservation professionals close to retirement but still working are generally difficult to pin down, while those who have just retired are in a transitional period and may have equal difficulty scheduling a meeting. A commitment to periodically following up is critical to securing an interview.
I’ve found thus far that conservators and conservation professionals generally tend to be modest individuals who would otherwise be inclined to downplay their achievements. Those who have agreed to interview seem to have done so with reluctance. It is in these instances that it is most important to advocate for the value of recording both professional and personal experiences, and to attest that a request for an interview reflects the richness of an individual’s career rather than age. Many members of the generation of conservators in question were fundamental to shaping training programs, treatment methodologies, and the field of conservation as it has emerged in its own right.
As for the interview itself, I admit that it can be a humbling experience. For one, it can be embarrassing to hear yourself on tape! Yet, on the whole, leading interviews has constituted a beneficial learning process for me. Through doing so, I’ve been developing a tangential set of skills to endeavor to employ in each interview: I research my subject thoroughly beforehand to develop meaningful questions; try to listen patiently and actively with minimal interjections; and attempt to direct the conversation organically in a way which puts the interviewee at ease. These are valuable abilities to be nurtured.
An interview I conducted last month confirmed for me how personally insightful it can be to speak with colleagues for the Oral History Project. Interviewing Ann Massing, Paintings Conservator and Assistant to the Director at the Hamilton Kerr Institute (Emeritus), provided insights into the formation and teaching philosophies of the Hamilton Kerr Institute at Cambridge University, where I am currently a Post-Graduate Intern. I was amazed to hear about how international the cohort at the Institute was from the get-go, a characteristic that is still cultivated today. I was exposed to the history of the Institute and its major players over the years, foremost being the first director Herbert Lank, whose influence has been lasting. This has enriched my understanding of working at the Institute. Through Ann’s interview, I also received a sense of how incredibly interconnected the field is, and I am grateful to her for having shared her personal history with me.
As an emerging conservator, it has been fascinating and rewarding to learn about the history of conservation through the Oral History Project. It is a unique way to discover more about institutions of interest or to become better acquainted with colleagues in your vicinity. Interviews provide a window into how the discipline has developed, as well as into current trends in the field and prevailing research questions. Speaking with such accomplished and influential professionals is a privilege, as is being an agent for preserving their memories and legacy, and I would highly recommend the experience.
If you’d like to become involved with the Oral History Project, contact Joyce Hill Stoner at jhstoner@udel.edu or visit the AIC page for more information.
43rd Annual Meeting, Joint ECPN/ CPIP Panel Session, May 13 “ Emerging Conservators in Private Practice”
This session was one of the major reasons I chose to attend AIC 2015 annual meeting. Speaking to a conservator who started a private practice within five years of graduating from a conservation program planted a strong seed for me. Megan Salazar-Walsh, session moderator, launched the event tapping into panelists’ hindsight “What you wish you knew starting out that you know now as a conservator in private practice?
During the panel session, four conservators in private practice across the spectrum from the fledgling to established practices of five and ten years shared insights on a variety of topics from workspaces to work/life balance and the challenges of being a business owner. The panelists were: Anna Alba, a paintings conservator in the Pittsburgh area, and proprietress of http://www.albaconservation.com/ established in 2014. Stephanie Hornbeck, a senior objects conservator who established Caryatid Conservation in Miami in 2010. Lara Kaplan, founder of Lara Kaplan Conservation LLC, an objects conservation-focused firm in Baltimore in 2005. Cynthia Kuneij-Berry, senior paintings conservator in Chicago, who was in private practice for off and on for years and established her business in its current form, Kuneij-Berry Associates in 2005, and Emily MacDonald-Korth,a painting and architecture conservator with studios in Miami and Los Angeles for Longevity Art Preservation LLC and a second venture, Art Preservation Index.
The major benefits of private practice are the flexibility, whether in geography or time for raising children, and the independence combined with the satisfaction intrinsic to art conservation. The challenges of course are inherent to running any business such as marketing and educating clients and unpredictability in workload. After finishing her fellowship, unsolicited contract work started Laura Kaplan on the private practice path; after two years she wholeheartedly embraced private practice conservation. Laura acknowledged and diffused some myths saying that going into private practice straight after training is completely doable. A conservator can have an equally rich and rewarding career in private practice as in a traditional museum position.
The panel overwhelmingly recommended interning in private practice during the pre-program and/or graduate school years to make a more informed decision. Anna Alba had worked with two private conservators before graduating and hence she had insight into the both the good and bad aspects of private practice life. One of the biggest challenges of private practice is that one never really gets to leave work at work. Also, as a business owner, a conservator is doing whatever needs to be done from being the cleaning lady to the accountant as well as scientists and art conservator. Other challenges cited by the panel included education clients, learning not to over-commit, and contact negotiations can drag on with institutions and approvals. Best summary quote about private practice from the panel was “No one thing is hard, but everything can be overwhelming.” The AIC online course for establishing a practice came highly recommended as a starting point for anyone considering private practice.
Collaboration Remains Key
Collegiality and cooperation among conservators were mentioned repeatedly as essential to the successful private practice. When objects conservator Stephanie Hornbeck chose Miami to set up her conservation practice after leaving the Smithsonian, paintings conservator Rustin Levinson whohad practiced in Florida for decades was extremely helpful in identifying people and organizations that could use object conservation services. Later, the two collaborated on the conservation of Louise Nevelson sculptures for the Perez Art Museum that was covered in a documentary. https://caryatidconservation.wordpress.com/ Laura Kaplan noted that the Baltimore area is a supportive and cooperative community despite hosting many objects conservators; often subcontracting for each other as needed on large contracts. Similarly, Emily MacDonald-Korth mentioned consulting with classmates and former supervisors when dealing with a technically challenging project.
Getting Started in Private Practice
The first step is speak to conservators in private practice and at institutions who are taking private work; it is an essential part of due diligence to understand how pricing is working in the regional market. The panelists also emphasized that being a good colleague also means charging fair market prices. The conservation field has problems with adequate compensation, so undercharging as a new conservator in private practice will exacerbate the issue, noted Laura Kaplan. The rigorous experience and education associated with conservation graduate school means that a conservator fresh out of fellowship possesses the skills and professionalism to be a qualified, ethical conservator in private practice as well as at an institution, and to charge accordingly.
All the panelists had rented work spaces for their labs. Loft or converted industrial spaces that attract artists also work for conservators. Laura Kaplan noted it’s important to have a space that feels professional so clients can come and feel good about leaving their artworks. Two of the conservators had live/work spaces. Features like loading dock or 10 ft bay door become important given the potential size of art works. Anna Alba has opportunity within her building to rent extra space as needed. Recommendations for set-up include having everything on wheels for adaptability, using Ikea for cabinets and storage, creating work surfaces with trestle legs and hollow frame wood doors. The rented studio provides some psychological benefits, creating a clearer mental boundary and giving some structure to the business. A favorite tidbit regarding equipment investment comes from Emily MacDonald-Korth, always get a deposit for a treatment and use the deposit to buy needed equipment and supplies for that project. Hence one avoids the trap of spending on unnecessary expensive equipment just for the sake of buying it. Cynthia Kuneij-Berry as a painting conservator always had a solvent cabinet in her studio space. She invested in a ventilation system in her current studio feeling a higher standard now that she has employees since regretfully she’s had conservation friends who died from cancers related to workplace hazards. She found consulting with engineers, insurance agents, and lawyers valuable in addressing safety needs. AIC has some upcoming online courses on lab safety and risk mitigation.
Trends
An exciting trend for private practice is there are some large underserved art markets in North America. Stephanie Hornbeck acknowledged market need was a major factor for establishing her practice in Miami, Florida. She wanted to stay on the East Coast overall, but a noncompete clause made it impractical to stay in Washington DC. She recognized that Florida was underserved with numerous museums, a major art fair, and only three institutions had conservators. With her background at the Smithsonian, she saw a need and niche for a museum conservator for 3-D art and now works with fourteen museums in the state. With half of AIC membership being conservators in private practice and the movement toward outsourcing across the United States economy, private practice conservation will likely remain major professional trend for art conservators. A future trend mentioned by CIPP leadership is interest for senior conservators in private practice transitioning their businesses to the next generation of conservators.
It was clear for all panelists the rewards outweighed the challenges for private practice. The types of projects in private practice offer variety and broaden horizons and the opportunity to shape your practice and move professionally in directions of interest, such Stephanie Hornbeck’s work with art conservation in disaster areas. The happiness on clients’ faces when they see their artwork post-treatment is really memorable. Another reward is spending most of your time in studio and on treatments instead of mundane meetings. Last but not least, the people in your professional life can be a major reward with the opportunity to pick your coworkers, and hosting pre-program and graduate interns who bring updates in technology and education to the studio, and continually meeting new people as clients.
ECPN Webinar Follow-up: Presenting Talks and Posters
posted on behalf of Ariel O’Connor
Since I started graduate school in 2006, I’ve given 24 conservation-related PowerPoint presentations at conferences. Each time I give a talk, there are many things that go well, and many things I wish I had done differently. I’ve never walked away from a podium and thought “that was perfect!” but I’ve been proud of many presentations, and that’s usually because I had plenty of time to practice and make changes suggested by friends and colleagues who saw an early version of the talk. When things haven’t gone according to plan – which happens often – I usually know why. I didn’t do a full run-through of the script before the talk, so I went over time. I forgot to check the video link, so it didn’t work during the talk. I’ve lost my place reading a script. I’ve answered, “I don’t know,” to questions in the Q & A session. I stayed up all night finishing the talk and had too much coffee the day of. We’ve all been there, and it’s okay.
As my career progresses, I’ve noticed a shift. I don’t have the time I did in grad school to focus on one PowerPoint at a time, often now I have several to prepare at once. So they’re less elaborate than they were, but I’m getting more comfortable in front of an audience. I look up to the conservators who can comfortably and clearly speak about their work in public, and I constantly try to get better at it. But things still go wrong all the time! To me, the most important thing to take away from those experiences is to understand why they happened, so you can try and improve for the next time. For example, I’m a habitually last-minute PowerPointer, so I try to give myself an earlier deadline by arranging a run-through with colleagues in advance. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can’t. I also want to use more scripts that have simple bullet points instead of sentences, so I can speak without a full script and still stick to time. That’s a future goal of mine, but it’s going to take practice.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about preparing and delivering a good PowerPoint talk, and I keep trying to meet those goals. In the feedback from this ECPN Webinar, many students and conservators told me they enjoyed the tips for fancy effects and tricks, but really needed guidance for the basics. In response to this feedback, I put together a 3-page checklist for basic PowerPoint guidelines and stats. It’s compiled from the notes given to me by my former professor and digital guru from SUNY Buffalo, Dan Kushel, and Buffalo’s current Imaging and Technical Examination professor, Jiuan Jiuan Chen, along with a sprinkling of my own notes. With their assistance and permission, we’d like it to be available for anyone to download from the AIC Wiki. Follow this link to access and download the checklist: http://www.conservation-wiki.com/w/images/9/93/PowerPoint_Checklist_OConnor_9-1-2015.pdf. The first two pages of the handout are designed as a checklist for making the talk, so each step can be checked off as the presentation is created. The last page can be brought to the venue and used as a checklist for giving the talk.
Conservators are incredibly generous with their research and knowledge, and being comfortable presenting your work is an important part of our profession. I hope this checklist will help increase your comfort with presentations. Please share any comments and tips you use as well. Happy PowerPointing!
About the Author
Ariel O’Connor is currently an Objects Conservator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Prior to Air and Space, Ms. O’Connor was an Assistant Objects Conservator at the Walters Art Museum, Assistant Objects Conservator and Samuel H. Kress Fellow at the Harvard Art Museums, and Andrew W. Mellon Fellow at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her research focuses on materials and technology in archaeological Asian art. Her archaeological fieldwork includes seasons at the Aphrodisias Excavations, Mugello Valley/Poggio Colla Archaeological Project, and Gordion Excavations Project. She holds an M.A. and C.A.S. in Art Conservation from Buffalo State College.
Welcome 2015-2016 ECPN Officers!
We are pleased to announce the new officers for the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network for the 2015-2016 term. The new and returning officers are very grateful to all the outgoing officers who have worked so hard in their 2014-2015 term: Heather Brown, Laura Neufeld, Ayesha Fuentes, Amy Hughes, and especially our out-going chair, Megan Salazar-Walsh. We wish you the best and hope to see you involved with future AIC and ECPN activities!
Meet the 2015-2016 ECPN Officers:
Fran Ritchie, Chair
Fran graduated with a BA in Art Conservation and Anthropology from the University of Delaware (2006), an MA in Museum Anthropology from Columbia University (2009), and an MA and CAS from the Buffalo State College Program in Art Conservation (2013) with a specialization in objects. She completed pre-program jobs and internships at Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, Patronato Panama Viejo in Panama City, Panama, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Her Third Year Graduate Internship at the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University and subsequent Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at the National Museum of the American Indian solidified an interest in organic materials. Fran is currently a Project Conservator at the American Museum of Natural History working on a grant-funded project researching dyes used in recoloring faded taxidermy. After serving as Communications Co-Officer (2013-2014) and Professional Education & Training Co-Officer (2014-2015), she is now ECPN Chair (2015-2016).
Michelle Sullivan, Vice Chair
Michelle graduated with a BA in Art History and Studio Art from the University of California at Santa Barbara (2005). In August, she will earn an MS and CAS from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (2015), specializing in works on paper with a minor concentration photographic materials. Michelle has completed internships at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Gallery of Art. She will return to the Getty in September as a post-graduate fellow in the Department of Old Master drawings. Previously, Michelle has served as ECPN Regional Liaison to Southern California (2011-12), Graduate Program Liaison to the University of Delaware (2012-14), and Professional Education and Training Co-officer (2013-15).
Jessica Walthew, Professional Education and Training, Co-officer
Jessica holds a BA in Art History and Biology from Williams College (2009), with an MA in the History of Art and Archaeology with an Advanced Certificate in Conservation from The Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University (2015). She has worked in the conservation departments of the American Museum of Natural History, Brooklyn Museum, The Frick Collection, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Penn Museum. Her research interests include theory and practice in archaeological and ethnographic conservation, best practices in documentation, and technical research in art history and archaeology. In fall 2015 she will begin an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at The Metropolitan Museum of Art researching the intersection of textiles and objects conservation practices in the Department of Arts of Africa, Oceania and the Americas.
Elyse Driscoll, Professional Education and Training Co-officer
Elyse is Assistant Paper Conservator at the Brooklyn Museum. She holds a BFA in Drawing from Pratt Institute and an MA and CAS in Art Conservation with a specialization in works on paper from Buffalo State College (2014). Her training included internships at the Morgan Library & Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and the Williamstown Art Conservation Center. This is Elyse’s first year serving ECPN.
Alexa Beller, Communications Co-officer
Alexa holds a BA in History, a BFA in Painting, and a minor in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2013). She is currently a second year graduate fellow at the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and is focusing her studies on paintings conservation. Alexa has had pre-program jobs and internships at the University of Illinois Library Conservation Unit, The Spurlock Museum, the Chicago History Museum, in the private paintings conservation practice of Ria German-Carter, and Architectural Conservation Inc as well as a graduate internship at the Western Center for the Conservation of Fine Art. She previously served as the ECPN Regional Liaison for the San Francisco Bay Area (2013-2014).
Rebecca Gridley, Communications Co-officer
Rebecca holds a BA in Art History from Yale University (2009). She is entering her third year at The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, where she is specializing in objects conservation. Prior to graduate school, she worked for three years as a National Account Manager at The Conservation Center in Chicago and completed pre-program work at Art Conservation Group and Cranmer Art Group, private practices in New York with respective specialties in objects conservation and modern and contemporary paintings conservation. She recently completed an internship at The Museum of Modern Art, and is interning at The Frick Collection this summer. This is Rebecca’s first year serving ECPN.
Anne Schaffer, Outreach Co-officer
Anne Schaffer earned her BA in Visual Art and Chemistry from Bennington College (2011), with additional coursework at Studio Art Centers International in Florence, Italy. She has held pre-program internships at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Williamstown Art Conservation Center, Higgins Armory Museum, and Baltimore Museum of Art, in addition to work in private practice. Anne completed a graduate summer internship in 2014 at ICA – Art Conservation in Cleveland, OH and is spending the summer of 2015 at the Menil Collection in Houston, TX before beginning her third year graduate fellowship at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Anne expects to earn her MA and CAS in Art Conservation with a paintings specialization from Buffalo State College in 2016. This is her second year serving as an Outreach Co-Officer for ECPN.
Kimi Taira, Outreach Co-officer
Kimi has a BA in Studio Art from Mills College (2008) and is finishing her degree with the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, specializing in paper with a minor in library and archival materials. Her interests include conservation ethics, community-centered preservation initiatives, and the relationship between tangible and intangible heritage. She has worked various conservation positions and internships at Zukor Art Conservation, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts, and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. She is completing her third-year internship at the Cleveland Museum of Art and will continue as their Kress Fellow. This is Kimi’s first year serving ECPN.
ECPN Webinar “Get Involved! Conservation Education, Outreach, and Advocacy”: Follow-Up Q&A
ECPN Webinar “Get Involved! Conservation Education, Outreach, and Advocacy”: Follow-Up Q&A
On April 23, 2014, the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) hosted an hour-long webinar titled “Get Involved! Conservation Education, Outreach, and Advocacy.”
The program featured three speakers with experience working in various aspects of conservation education, outreach, and advocacy: Teresa Myers, private practice conservator who participated in the American Alliance of Museum’s Museum Advocacy Day in 2011; Richard McCoy, an arts and cultural consultant with an established history of writing for digital and print publications, teaching in graduate programs, and creating innovative web projects; and Sarah Barack, private practice conservator and co-chair of AIC’s K-12 Educational Outreach subcommittee.
During the program, the speakers shared their experiences as supervisors and pre-program interns, respectively; contributed to guided questions; and answered audience questions. The recorded webinar can be found on AIC’s YouTube channel (or click here).
Included below are the questions that could not be addressed during the program with responses from the speakers.
What are some tips you have for emerging conservators who would like to get involved with outreach and advocacy? What can they be doing short and long term to make an impact?
Teresa Myer: As I mentioned during the webinar, I found the Museum Advocacy Day event to be incredibly educational regarding the mechanics of advocacy. It’s a great place to start. It’s well organized, very clear and focused and well worth attending. Looking at longer-term activities, finding ways to foster relationships with Congresspeople and state-level legislators as well will boost your impact. Another way to be involved is simply to talk about your advocacy activities with other conservators and museum professionals. Hopefully, the more people realize how straightforward and achievable this activity can be, the more they will join in. As Ruth mentioned, there is a real strength in numbers; the more voices there are speaking to a common point, the more weight the point carries.
Richard McCoy: I think getting involved in a community is the best way to get involved, however you want define “community.” Your community might be local, national, or international. Working with folks on a common goal in a larger project is a very good way to make an impact in educating others about the need to care for cultural heritage, and therefore advocate for your profession.
Sarah Barack: Getting involved with your local community at first— see where there is a need and/or opportunity. For instance, going to open houses to meet people at local schools; volunteering with local groups that already have ties to the community, etc. I think the first step is really just making connections with people and once that has been established, it is easier and more natural to find ways in which you can promote conservation.
Regarding long term versus short term, hopefully short term smaller projects might lead to a more permanent or deeper activity. If particular conservators enjoy outreach activities, I would encourage them to think big picture, so that they can align their efforts with a larger strategy— whatever that may be. For instance, to be part of a school curriculum, or part of an annual arts fair or weekend, etc.
Besides conducting a wiki search, how else will people know about the articles that are being written through Richard’s class?
RM: A drive goal I’ve been working towards is to change how people find information when caring for cultural heritage. What I mean is that when you search for something on the Internet (Google it), I think you should be able to find excellent information, either about a particular item of cultural heritage or how to care for it. Sure this is a big goal but really we have the tools to solve this, it’s just a matter of getting more people working to the same end.
SB: Links from other websites are certainly a great way to drive traffic to any particular site.
The more students hear about conservation the more, presumably, applicants we will have for conservation graduate programs. How can we make more jobs and paid opportunities for the people we are recruiting to prevent an overabundance of conservators in a small job market?
TM: At this point there are a fairly consistent number of graduates each year because of the limits the programs put on the number of students they will accept each year. But it could certainly expand in the future. There will never be a shortage of work; entropy is on our side. The limiting factor seems to be funding and the value put on conservation by the people setting the budgets. So how do we increase the available funding? Advocacy! As a conservator in private practice, I believe that it is up to me to improve the job market I’m functioning in. Though I did have an excellent experience with advocacy, I have found that I use outreach more consistently to build my local job market. I’ve done lectures, workshops, visited museums, and been on the board of our state museum association. I’m a CAP assessor as well. People won’t make room in their budget for something that’s not on their radar; it’s up to all of us to stay visible.
RM: I think conservators need to start thinking about how they can be helpful in caring for cultural heritage inside and outside of cultural institutions. Too often we narrowly define our profession to be almost principally about conservation treatment. Well, I don’t think there are that many jobs that will be growing in that kind of work. But if conservators are able to demonstrate that they can do all sorts of other things then they may find themselves able to gain more employment.
SB: I don’t know if greater awareness does really lead to greater practical interest (e.g. applications) — I don’t know if we can make that link in such a clear way. Rather, I think greater awareness among students means that down the road, our future investment bankers, doctors, lawyers, etc., will hopefully appreciate and support our field—hopefully leading to more funding. It is such a niche field at the end of the day, and demands such a wide array of skills and abilities that it naturally filters itself. Still, the question of supply and demand is a good one— and whether the professional market demands the amount of supply we have created is a valid discussion. I don’t know the answer; anecdotal information and personal stories are not the full picture. We really need a better grasp on what all the graduates and mid-career folks are doing to understand.
When advocating by way of Wikipedia articles, for example, is there a concern that it actually devalues what we do since people may use these articles to attempt their own treatments?
RM: To answer your question in a word: no. There is a clear need to have better information out online because people are looking for it. My concern is around getting good information in highly visible places; I’m not worried about what people will do with good information.
And remember, Wikipedia is a freely available online encyclopedia that anyone can edit; it’s not a place to publish how to guides. If the articles published in Wikipedia are of high quality, they can only serve to reduce misunderstandings and point people to good and reliable sources.
On the other hand, I think that the amount of questionable or bad information on the Internet is problematic and dangerous. Take for example the stuff that’s on places like “WikiHow,” which does publish how to guides that will teach you things like How To Clean a Painting in 12 Easy Steps. I think we might see that kind of thing as a call to action.