Philadelphia Area Conservation Association - Summer Update

PACA has been working hard this summer to develop our organization and plan events for the fall. We will be distributing PACA’s Bylaws and Officer Descriptions and a working calendar for the rest of 2011 shortly. In the meanwhile, for those of you who were unable to attend, please find Christie Romano’s summary of our event in May that featured Sam Anderson below. Photos of the event are also on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/63294574@N03/

All the best,
PACA
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PACA Inaugural Event Summary, Christie Romano

On May 24th, 2011, the Philadelphia Area Conservation Association (PACA) held its first event at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The evening’s guest speakers were Samuel Anderson and Eddie Gormley from Samuel Anderson Architects NYC whose talk was titled “Rules and Wisdom of Conservation Lab Design with Insights into Museum Expansion Projects.”

The architects discussed conservation lab renovations completed at the MOMA, the Morgan Library & Museum, Harvard University’s Library, the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, as well as projects within the Gardner Museum and the Barnes Foundation. Sam and Eddie shared insights into designing paper, paintings, objects, textiles, and analytical spaces for conservators by gathering information regarding conservators’ needs and challenges, visiting surrounding labs, working to create sustainability plans, and finally executing renovations based on the input received and institutional stipulations. A reception, sponsored by George Blood Audio & Video, followed in the Mosaic Gallery. The event was well-attended with almost 50 attendees coming from various local institutions and backgrounds. Many of the attendees shared ideas and enthusiasm for future meetings.