October Meeting Minutes

ECPN MEETING MINUTES

October 21, 2010

Conference Call Attendees:
Ryan Winfield

Karen Pavelka

Carrie Roberts

Amy Brost

Heather Brown

Rose Daly

I. AIC Meeting (Karen)

a. AIC annual meeting location was moved to Philadelphia due to bankruptcy of previous venue. Group consensus was that the transition was handled very well, with clear communication throughout. Philadelphia will be an ideal location for students in the NYU and Delaware programs to attend, and the mid-Atlantic region is central for many AIC members, so it was good to be able to keep the 2011 meeting in the northeast.

II. Communications Update (Amy)

a. Conversation with Rachael Perkins Arenstein regarding AIC Publications. Rachael emphasized that ECPN members should feel free to send content for the AIC website, blog, etc. Students and emerging conservators are encouraged to send their research projects and theses to JAIC. For those wishing to submit content for the Wikis, each specialty group has its own approach and submission guidelines, and needs to be approached separately.

b. Conversation with Michele Derrick regarding JAIC Peer Reviewers. There were responses to the invitation and there is currently a robust list of prospective reviewers. They will be called upon depending on the nature of the submissions. There are two reviewers per paper, and although they remain anonymous, participants can certainly add “JAIC Peer Reviewer” to their resume under ‘professional affiliations’ or ‘service work.’

c. Four proposed ECPN logo designs and a flier design were submitted for discussion. The proposed flier has a tear-off ‘wallet card’ to make it easier to keep key information about ECPN, the blog, additional contact information, etc. Further discussion is needed regarding the appropriateness of having a separate logo for ECPN. Perhaps use ECPN logo in conjunction with the AIC logo. Flier will be used for ANAGPIC and perhaps other upcoming conferences.

III. Student Research Database (Carrie)

a. Carrie, Amber Kerr-Allison, and Sagita Sunara discussed the idea and would like to move ahead with a plan to create an online database of student research in conservation. Catalyst was the IIC in Istanbul and also the first annual Engaging in the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (EPOCH) student symposium (Austin, TX). At both conferences, students felt that they were largely unaware of the research projects underway in other parts of the world. EPOCH has many abstracts already. Standards would need to be developed (i.e., require a significant research component). A link could be created off the AIC webpage. Rose will organize a conference call with Lori, Carrie, Amber, and Sagita to determine next steps.

IV. Outreach Update (Heather)

a. Poster abstract for AIC 2011 meeting was submitted, though no feedback yet. ECPN members could take shifts spending time at the poster to talk to meeting attendees about the organization. Heather will take a flier to a meeting of emerging museum professionals the week of Oct. 25. Rose will make Heather an Admin on the Facebook page so she can remove spam. Julie Benner of the Glasgow Conservation Center has agreed to write a post for the ECPN blog.

V. Mentor Program (Ryan)

a. Most of the mentee applicants have been paired up with mentors.

b. The process for pairing mentors with mentees is as follows: Process mentee applications and search for appropriate match. Team of three people are reviewing prospective matches. Email mentor with proposed mentee information for approval. If the mentor agrees, s/he then contacts the mentee. Mentee approves of the match.

c. Need to fine-tune the application process to regulate the flow of applications. Perhaps create four submission “cycles” with deadlines. Promote the program for each cycle to AIC members.

d. Get back to people waiting for mentors to let them know when they can expect a response.

e. Karen agreed to reach out to prospective mentors. Heather/Rose will follow up on the specific needs of the mentees.

VI. International Student Conference (Carrie, for Amber)

a. Idea that there should be an international version of ANAGPIC, an association of international conservation training programs. Need to find out how receptive the organizations would be. Students are not fully aware of all training programs. An international student conference could be organized, perhaps an online conference. Concerns about the overlap with other conferences, costs of travel, technology costs. Need to study the feasibility of the idea and how it might be executed.

VII. “Become a Conservator” Web Page (Ryan)

a. Reviewed by ECPN per Ryan’s request. Group consensus that there could be more links, more graduate program information, and more on training. Break up the text by inserting more photos, personal touches like people profiles.

Next conference call 1 PM EST, Thursday, November 18, 2010.

Respectfully submitted,

Amy Brost

10 Tips for Becoming a Conservator

Many of us emerging conservation professionals agree that our initial venture into the field of conservation was somewhat unguided, and making connections with people was nearly impossible. With social media as accessible as it is today, information should be much more readily disseminated and networking with other students and conservators should be an obtainable goal.

Moving in that direction, I have compiled what I consider to be the ten most useful tips in pursuing a career in conservation; these tips were originally intended for pre-program students, but looking back through them, I believe they can apply to conservators of all levels. Being pre-program myself, I’m certainly no expert on ‘becoming a conservator,’ but I have taken the advice of faculty members at the conservation schools, my mentors, and my co-workers to compile this [hopefully helpful] list for you.

Paper conservation lab at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Tip #1: Visit conservators at their studio/lab

You can find conservators in your area by looking through the Geographical Index of the AIC directory (if you’re a member) or through the ‘Find a Conservator’ feature on the AIC website. Also, you can search for a specific city or museum through CoOL’s ‘Finding People’ page—just hit ctrl + F after choosing the country.

Touring a conservation studio provides both an educational and a networking opportunity. You will see how the space is set up, what type of equipment they use, and the treatments that are in-progress. Also, you have the chance to meet all of the people that work in that space and learn about each person’s path to becoming a conservator.

If you’re looking for internship experience, lab visits can be a way of getting your foot in the door; sometimes people are more willing to take you on as an intern after getting to know you in person. It may be a good idea to bring along a cv and portfolio of studio art to show your hand skills, and don’t forget to send a thank you card!

Stay tuned for tip #2....

TCC Back in Action

Frieze from Botanic Gardens Park, Glasgow


I have the pleasure and privilege of introducing the ECPN to the new incarnation of the Textile Conservation Centre! The TCC has had a long history of scholarship and practice in the conservation of historic and artistic textiles in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately the program closed at the University of Southampton in 2009, much to the chagrin of aspiring textile conservators like myself. I was so excited to see a notice on the TCC website this past spring, that the Centre would be getting a new life in Glasgow, Scotland.

From the TCC website:
"The TCC was founded by Karen Finch OBE in 1975 and was based at Hampton Court Palace. In 1998 it became part of the University of Southampton, in a purpose-designed building on its Winchester campus, but was closed by the University on 31st October 2009. Glasgow University, working with the TCC Foundation, is creating a new centre using all of the assets of the former TCC including equipment, the TCC library and intellectual property. "

Please see the TCC website for the official press release and photos!

The inaugural class is comprised of seven students - five from the UK, one from Canada, and myself from the United States. We have come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds and are now candidates for the two-year MPhil in Textile Conservation. Speaking for myself, it is a bit challenging - but mostly exciting - to be a part of this "guinea pig" first year. All of us scrambled to submit our applications when the course was approved in June, not knowing whether or not we'd be in Scotland in the fall. The TCC foundation has provided amazing support for the program - many many thanks to them!

This semester our courses are being accomodated within the History of Art building as we wait for a brand-spanking new lab to be completed for next semester. Without our "bespoke" (I have learned that's the British word for "custom-built!") facilities available this semester, we have had the opportunity to do practical labs and workshops at the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre - an amazing storehouse for the collections of the major Glasgow Museums. (Their institutional philosophy is one of more open access to collections for the community - so the facility strikes a very delicate balance between controlled store and exhibition space. Check out Glasgow Life for more information on Glasgow museums.)

Instructor Sarah Foskett (right)demonstrating the fine points of acid-free tissue to student Charlotte Gamper at Glasgow Museums Resource Centre.


The semester has already flown by. Visits to Glasgow Museums' Burrell Collection, the Hunterian Gallery and the Hunterian Museum on the Glasgow University campus, and the National Museums of Scotland conservation labs in Edinburgh have kept us busy along with our coursework. In the next couple of weeks we will be in chemistry exams, submitting sample object documentation, and writing final essays for our Material Cultures course, as well as preparing a literature review of research we would like to undertake on a topic of our choosing, perhaps to be used in our course-culminating dissertations at the end of the second year.

Students (from left to right) Nikki Chard, Hayley Rimington, and Beatrice Farmer show off a "cracking" packing job.
("cracking"="awesome")


Meanwhile, the city of Glasgow beckons with its killer music scene, arts events, Indian and Pakistani restaurants to die for, and charming citizenry to meet out at the pub! City life isn't the only thing that Scotland has to offer, obviously - both the Scottish Isles and the Highlands are a train or bus ride away, offering the most inspiring beauty on those much-needed study breaks.


The author (Julie Benner) visits the Isle of Arran, off the southwest coast of Scotland


I really look forward to keeping the ECPN abreast of the developments here at the TCC and welcome any comments or inquiries about TCC or Glasgow!



St. George's Square, Glasgow


Edited 06 December 2010 to add University of Glasgow link to the program:

http://www.gla.ac.uk/departments/historyofart/prospectivestudents/postgraduate/taughtpostgraduates/mphilintextileconservation/

Mellon Fellowship at the Brooklyn Museum

The Brooklyn Museum

Andrew W. Mellon

Conservation Fellowships (2)

Object – Painting – Paper

The Brooklyn Museum announces the opening of two Fellowships in conservation supported by a permanent endowment established by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to establish a permanent endowment to support fellowships in conservation. The two year fellowships , with the possibility of a third year, will be offered in either object, paper, or painting conservation beginning September 2011.

The Brooklyn Museum‘s collection and exhibition schedule offer varied and rewarding educational experiences in conservation. Fellows will be immediately involved in all aspects of the department, working with a diverse professional conservation staff, and interacting with colleagues throughout the institution to preserve and present art work.

Successful candidates should be graduates of a conservation training program or have equivalent experience. Applications should include a letter of interest, resume, and two letters of recommendation from conservation professionals, along with two detailed conservation condition reports, accompanying treatment proposals and treatment report with full documentation, all carried out completely by the applicant, all in hard copy. After initial review, selected applicants will be invited for an interview and portfolio review at the Museum.

The Museum should receive applications no later than December 1, 2010. Candidates will be selected for interviews in January- February 2011, and the final selection awarded in March 2011.

The starting salary is $33,000 / year with full Museum benefits, including annual leave and medical benefits, and a travel allowance of $2,500 to support professional development.

Applicants should be sent to: Conservation Fellowship//The Brooklyn Museum// 200 Eastern Parkway//Brooklyn, New York, 11238

All further inquires should be sent to the previous address or Conservation.Fellow@brooklynmuseum.org Brooklyn Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants for positions are considered without regard to race, creed, color, country of origin, sex, age, citizenship, disability or sexual orientation. Candidates of color are strongly encouraged to apply. The Immigration and Control Act (1986) requires that all hires be in conformity with the law.

Kenneth S. Moser
Carol Lee Shen Chief Conservator
Vice Director for Collections
The Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, New York 11238

Call for papers ANAGPIC 2011

Call for papers
2011 ANAGPIC Student Conference Special Session
Conservation/Conservation Science Lightning Round
Delaware Art Museum
Saturday, 16 April 2011

On behalf of the Association of North American Graduate Programs in
Art Conservation, the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in
Art Conservation invites submissions for a Conservation/Conservation
Science Lightning Round to be held during the 2011 ANAGPIC Student
Conference in Wilmington, DE.

The preservation and conservation of cultural heritage is inherently
interdisciplinary, and its scholars may be found in a variety of
disciplines ranging from art conservation and archaeology to
materials science and nanotechnology.  This session invites
submissions from current North American doctoral students and
post-graduate researchers that relate to technical art history or
the preservation of art, historic architecture, and cultural
heritage, broadly defined.  "Post-graduate researchers" includes
students who have graduated from a Master's program and are now on
advanced internships carrying out research.  The
Conservation/Conservation Science Lightning Round will consist of 12
speakers, each with five minutes to present an illustrated summary
of their research to current conservation graduate students,
followed by a Q&A session for all speakers.

Please submit proposals (abstract of no more than 250 words, contact
information, and institutional affiliation) or any inquiries to

   anagpic.lightning [at] gmail__com

Submissions must be received by 10pm EST on 5 January 2011.

Speakers will be notified in February 2011.

Chris Cole
Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Conservation Education
Department of Art Conservation
University of Delaware
Newark, DE  19716
443-223-5933

"Characterization of Silver Gelatin Photographs" Conference

On September 30-October 1, 2010, The Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works and The New York Public Library presented the “Characterization of Silver Gelatin Photographs” conference at The New York Public Library.

According to the AIC, this conference was intended to present the body of knowledge currently available on the subject of characterizing silver gelatin developed-out photographs. Attendees heard from a range of professionals, including conservators, curators, manufacturers, and artists. Highlights included a presentation on Paul Messier’s vast and growing collection of photographic papers, including their wonderful packaging, from the late 19th century to the present day, as well as a general history of papers. Artists Vera Lutter and Alison Rossiter discussed their contemporary chemical photography work, in terms of their process and their use of the silver gelatin process. Anne Cartier-Bresson spoke about characterization of silver gelatin prints using Henri Cartier-Bresson’s work to illustrate key points. Day 1 concluded with an overview of current research at the Image Permanence Institute (IPI), and a panel discussion on connoisseurship and the marketplace.

From industry, Howard Hopwood, Chairman of Harman Technology, producer of Ilford products, spoke about the tradition and future of silver halide technology. Kit Funderburk, formerly a senior technical manager at Kodak, discussed the manufacturing history of Kodak papers and, in a second talk on Day 2, indicated the ways in which paper characteristics could be used to help date papers and prints. A complete PDF of his book on the subject can be downloaded free, or view the separate chapters here, on the George Eastman House “Notes on Photographs” website.

On Day 2, there were a series of technical talks, with two sessions on using XRF (X-ray fluorescence spectrometry) to analyze photographs. One provided an overview of the history and status of the application of XRF, and the other dealt with the specific case of a set of stabilized prints. There were two sessions covering characterization projects at MoMA. One focused on how chemometrics can help categorize papers. In the other, Lee Ann Daffner discussed MoMA’s ongoing characterization of the Thomas Walther Collection of photographs. MoMA is working with Cultural Heritage Imaging to use RTI/PTM to study the collection. MoMA’s camera array and its associated software create a composite image from multiple images of a single photograph, enabling a full “virtual” examination of the photograph. Day 2 also included a talk on how the presence of optical brighteners can help date papers, as well as a session on silver gelatin DOP sample sets in development. The conference ended with a discussion of future directions and needed research projects.

All the sessions were recorded. If they’re made available online, we’ll publish the link in a future post.

September Minutes

ECPN Minutes - September 24, 2010 1 PM EST, conference call

On Call:
Ryan Winfield
Heather Brown
Rose Daly

1. New Committee Members, committee position descriptions
2. AIC Website, ECPN blog updates
3. Twitter, Facebook, Ning updates
4. Outreach: ECPN poster at the AIC 2011 meeting, podcasts, AIC outreach lecture, local outreach, flier, upcoming meetings to be attended by ECPN committee members.
5. Angels Project
6. Mentoring Project

1. New Committee Members
Welcome to Heather Brown and Amy Brost! Heather will take over the position of Outreach coordinator from Jason Church and Amy will take over the communications coordinator position from Katie Mullen. Thanks to Jason and Katie for all your hard work and dedication to ECPN. I encourage Heather and Amy to keep a general file of meeting minutes and their projects to pass along to future committee members.

2. AIC Website, ECPN blog updates
Since finding jobs and internships are so important to emerging members, the ECPN will look over the career center of the AIC website and suggest content that could be added, especially in the “Becoming a Conservator” section. During the call we discussed specifically having topics like: resumes and C.V.’s, Portfolios, “Top 10 things a pre-program intern should know” (this would be great to partner with the Education and Training committee), Documentation, the ECPN mentoring program, research ideas, and maybe a list of links to helpful websites, blogs, etc. Amy Brost has also sent out a list of links, to be added to the ECPN blog, but perhaps also the webpage. A survey of conservators was also suggested to ask what supervisors look for in a C.V., and their expectations for pre-program interns, graduate fellows, and post-graduate fellows.

Ryan is looking into a Google calendar for the webpage, and perhaps importing the blog to Facebook so updates on the blog are automatically posted on Facebook. Ryan is working with Membership to list pre-program supervisors on the AIC “Find a Conservator” search function.

3. Twitter – Rose has de-activated the account, Facebook – Rose and Ryan are Admins, Heather Brown was just made an Admin – Would Jason Church and Katie Mullen like to continue to be administrators? Ning was de-activated by Ryan.

4. Outreach: A poster at the AIC 2011 meeting will be proposed, deadline is October 1st – Heather and Rose will work on it. Podcasts of the outreach lecture are being planned, we are still brainstorming for a speaker to record, and a microphone would be needed, Rose mentioned purchasing one personally that she would be willing to allow other ECPN members to use. Heather is attending MAAM Oct 25, (http://www.midatlanticmuseums.org/) and hopefully she can bring some fliers about ECPN, Rose will be sending the flier to Amy and Heather for editing, Rose is attending MRCG November 12 (http://mrcg.wik.is/) and she can look for interested future ECPN members or collaborations with MRCG.

5. Angels Project: Heather will be contacting Ruth about the Angels project at the AIC 2011 meeting.

6. Mentoring Project: Heather and Ryan will be working together on the mentoring project, Heather may be posting a testimonial from a successful mentee on the ECPN blog, and possibly the AIC webpage as well.

Next call will be Oct. 21, 2010.

Good meeting, very fast, and there is a lot to follow-up about, look for e-mails from Rose soon.