AIC's 53rd Annual Meeting

The exhibition New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations will open at the New Orleans Museum of Art in April 2025. Five masquerade ensembles were mounted in 2024 in preparation for this exhibition, a challenge with no mountmaker on staff. This paper will detail the construction of the posable figural supports, made with aluminum tubing and locking hinges, and the decision-making across roles and continents that led to this design strategy.The exhibition aims to model more ethical ways to collect and display African art through direct commissioning rather than secondary market acquisitions, and collaborative presentation, emphasizing the ability of Africans to tell their own stories. To accomplish this, a team of eight people was assembledthree masquerade artists from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Burkina Faso, three American scholars, each with a longstanding research relationship with one of the masquerade artists, another artist/researcher from Cameroon, a research director of a museum in Senegal, and a curatorial assistant from Ethiopia.This team agreed that it was important for the display to reflect the liveliness of masquerade practice, and the physicality of the bodies inside the ensembles. Countering the history of Western museums displaying just the headpieces as abstract sculptures rather than full body suits worn by humans, the appearance of the bodies in New African Masquerades would impact viewer interpretation, and therefore their fabrication presented a variety of potential pitfalls.Specific poses were requested that standard retail mannequins could not provide. The ensembles weight and the five-venue schedule called for strength and durability. Shelly Uhlirs mounts for the NMAIs exhibition Circle of Danceprovided both conceptual inspiration and a specific product that became critical to the project: a click-adjustable aluminum hinge. These allowed the construction of strong supports without welding for asymmetrical, naturalistic poses, with the added benefit of being partially adjustable even during installationinvaluable with a curatorial team of nine.Because of the artists preference for realism, the exposed hands and feet were cast in epoxy and painted brown. The weighty history of museum displays of Black bodies has been previously discussed, notably by Stephenson and Gunsch, and the appropriate degree of realism as well as the color was carefully considered by the team.Also presented will be lessons learned while installing with the full curatorial team, all nine of whom are planned to be present at NOMA, and the practicalities and ethics of the removal of original material required by the artists to meet their standards of beauty in display.

Charged with preparing for the first comprehensive exhibition of the Gorham Collection of American silver since 1984, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) museum embarked on a volunteer-based “mass” conservation project. This Decorative Arts collectionis comprised of over 2,000 pieces and represents the largest holdings of Gorham in any museum collection. Dating from 1831-1981, the Gorham silver manufacturing company from Providence, Rhode Island, grew to be a substantial player in both the commercial market as well as the innovative art wares category. As theGorham Manufacturing Companyand the RISD Museum share the same town of origin, this particular conservation project resonated with much of the local community in a variety of unique ways. Three years in advance of the opening of the 2019 exhibition“Designing Innovation: The Gorham Manufacturing Company 1850-1970”, the cleaning, polishing and stabilizing of the silver commenced. As the quantity of sterling silver objects proposed for display numbered 1250, an equally large number of vetted, and trainable, volunteers was needed to undertake such an ambitious conservation project. This conservation project ultimately involved managing 90 community and student volunteers. As Providence is comprised of many institutions of higher learning, a significant level of student participation could be incorporated into this hands-on project. A short video (Silver Linings, www.risdmuseum.org) was created mid-way through this project to highlight five particular students, each traveling on a different educational path, who chose to dedicate their unstructured time to this collaborative project.“Designing Innovation: The Gorham Manufacturing Company 1850-1970”was designed as a traveling exhibition. By harnessing the talent of graduate level students in theJewelry + Metalsmithing Department at RISD,an illustrated visual glossary for condition reporting was created which proved to be a unique and symbiotic learning opportunity for both the conservator and young, emerging fine art students. This illustrated silver digital reference was collaboratively further refined in tandem with the museum’s registration department so that all of the terminology was composed of well-defined and non-ambiguous definitions to avoid any potential misinterpretation of condition issues during the duration of the exhibition. An additional academic opportunity presented itself for a capstone senior thesis project, focusing on a proprietary conservation material, was also another symbiotic educational oppportunity for reciprocal learning that benefited both the student and the museum.A highly collaborative project, the synergy created by a museum conservator working with a wide range of community volunteers was mutually beneficial in many creative ways. This paper will examine the ways in which a complex conservation project with a limited budget and staff can be organized and managed. Discussion will include the many creative interactions that resulted from the fusion of individuals with wide-ranging expertise from the Providence community. Creating a symbiotic working environment in which 90 untrained conservation volunteers could be identified and retained will be explored. Most importantly, the management of this conservation project required critical focus on training non-conservation professionals to use conservation protocols which were straightforward in interpretation and application.

The collection of King Tutankhamun (18th Dynasty, 1347–1337 BCE) has fascinated scientists and the general public since the discovery of his spectacular tomb in 1922 by the archaeologist Howard Carter. After the opening of the tomb, Howard Carter mentioned that Tutankhamun's tomb was robbed and the robbers destroyed many objects during the robbery; at least two boxes found dismantled in the entrance debris seem to have been employed by the robbers to carry off their loot. Alfred Lucas completed the restoration of Tutankhamun's collection in 1932, subsequently transferring almost all of the Tutankhamun objects to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Only a few objects were kept in the Luxor museum storeroom. In recent years, the Grand Egyptian Museum's conservation center (GEM.CC) has been devoted to the transportation and conservation of Tutankhamun's collection to be exhibited at the new museum (GEM). This study presents the role of conservation along with the archaeological data and scientific investigation at GEM.CC in the rediscovery and assembly of some broken painted wooden boxes from Tutankhamun's tomb after 95 years of keeping these parts separately in different museums.

After surveying the wooden boxes of Tutankhamun to gather more information on these boxes as a first step in our study, the second step included imaging techniques and optical microscopy to gather more information and to provide evidence on the techniques of manufacture, woodworking and identification of wood species. In the third step of our work, hand-held X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were applied to determine the chemical compositions of the materials used in preparatory layers and the pigments.

The results of the collaborative approach led to the exciting rediscovery of three wooden boxes from Tutankhamun's collection. The work team succeeded in the assembly of more than 96 wooden pieces (like puzzles), most surprisingly discovering that these broken parts were originally two wooden boxes. Moreover, the work team succeeded in rediscovering and assembling a complete wooden box belonging to the royal family of King Tutankhamun inscribed with the names of Akhenaton and Smenkh-ka-re, which came to light for the first time after many years of keeping its parts separately in different places.

The protocols and decision-making procedures during the collaboration of conservators, curators, and scientists were successfully effective not only in rediscovering and assembling three wooden boxes but also in their display method inside Tut Gallery at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM).

Since its introduction to the field of heritage conservation by Stephen Koob in 1986, Acryloid B-72 has been used extensively for coating, consolidating, and adhering a wide range of materials. Revisited in 2018 for the AIC Objects Specialty Group, the recommended formulations of Acryloid B-72 include small amounts (0.1 weight % or 1 teaspoon) of hydrophobic fumed silica. This addition is stated to improve rheological and working properties, such as flow, film formation, and evaporation rate. Fumed silica is a commercially produced, low density, high surface area particulate agglomerate of silica nanoparticles. The resin and fumed silica mixture is, therefore, a polymer-nanoparticle composite. Since the mid-1990’s research in polymer physics has demonstrated how adding tiny amounts of nanoparticles can cause large improvements in polymer properties resulting from the high interfacial area between polymer and nanoparticles. One of the characteristic features of polymer-nanoparticle composites is the increased strength imparted by very small amounts of nanoparticles. Research undertaken by the Physics Department and Carlos Museum at Emory University quantified the increase in strength relative to the amount of fumed silica in Acryloid B-72 mixtures.   Recalling Koob’s original tests with glass slides, we built an apparatus to measure the weight tolerance of joins made to glass rods with different formulations of Acryloid B-72 and fumed silica. The resulting data demonstrate the appreciable increase in strength, a near doubling, accomplished by adding fumed silica to the resin and suggest an optimal percentage for maximum strength. Further testing evaluated the sheer strength of joined ceramic sherds, comparing neat resin, Koob’s mixture, and the optimal percentage derived from strength testing. Practical application reflects the capacity to use lower resin concentrations, allowing better penetration into cracks and voids, while still accomplishing joint strength due to the behavior of the polymer-nanoparticle composite.

In addition to summarizing the strength testing results for B-72 and fumed silica mixtures, this presentation considers the collaboration between student, professor, and conservators that enabled the research. An undergraduate physics major undertook the strength testing as an honors thesis project. The research of the faculty advisor focuses on soft matter physics, including how interfaces between components in polymer systems affect the physical properties and system dynamics. Her research group of graduate and undergraduate students develops experimental methods to understand the behavior of polymers and study the effects of temperature, mechanical forces, and other influences, such as particle interfaces. Conservators at Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum provided insight into field practice and offered input on experimental design. Conservators also evaluated the experimental results for their practical impact on application and use of the polymer-nanoparticle composites, conducting trials with mock-ups and artifacts. This sort of fundamental characterization of treatment materials can be difficult to accomplish in small conservation labs that are principally tasked with preventive collections care and exhibition-driven object interventions. Recognizing the opportunity of collaboration and developing the research as a student project are productive strategies. This project was also useful preparation for the student, who went on to pursue graduate work in materials science.

The degradation mechanisms of natural rubber have been studied extensively. At present, there is no known protocol for reversing, or even stopping, the degradation. This problematic material is prevalent throughout the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s (NASM) collection. One collection subset of concern is the foam rubber face pads on aviator goggles, dating from the 1910’s to the 1970’s. NASM has over 80 artifacts that fall into this subset. As foam rubber ages, it frequently requires intervention if loss of original material is to be avoided. Such interventions typically require introducing adhesives but the long-term impacts of using adhesives on degraded rubber are underexplored. This research project was designed to investigate the impacts of consolidating degraded natural rubber. The first phase of the project establishes a working definition of “natural rubber” and “consolidation” based on an extensive literature review. The second phase of the project includes testing of a variety of consolidants on foamed rubber samples. Currently, tests are being conducted to determine the efficacy of mixtures of isinglass and methylcellulose for use as a consolidant in both liquid and foam applications. The final phase of this project will include treatment of foam rubber face pads from multiple pairs of NASM’s aviator goggles. While exploratory, the treatment is backed by extensive research and testing and aims to offer a viable protocol for consolidation of degraded rubber.

Bulked B-72 fills are a popular choice for conservators working with objects made of stone, ceramics, and plaster. Depending on the concentration of resin, choice of bulking agent, and working methods, bulked B-72 fills provide versatility of purpose that can range from structural to aesthetic. However, many conservators struggle with the material. This practical talk will cover long-refined methods for making the adhesive resin, provide suggestions for bulking materials, and show how to mix, knead, lay the material into the loss, and shape the fills. Making fills for dark stones as well as translucent marble will be illustrated with the use of detailed videos.

Want to get to know more of your fellow objects conservators, but sometimes feel at a loss as to where to start? Stay after the Objects Session on May 29 for this new pre-reception event. Held at the meeting hotel Hyatt Regency and offered at no cost - this event will feature speed networking sessions. Note this event does require registration. No food and beverage will be served, but the Objects Specialty Group Reception at Brit's Pub follows this event. Walk over to Brit's Pub together with your newly met colleagues and toast the future.   

The Linklater/Warren canoe is considered to be the last indigenous object related to Isle Royale National Park. The canoe is an interesting style; mixing traditional Ojibwe birchbark canoe techniques with the early 20th century trend of canvas covered canoes. The canoe was built by John and Tchi-Ki-Wis Linklater, “the last Native Americans to live and work on Isle Royale” before the park designation. John Linklater worked as a guide for Frank Warren, a mining engineer from Minneapolis who was a champion of establishing Isle Royale as a national park in the 1920s. It is unclear if the canoe was made on the island for the specific use of guiding the Warrens, or if it was brought from Minnesota, and later purchased by Frank Warren. It is a “long-nose Ojibwe” canoe, which was common for border lakes Anishinaabeg. However, instead of traditional pitched edges to the bark, the entire canoe was wrapped in a green canvas that was nailed under the gunnels. Wood and canvas canoes were common in the 1910s and 1920s, suggesting an active aesthetic choice in the material, possibly made by the Warrens.

The canoe was given to the National Park Service in 1971. It was described when cataloged in 1983 in similar condition to that prior to treatment, with heavily soiled peeling canvas, the lack of two black ash thwarts, and damage to lashings and birchbark structure.   

To ensure work was undertaken with the respect for the object’s indigenous history, we conducted an outreach session with Ojibwe representatives from Grand Portage. 

We treated the canoe to reduce the embedded soiling throughout the canoe, and to stabilize loose components, preventing future loss. Furthermore, discussions with current canoe builders were undertaken in order to ensure the further stabilization of the canoe by creating replacement thwarts. Following input from park staff to determine interpretation needs, we performed additional treatment to compensate for losses and create a visually cohesive canoe, retaining signs of use as part of the park’s overall history. 

The techniques used to compensate for losses in the canvas were pulled from those used by paintings conservators: spun bond polyester and BEVA 371 linings, and  book and paper conservators: textured Japanese paper fills, in which a silicone mold is made of a similarly textured surface and acrylic paint is used to create a cast of texture, which can then be easily applied to Japanese paper, or used without as a thin film which can be heat set into place. 

The combination of these techniques allowed for a cohesive appearance for the canoe, whilst still retaining reversibility as a core tenement, and provides an additional tool in the object conservator’s toolbox for mimicking original surfaces.

Founded in 1975, the Minneapolis American Indian Center is one of the oldest urban American Indian community centers in the country, providing educational and social services for a large and tribally diverse Native American community in the metropolitan area. As the building was being constructed, artist George Morrison (Grand Portage Ojibwe) was commissioned to design a mural for the south side of the building: the monumental artwork has remained an integral part of the Minneapolis American Indian Center façade for nearly 50 years. Primarily composed of over 800 Western Red Cedar boards of various lengths, the boards are assembled to create a repeating chevron and morning star motif.  Never officially given a title, Morrison once suggested calling the mural “Turning the Feather Around: A Mural for the Indian”.

In fall 2022, the Center began a major renovation to upgrade and expand the facility, which reopened to the public in May 2024. As part of the expansion, Midwest Art Conservation Center (MACC) was contracted to remove, conserve, and reinstall the mural in a new location on the renovated building façade, a location that was both more visible to the community and more exposed to weathering and wet/dry cycling. This was not a project MACC would (or should) take on alone. Collaboration was essential to make the project successful.

MACC partnered with Wolf Magritte, a design, fabrication and installation firm for complex works of art, to carry out the project. Project technicians were hired from the local community of Native artists to work alongside MACC and Wolf Magritte. The technicians were a great asset to the team, as they shared stories and history of the local Native community and acted as ambassadors of the project within the neighborhood. Most importantly however, was the collaboration and communication between the Executive Director of the Center, Mary LaGarde (White Earth Nation), architectural design teams, led by Sam Olbekson (White Earth Nation), Loeffler Construction, and other stakeholders that was crucial to inform complex decisions about the mural’s new location and proposed preservation methods. This paper will provide an overview of the Mural’s conservation, with an emphasis on creative design solutions for reinstallation and treatment decisions based on sustainable long-term care.

X-radiography has been used since its invention to study works of art. X-rays of complex three-dimensional objects, such as sculpture, are notoriously difficult to interpret because the X-ray ‘flattens’ the object into two dimensions and there is no easy way to tell if an observed feature is near the front, middle, or back.

The advent of direct digital radiography (DR) has allowed x-ray images to be acquired more rapidly and efficiently than ever before. The availability of relatively inexpensive computer-controlled turntables for the photography market has precise and repeatable rotation of artworks in the X-ray studio. By placing sculptures on a turntable and making a series of high-resolution radiographs at pre-set intervals (typically 72 images at 5° intervals), we allow researchers and other viewers to see the entire sequence of images and freely ‘spin’ the objects in X-ray view. This helps tremendously in understanding complex internal structures. After radiography is complete, a digital camera can placed in the position of the X-ray source and photographs can be made at precisely the same intervals as the radiographs. This image set can be overlaid or placed side by side with the radiographs to further assist with interpretation of the radiographs.

Many sculptures or other 3D works of art are larger than a typical DR detector (14"x14" or 11"x17") We have designed and built a flexible and low-cost aluminum easel that allows the detector to be repositioned after each 360° rotation of the turntable. With the X-ray tube in the same position, the detector can be placed in an array of positions so that the entire object can be imaged in overlapping frames. For each detector position, the turntable rotates the subject through exactly the same series of positions, capturing an image at each. This process is easily automated using a two-monitor configuration for the control computer and simple task automation software. The resulting image sequences can be merged efficiently using movie editing software such as Adobe After Effects, yielding a single sequence of full-sized, high-resolution radiographs at regular angular increments.

Viewing and disseminating these radiography-in-the-round image sets presents certain challenges. Some product photography software can generate an interactive, browser-based viewer that allows the viewer to spin the image set and switch between X-ray and visible views but zooming can be awkward and slow refresh rate can be frustrating, particularly with large composite radiographs. A customized and optimized web-based viewer has been developed to overcome these obstacles and allow streamlined dissemination of radiography-in-the-round image sets.

Taken together, these developments should allow any museum radiography studio with a DR detector and an affordable automated turntable to capture, format, and disseminate their own radiography-in-the-round.

Jack Nelson was an artist and educator who was part of the Experimental Studios in the College of Art at Syracuse University in New York. Although he was known primarily for his kinetic sculptural assemblages, as a teacher Nelson inspired a generation of multi-media artists including celebrated time-based media artist Bill Viola, to whom he served as an advisor. 

Jack Nelson’s Minneapolis Sculpture Clock was fabricated in 1967, and installed in 1968 on Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis’ downtown pedestrian shopping street.  An early example of integrated public art, the Sculpture Clock is the last remaining element of the respected historic design from the 1960s Mall, created by visionary landscape architect, Lawrence Halprin in an effort to keep downtown vibrant in the era of burgeoning suburban shopping malls. 

From the start, this timepiece and artwork was engaging and distinctive, quickly becoming a well-known and beloved landmark. It is both a street clock, with 4 large dials in the upper cabinets of the case; and it is also a kinetic sculpture, or as the artist called it, a “Perpetual Motion Stabile.” A 16’ glass and steel case encloses a complex grouping of more than 830 copper alloy moving parts. After installation, the kinetic sculpture ran for 34 years, receiving minimal maintenance and occasional minor repairs and modifications by city workers to keep it running.  However, by 2002, only the clock elements were still working. The kinetic artwork had ground to a halt. The motors were beyond repair; the metal was heavily tarnished; and there were many missing and broken elements. 

A large-scale renovation of Nicollet Mall began in 2015. In preparation, the City of Minneapolis conducted research within the community about the existing collection of public art on the mall. The results showed that Minneapolitans felt the Sculpture Clock contributed to the community, provided continuity with the Mall’s past, and was the work of art that the public most hoped would return after the redesign. 

Between 2015 and 2017, KCI Conservation undertook the complex, collaborative conservation treatment of Jack Nelson’s perpetual motion sculpture and clock. A team was assembled consisting of KCI conservators and interns, clock experts, metal artists and fabricators, electricians, engineers, and Minneapolis’ public art administrators. After discovering a remarkable trove of historic documentation, KCI was able to repair and restore the intricate kinetic sculpture, replacing motors and re-creating missing elements, re-engineering hidden functional components for longevity, as well as repairing and returning the clock case and clock dials to their intended appearances. 

Since the full conservation treatment, KCI continues to work with members of the treatment team to carry out regular inspections and maintenance on the Sculpture Clock, thanks to an ongoing commitment to its upkeep by the City of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District. In 2024, the clock received another conservation treatment after an incident of vandalism which shattered the glass on one of the case doors. This paper explores the history, treatment, and continuing work it has taken to conserve this extraordinary example of public art.

To be strong and powerful, a woman must be monstrous, dangerous, other. That has for centuries been the take-away message behind the Medusa myth. To label a woman a Medusa or Gorgon has been to rationalize or demean her power by making her threatening, inhuman, and therefore deserving of attack and ridicule. This was true in 2016 when Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton was called Medusa in media, is still true eight years later, and was very much true when Harriet Hosmer carved Medusa in 1854. 

In November 2020, as the newly arrived Mellon Fellow in Objects Conservation at the Detroit Institute of Arts, I hiked up to the American Neoclassical gallery to examine this prized piece earmarked for cleaning and fill adjustment. I found a typical neoclassical ideal bust, which showcased many of the skills that earned Hosmer her contemporary reputation as one of the great sculptors of the period—her anatomical modeling, thoughtful composition, and attention to subtle textural detail. Through the subsequent weeks of treatment, including the removal of a visitor’s unsanctioned lipstick kiss, I became fascinated by the reflection this carved-marble piece presented of the difficult social lines Hosmer walked in her own life as an independent artist, expat, and queer woman defying gender stereotypes even within the medium she chose to sculpt. 

When the Medusa was deinstalled to the conservation lab, she arrived plastered to her pedestal top, covered in discolored wax fills and irregular surface dirt, holding remnants of previous cleanings and coatings in the recesses, and sporting a red-brown lipstick print on her proper left cheek. The subtle textures for which Hosmer is known were disturbed by fine abrasion, areas of unsaturated opacity, and now yellowed oil application. Additional examination under ultraviolet radiation revealed an interesting handling history. I tested various poultice applications and experimented with fill materials to replace the aged wax, ultimately settling on a combination of mechanical action and buffered solutions to even the appearance. I also grew to understand the Medusa with every step of the process. 

In context, this piece is a commentary on the status of women in the period of change leading into the American Civil War and a subtle juxtaposition of mythological and artistic tropes that empowers women through the subversion of both. Hosmer placed the Medusa and her message as the subject of a sculpture style that marketed woman’s bodily suffering and subservience to faith and man as feminine virtues. In so doing, strength and power are shown as regalia a woman may carry with grace and pride, if not freedom. The 1850’s were an early time of change toward a more modern valuation of women’s education and societal contribution; however, American women were still second-class citizens stuck largely in traditional roles without legal autonomy—a contradiction exposed in Hosmer’s Medusa. In this regard, the kiss strikes me as a sign of Hosmer’s success—a crowned Medusa is shown approachable, sympathetic, her innocence returned and blessing conferred all wrapped in a blatant act of violation.

The focus of this presentation is the investigation and treatment of a tian-tsui headdress from the collection of the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA). This project was completed in an advanced graduate course at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, under the supervision of Judith Praska Distinguished Visiting Professor in Conservation Pamela Hatchfield. The course was designed in collaboration between Hatchfield, MOCA Director of Collections Yue Ma, and private conservators from A.M. Art Conservation, LLC: Rachael Perkins Arenstein, Anne Léculier King, and Eugenie Milroy. 

MOCA was founded in 1980 and began as a grassroots organization with community-driven collecting practices and the guiding aim of preserving and sharing the diverse tangible heritage, oral histories, and cultural experiences of people of Chinese descent in the United States. Some of its earliest accessioned objects were brought in by museum staff, donated by Chinatown residents, or even collected from the curb; as such, there is limited or nonexistent provenance for many items in the collection, the tian-tsui headdress included. MOCA is in the process of recovery and new growth after a devastating fire in 2020, and the headdress is among the objects that sustained damage related to this event. A driving goal of this project was thus to research and prepare the headdress to go on display alongside other conserved MOCA objects when the renovated museum reopens in 2025. 

The headdress is skillfully constructed in the style of a dianzi, an ornate, horseshoe-shaped headdress worn by wealthy Manchu women in the Qing Dynasty (1636–1912 CE) for festive occasions. A woven framework of black silk-wrapped rattan cane supports dozens of gilt copper openwork and filigree ornaments set on wires and springs that allow them to tremble with the movement of the wearer, a style that can be traced back to the buyao (“step-shake”) hair ornaments of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). The ornaments are further decorated with tian-tsui (or diancui, literally “dotting with kingfishers”), an ancient Chinese decorative tradition related to cloisonné that utilizes the cut feathers of kingfishers to create striking inlaid motifs in various shades of blue.

Prior to treatment, the aesthetic value of the headdress was diminished by physical deformation that suppressed the stylistically essential trembling movement of the gilt copper ornaments. The headdress was further disfigured by delamination, detachment, and loss of the tian-tsui decoration resulting from failure of the original water-soluble adhesive used to secure the kingfisher feathers to the metal ornaments. In collaboration with MOCA and A.M. Art Conservation, a holistic understanding of the context and manufacture of the headdress was produced through in-depth research and instrumental analysis. With respect to tian-tsui craft tradition, sustainability principles, and the priorities of MOCA staff, a complex but appropriate structural and cosmetic treatment methodology was devised and executed: the conservation intervention involved stabilizing the tian-tsui inlay, reshaping the crushed buyao ornaments, and developing an innovative approach to kingfisher feather inlay loss compensation. This presentation will describe the pitfalls and successes therein.

• $35 registration fee
• Adding this event to your schedule does not guarantee you a space. You must add it to your registration via the above "Add to Registration" button.

This presentation shares the story of two large-scale outdoor sculpture installations at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Georgia Welles Sculpture Garden—Josiah McElheny’s Moon Mirror (2019) and Roxy Paine’s Interim (2002) —and highlights how collaboration and lessons learned from one project informed the success of the other. Both installations involved unique conservation challenges and relied heavily on cross-disciplinary teamwork, demonstrating the impact of connections and shared problem-solving.

Moon Mirror, a mixed media work incorporating glass blocks within a stainless steel frame, was acquired by the Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) in 2022. Its installation, however, faced significant delays due to unforeseen revisions needed for the sculpture’s substructure. These changes required close collaboration between conservators, engineers, and the artist to adapt the design for outdoor conditions and ensure the long-term stability of the piece. The challenges presented by Moon Mirror offered valuable insights into how to manage mixed media artworks in outdoor environments, influencing future decision-making and preventive strategies.

Building on the lessons learned from Moon Mirror, the installation of Roxy Paine’s Interim benefited from a more streamlined approach. This sculpture, an early work in Paine’s Dendroid series which stands at over 35 feet tall, came with its own set of technical challenges, particularly related to its size, assembly, and structural requirements. Installed on a tight timeline as part of a major bequest, the project required collaboration with engineers, riggers, and welders. By applying strategies developed during the Moon Mirror installation, the team was able to address complex issues more efficiently, ensuring that Interim was installed on schedule and with a preservation strategy that also kept the artist’s vision in mind.

Both installations involved close collaboration with the artists, who played key roles in site selection and decision-making, further emphasizing the importance of building strong connections between conservators, allied professionals, and living artists. The lessons from Moon Mirror not only informed the technical execution of Interim but also reinforced the value of shared knowledge and adaptive problem-solving across projects.

This presentation explores the pivotal role that collaboration played in both installations, highlighting how the challenges faced and lessons learned from one project can directly inform the success of another. Attendees will gain insights into the power of interdisciplinary partnerships and the ways in which past experiences can drive innovation and more effective conservation outcomes in future projects.

Since the mid-1980s, American artist Robert Gober (b. 1954) has been at the forefront of revitalizing representational sculpture. Gober’s works explore themes of childhood, domesticity, sexuality, religion, and politics through familiar objects such as doors and sinks, questioning how they contribute to our psyche. His unusual lexicon of meticulously hand-crafted common household objects are marked with surrealist twists or mutations such as X-shaped cribs, doors turning in on themselves, and legs protruding from walls. This phantasmagorical theme is also found in his wax sculptures of human body parts merged with domestic items in bizarre variations.

Throughout his career, Gober combined these elements to create complex installations, as seen in the untitled work at the Milwaukee Art Museum (MAM) —fondly called “the suitcase”. An imposing black, open suitcase with a grate inserted in its base that sits on the gallery floor. Peering into the suitcase reveals a subterranean world through a brick shaft in the floor. Below is the “Gober Room”, housing a large pool of water with a set of wax adult male legs and baby - an allusion to baptism. A motor and fan create gentle lapping of the water, which swirls around the legs, and causes the seaweed to sway. Like much of Gober's work, this installation explores the dynamic between the immediately apparent conscious world and the subconscious lurking beneath.

Since its 1999 acquisition the various sculptural and mechanical elements of Untitled have shown wear, and biological growth bloomed in the pool—drastically changing Gober’s intended experience of the artwork. Tackling this herculean endeavor and addressing the various, complex elements of this installation required many hands. For more than two years, the conservation team at MAM collaborated with other museum experts and allied professions to perform the most comprehensive treatment of this work to date in order to accomplish the ultimate goal of recapturing the artist’s original intent—to immerse viewers in an animated, watery scene.

This project started with conservator Christian Scheidemann, an expert in Gober installations, treating the pool and legs and fabricating new seaweed. The next step was to address the hot and humid environment in the “Gober room” to slow biological growth. A lighting technician replaced the hot lights with theater-style LEDs that mimic daylight, as specified by the artist’s studio. MAM’s Facilities crew added ventilation to increase airflow and control the temperature of the space. Regaining the subtle sound of the sculpture has been the more dramatic transformation of the treatment. The original motor drowned out the sound produced by the water’s soft lapping. A new, quieter motor was designed and constructed by a local engineer and the ambient noise was reduced. Working with a flooring expert, visually distracting flooring around the suitcase was also corrected.

The final step was to treat the suitcase and drain. This required consultation with the artist’s studio and the Schaulager Museum to determine the scope of treatment and acceptable level of change while maintaining the artist’s original intent and integrity of the artwork as it ages and technologies change.

The British artist Henry Moore is well known for his monumental outdoor sculptures, three of which are installed at the Getty Center in Los Angeles as part of the Stark Sculpture Collection. The fourteen-foot-tall sculpture, Bronze Form, was the artist’s final outdoor work before his death in 1986. A series of six editions, they were cast and finished at Morris Singer Foundry outside of London starting in 1985. Some of the editions were not completed until after his death, as was the case with the fourth edition of Bronze Form, finished and purchased by the collectors Fran and Ray Stark located in Los Angeles, California in 1987. The Getty acquired Bronze Form (1985, 4/6) as a gift from the Fran and Ray Stark Revocable Trust in 2004-2005, and it has since been prominently displayed surrounded by a reflecting pool adjacent to the Tram Arrival Plaza. 

The Museum’s conservators have spent over a decade maintaining Bronze Form and planning for its long-term preservation. In 2010, a major treatment was carried out to remove an aged, clear polyurethane coating that was applied before the Getty’s acquisition, replacing it with an acrylic lacquer. By 2020, the surface developed uneven corrosion that blemished the translucent, golden patina prompting a more extensive treatment. To remove the corrosion, the treatment involved repolishing the surface and repatinating, which prompted another round of research on Moore’s original intent and expectations for the work in an outdoor setting. Even though Moore’s artistic process is well documented, the intent of the artist’s polished finish for these later works is uncertain and a significant departure from his aesthetic norm. The beginning and end of the project was met with unexpected findings resulting in adaptations to the treatment process. Collaboration and consultation with bronze specialists from Bronze et al, Ltd. and the Henry Moore Foundation helped shape the approach. This paper will review the evidence that supported the conservators’ final plan of action to conserve Bronze Form, starting with a description of its original materials and casting method, including comparison with other editions within the series, pre-treatment testing, and will finish with an overview of the final treatment.

Mercury, a common component in 18th, 19th, an 20th century collection items, is a well-known hazardous material with potentially severe short and long-term health consequences. Collection items with mercury include a wide variety of natural science specimens (geological, botanical, and taxidermy), pharmaceutical materials, historic pigments, historic mirrors and gilded wood, historic clothing items (felted items such as hats) and scientific instruments. While our understanding of the breadth of mercury use in cultural heritage items is growing, determining actual exposure risks and potential solutions for collections as well as collection care staff and visitors is a current area of research.

This joint session between the Preventive Care Network and the Object Specialty Group will acquaint participants with the range of collection items containing mercury as an intrinsic component, and will help initiate discussions among conservators about hazards, handling, and access. Panelists will present brief case studies to provide examples of risk management, exposure assessments, and handling protocols to control risks associated with these collection items.

Join us for a 90-minute panel of short presentations followed by discussion with the audience.

Panelists will cover topics including:

* Toxicology
* Industrial Hygiene
* Pharmaceutical collections
* Taxidermy and mineral collections
* Felted garments/textiles
* Mirrors
* Gilding
* Scientific Instruments