Outreach

Collaborating with Museum Educators to Promote Conservation
Sarah Barack and Beth Edelstein
Conservation-focused high-school classes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art were developed to increase students’ understanding of and familiarity with the works on view in the galleries, as well as to introduce the importance of the conservation and preservation of art to tomorrow’s cultural leaders. The materials science content of the classes was emphasized in the course announcement, with the intent of expanding the typical target demographic to include more science-minded students. Art conservation education at the high school level is not aimed at just creating more conservators for an already overloaded field, but rather in raising the profile of the conservation field as a whole and increasing support for art and historic preservation activities, all the while accomplishing the defined goals of a high school education. This type of educational format works well to promote concepts of scientific inquiry, logical reasoning, and problem solving, which are major components of a high school curriculum.

For a full text on this initiative, please see Collaborating with Museum Educators to Promote Conservation

Conservation FAQ’s and Facts: an on-line guide for archaeologists
Colleen Brady, Molly Gleeson, Melba Myers, Claire Peachey, Betty Seifert, Howard Wellman, Emily Williams, Lisa Young

• How do I find a conservator?
• What adhesive is best for mending ceramics?
• How do I mix Acryloid B-72 for labeling artifacts?
• How do I create microclimates for storage?

It was "frequently asked questions" like these that prompted a group of archaeological conservators in the Mid-Atlantic area to develop an interactive CD of conservation and collections care guidelines. Although excellent resources, containing similar information, exist, many archaeologists in the US report that they are reluctant to use these books because of their focus on sites in Europe and the Mediterranean. This project was aimed at producing an inexpensive, user-friendly guide for Mid-Atlantic archaeologists containing the most current information on conservation. Additionally, it was hoped that it would promote better communication between the conservation and archaeology communities.

For a full text on this initiative, please see Conservation FAQ's and Facts: an on-line guide for archaeologists

“Conservators without Borders”
An International Archaeological Conservation and Outreach Initiative
“Conservators Without Borders” (CWB) is a program that provides conservation support to archaeological projects where insufficient funding and expertise does not allow for conservation activity. Founded by Melina Smirniou, Christie Pohl and Dominica D’Arcangelo, all alumnae of the conservation program at University College London’s (UCL) Institute of Archaeology, the initiative is currently funded by a grant from UCL “Futures.” Priority is given to sites in countries where finds are in need of special or urgent conservation attention (either during or post-excavation). Other primary objectives of the program include: outreach to local communities to determine sustainable methods of conservation, training conservation students, volunteers and other interested individuals, and collaboration with archaeologists and specialists on-site.

For a full text on this initiative, please see "Conservators Without Borders"– An International Archaeological Conservation and Outreach Initiative

Building an interdisciplinary on-line community
Rachael Perkins Arenstein, Richard Monk, Neil Duncan, Chris Norris and Lisa Elkin
The Integrated Pest Management Working Group (IPM-WG) is a group of collection managers, conservators, entomologists and other professionals interested in issues surrounding the implementation of integrated pest management in museums and other collection-holding institutions. The group does not teach IPM principles, but rather focuses on providing resources to make it easier for the broader museum community to develop and implement their own IPM programs. The goal is to promote and facilitate good IPM practices and collaboration between staff and institutions through the development and on-line distribution of training materials and other resources.

For a full text on this initiativen, please see MuseumPests.net: Building an interdisciplinary on-line community