Workshops & Seminars

• Dates: Tuesday – Wednesday, May 19 – 20, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Location: Saltgrass Printmakers, 412 S 7th W, Salt Lake City, UT 84104
• Instructors: Christina Taylor and Christopher Wallace
• Details: $299 registration fee; maximum 10 participants

Conservators often focus on detailed artistic process, especially when it comes to printmaking, as it is valuable to the context of the artist and the work of art. Often conservators are responsible for the technical identification of prints without having extensive hands-on printmaking experience themselves. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to be involved in every step of the lift ground etching process, from image formation to printing.

Conservation professionals will be introduced to the basics of etching and the more advanced ground lift techniques (e.g. sugarlift, soap ground, aquatint). Lift ground was invented in the 17th century, was resurrected in the 19th century, and is still used to make images today. The workshop consists primarily of hands-on printing activities but will also include lectures on history and technique. Participants will assemble resources throughout the workshop from a combination of lecture slides, notes, printing materials (plates and prints), and other useful references. This will allow participants to walk away with a strong understanding of the technique and have invaluable resources at their fingertips when returning to work. No prior printmaking experience necessary.

Participants will gain an understanding of the:

• Basics of etching
• History of lift ground etching (developments and use over time)
• Different types of lift grounds
• Creation of a lift ground image (variety of techniques and gain a sensitivity to materials)
• Preparation (aquatint) and etching of the plate
• Printing of an intaglio plate (including troubleshooting)

Some attention will be given to identifying the characteristics of lift ground etchings.

• Dates: Tuesday – Wednesday, May 19 – 20, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Location: University of Utah Marriott Library, 295 S 1500 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
• Instructor: Alessandro Scola
• Details: $299 registration fee; maximum 10 participants

This workshop is an introduction to an innovative system of supporting books during exhibits based on a series of re-usable and modular structures built with Vivak®. This system considerably reduces the time and cost needed to properly display books and makes the use of Vivak® more sustainable given the known difficulties in recycling it. The system taught during this workshop offers a new perspective on book cradle-making and is not necessarily dependent on the use of Vivak®. Some of the geometries and theoretical principles taught could be applied to create cradles with paper boards, acrylic, aluminum, brass, and other materials. The system mixes standardization with customization to make the cradle-making process quicker, cheaper, and easier than it has traditionally been, without compromising on the safety of the displayed item and the aesthetics of the item-cradle combo.

This workshop will include presentations and discussions on theoretical concepts and geometries, as well as practical sessions during which participants can experiment with materials and tools while building actual book cradles following the principles and designs described in the presentations. Participants will gain a range of hands-on experience from practicing simple cuts and bends to creating a tilted forward book cradle with embedded text-block support. Participants will go home with a set of templates and tools, model cradles, and a workbook.

Lunch will be provided, as well as transportation to and from the conference hotel.

• Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Instructors: Amy Brost, Jonathan Farbowitz, Tawnya Keller, Alexandra Nichols, Mike Thuman
• Details: $189 registration fee; maximum 30 participants

Do you create and maintain digital records such as condition images, x-rays, data, treatment reports, artist interviews, or audiovisual documentation, at your institution or private practice? According to principle VII in the AIC Code of Ethics, conservators must create “permanent” documentation, but most documentation generated today is digital. Moreover, many art museums now collect digital artworks that need to be stored differently from objects in traditional media. Join us to learn the basics of planning for the long-term availability of your digital conservation records and collections. Participants will gain an understanding of digital preservation fundamentals and the digital preservation landscape, and a roadmap for incrementally advancing their digital preservation efforts.

This workshop leverages the knowledge of digital preservation leaders and time-based media conservators in partnership. The Museum of Modern Art’s implementation of digital preservation practices for its digital collection will be presented as a case study. This is an entry-level workshop; no previous experience with digital preservation is necessary. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop to the workshop to take advantage of the opportunity to utilize some of the tools and techniques covered in the presentations through a series of guided hands-on exercises.

Participants will gain:

• An understanding of the fundamentals of digital preservation including what digital files are, risks to their long-term preservation, and strategies for managing those risks.
• An understanding of digital preservation storage and how to use key resources developed by the digital preservation community as a roadmap to advance digital preservation efforts.
• An understanding of how conservation professionals and institutions can engage with the digital preservation community for mutual benefit.

Hands-on experience with key tools and techniques that can be applied immediately.

Add to Registration

• Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Instructors: Vincent Beltran, Annelies Cosaert, Jeremy Linden
• Details: $99 registration fee; maximum 16 participants

The cultural heritage field has developed and utilized various tools to facilitate decisions associated with object and collection conservation. These tools consider an assortment of data associated with topics such as risk assessment, integrated pest management, and the collection environment. However, the wide range of tools available and the time needed to become proficient at their use can be daunting. Interviews with practitioners have also identified a definite advantage to employing complementary tools that provide insight into collection care.

This workshop will focus on the examination of tools to analyze temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) data, as this fundamental information plays a role in defining sustainable collection care. These T and RH tools are appropriate for smaller datasets, making this workshop particularly well-suited for those in small or mid-size institutions, though all are welcome. The Managing Collection Environments Initiative at the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) has explored environmental analysis tools which can inform daily practice. These T and RH tools can be combined in a holistic manner to enable greater understanding, improve communication with stakeholders (including conservators, facilities managers, HVAC engineers, and architects), and be helpful during periods of change within an institution.

These tools might be useful for situation such as:

• Exploring redefining environmental set-points towards a more sustainable practice
• Comparing environmental requirements based on collection composition and the existing building climate
• Examining the potential consequences of moving objects between two different climates 
• Analyzing display case performance

This workshop will help practitioners, consultants, and students address challenges associated with the collection and building environment. It will summarize an environmental tool analysis conducted by the GCI order to guide choice of the most appropriate tool for a specific context, and efficiently explore the potential of each.

This workshop will: 

• Discuss an analysis of environmental tools and the results of an Experts Meeting regarding tool development 
• Introduce the GCI’s modular Excel tools to analyze and visualize T and RH data 
• Explore other environmental analysis tools focusing on their numerical/visual outputs, how they address risk, and how they can be used as a communication tool 
• Briefly introduce the updated 2019 ASHRAE Museums, Galleries, Archives, and Libraries (MGAL) chapter and how environmental analysis tools can facilitate its integration into a museum environmental strategy

Add to Registration

• Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2020, 1:00 – 6:00 p.m.
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Instructors: Aniko Bezur, Lynn Lee, Maggi Loubser, Karen Trentelman
• Details: $99 registration fee; maximum 50 participants

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) has become a widely used analytical technique in the cultural heritage field due to the availability of relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and portable instruments. As a result an increasing number of institutions have acquired instrumentation in recent years, but the scientific background of the personnel charged with its use varies considerably and available training from the instrument sales representatives (ranging from several hours to up to two days) is typically insufficient and/or not available when new staff are hired. The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and Yale Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (IPCH) created the XRF Boot Camp for Conservators course to help address this training gap. This workshop will touch on some of the major concepts covered in the Boot Camp and will focus on how to use a newly available workbook as a self-guided learning resource.

Intended for new as well as seasoned XRF users, this workshop will introduce important fundamental concepts, review X-ray safety, and discuss the basic components and operation of an XRF spectrometer. This workshop will include demonstrations of workbook exercises, discussion of practical application of XRF to cultural heritage objects, and general guidance for spectral interpretation and potential pitfalls. Case studies will also be presented. The workshop will conclude with an hour-long reception during which previous Boot Camp participants and ANAGPIC science instructors will join the group to share their experience utilizing the content gained from the Boot Camp.

Participants will gain:

• Guidance on how to effectively use the workbook (provided) as a self-directed training tool or refresher 
• A basic understanding of the fundamentals of XRF spectroscopy, how an XRF spectrometer works, and how to approach the interpretation of XRF data
• An understanding of how to select a site for analysis, set up and operate an XRF instrument, and analyze the resulting data
• A holistic view of XRF, including information on the fundamental physical principles on which the technique is based, technical information on how the instrument works, and guidance on how to interpret the resulting data
• Practical knowledge of the application of XRF to cultural heritage materials, including pitfalls to be aware of, and tips and tricks for applying XRF to objects with complex shapes/geometries

Add to Registration

• Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Instructor: David Thickett
• Details: $189 registration fee; maximum 20 participants

Significant improvements have been made in in performance, guarantees, and pollution measurement of showcases, although these updates are not widely known across the conservation community. This workshop will present improvements, as well as a series of low to medium cost measurement options. A recent survey found most cultural heritage organizations do not measure pollution, with knowledge and cost being principle barriers. The freely, online MEMORI Decision Support Tool was designed to overcome these barriers and provide accessible and interactive information.

Many metals are sensitive to pollution, as they are to humidity. This workshop will explore the management of metal corrosion, enclosures, pollution, and the MEMORI decision support model. The MEMORI project developed a series of online tools to guide measurement, assess results, and mitigate risk from the most common damaging pollutants. This workshop will guide participants through this process. Participants will learn to use low cost measurement methods including commercial diffusion tubes, A/D strips with colorimetry, and Oddy tests. The workshop will discuss how and when to undertake measurement campaigns, how to assess the results, and a series of mitigation methods used within a decision support model. Showcase assessment and refitting will be a significant part of the workshop.

Participants will gain an understanding of:

• The interaction of pollution and RH with common museum object material types
• The range of measurement options available and issues of when and where to measure
• The use of A/D strips with colorimetry or guide chart
• The use of lead and silver coupons
• Interpretation of results
• Showcase performance with regards to internal and external pollution and RH
• Measuring showcase air exchange rate and leakage paths
• Using MEMORI decision support model to assess results and guide mitigation options

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop with Excel, PowerPoint, and an internet explorer. Previous experience with these tools is not required.

Add to Registration

• Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Instructors: Patricia Falco, Sarah Haylett
• Details: $189 registration fee; maximum 20 participants

This workshop will introduce participants to options available to document web-based art. The instructors will present a brief overview of basic web technologies, allowing beginners to then define the object of conservation and establish its limits. The workshop will explore the different types of documentation, their advantages and disadvantages, and how they complement each other. The workshop will include hands-on exercises on the different tools available to create different types of documentation. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the technologies behind a webpage and will be able to define boundaries for web-based objects and identify and use the most appropriate tools for their aims.

This workshop is based on the work being done at Tate to document and preserve web-based artworks as part of the Mellon funded Reshaping the Collectible project. The workshop is firstly aimed at conservation professionals working with these materials; however, these processes and tools can also be applied to institutional, professional, and personal websites. With the recent availability of new tools for the personal recording of webpages, it is now easy to archive one's own online record, and use it in other contexts, even when it can no longer be online in its original form.

Workshop participants will gain:

• The ability to define the object of conservation and its boundaries, so as to be able to document it consistently
• A basic theoretical understanding of web technologies, to be able to understand the options for documentation
• The ability to look at the html code in a page and identify specific risk factors that may affect the documentation process
• An understanding of the options for documentation, the tools available to perform that documentation and their limitations
• Hands-on experience of the above

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop. 

Add to Registration

• Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Instructors: Sarah Giffin, Julie Flynn
• Details: $99 registration fee; maximum 30 participants

This workshop intends to train conservation professionals in how to treat portable object infestations using simple materials and non-chemical methods. Anoxia treatments with the use of oxygen scavengers (e.g. Ageless ZPT-1000) is one of the most effective means of killing wood-boring insects through the complete elimination of atmospheric oxygen. The treatment is safe for a wide variety of materials and the lack of fumigation chemicals means that it is also safe for conservators using the products. With the increase in global temperatures, insect infestations have become more prevalent as environments have become warmer and more humid. The use of anoxia treatment bags is an easy and compact method of single object treatment that can be performed by properly trained individuals. 

This workshop will focus on the treatment of insect infestations of portable objects using oxygen scavengers. The first half of the workshop will include a presentation addressing identification of common insect infestations often found in museums, galleries, and historic houses, as well as different methods of non-chemical treatments and means of calculating material usage. The second half of the workshop will include a hands-on activity where participants will be tasked with creating anoxia environments for small objects using oxygen scavengers. Participants will learn how to calculate the appropriate amount of material to be used, prepare the objects for the treatment, and construct the small anoxia bag using materials provided by the workshop. By the end of the workshop participants should be able to confidently identify and treat an insect infestation, and efficiently build a custom anoxia chamber.

This workshop is recommended for conservation professionals at small to medium sized museums and in private practice, where space and budgetary requirements restrict access to large treatment freezers and nitrogen displacement chambers.

Participants will gain an understanding of:

• How to identify different types of insect infestations
• Which infestation treatment methods are appropriate for different material types
• What materials are required for oxygen scavenging treatments
• How to construct an anoxia chamber
• How to use materials efficiently by calculating appropriate number of packets to use and pre-plan chamber design

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop. 

Add to Registration

• Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Instructors: Ariel O’Connor, American Association of University Women facilitator
• Details: $35 registration fee; maximum 30 participants
• Sponsors: Foundation for Advancement in Conservation and the University of Delaware's Department of Art Conservation in honor of Bruno Pouliot.
  

Navigating employment offers can be intimidating to conservation professionals at all stages of their careers. What is appropriate to negotiate in a contract? What are the tools and tactics we can apply in negotiating positions? How can we use these negotiation tactics to advocate for ourselves to ensure the best employment package? Whether you are an emerging conservator negotiating a salary for the first time, or an established conservator looking for a refresher, this workshop aims to provide the tools and tactics for understanding salary negotiation and making the ask for yourself.

As a field demographically dominated by women, who are statistically less likely to advocate for themselves in a negotiation setting, this workshop will provide the tools to confidently and knowledgeably approach compensation package negotiations. Pairing the intricate knowledge and background of a conservator with the strategic skills and tools of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), this workshop will help to develop the confidence and skill set of conservators to confidently approach the negotiation table. Although facilitation will be conducted by AAUW, this workshop will benefit both men and women. As participants gain the skills to negotiate and advocate for themselves, they can utilize these tools in a broad range of circumstances thereby more confidently advocating for conservation within museum settings and private practice.

Add to Registration

• Date: Wednesday, May 20, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
• Presenters: Stephanie Hornbeck, Nancy Odegaard, Samantha Alderson, Patricia Capone, Ellen Carrlee, Lydia Four Horns, Genevieve Cutler Fisher, Susan Heald, T. Rose Holdcraft, Elizabeth Holford, Landis Smith, Governor Brian Vallo
• Cost: $89 (includes lunch)

Each year, museums stewarding Native North American collections host visits from Native American and First Nations community members, to view their cultural heritage. An important complement to exhibitions presented at host museums is the lending of objects and special exhibitions via loans, which allows objects to travel to borrowing institutions to reach audiences far beyond the lending museum. The vital use of the Native North American collections through loan programs allows collections to be borrowed by tribal community centers and museums throughout North America. Loans to tribal museums and community centers contribute to the ability of descendant communities to view, study and experience cultural heritage originally fabricated and used by their communities, though now deposited in, and stewarded by, museums. Many of these centers are in non-urban, remote areas of the country and they serve audiences who may not travel to lending host museums at distance. To facilitate these loans conservators and allied museum colleagues often customize museum loan procedures to provide additional professional and financial support to lenders.

This session convenes conservators and allied professionals from museums around the country that support community loans. Case studies present an array of loan scenarios and creative solutions to encourage and support this important use of museum collections by borrowers, who may have previously been excluded because of strict museum loan procedures.  The session format will include short presentations and a guided discussion with session participants and attendees. Dr. Nancy Odegaard will draw on her 30+ years of experience with community loans at the Arizona State Museum to serve as session discussant.

The session will include the following conservators and presentation topics: 

• Lydia Four Horns, Cultural Center General Manager, Cultural Resources, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and Susan Heald, Senior Textile Conservator, Smithsonian NMAI, “NMAI’s Recent long-term loan to Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC)”
• Samantha Alderson, Conservator, AMNH, “The Journey of a Chief’s Chest back to Haida Gwaii from the American Museum of Natural History for Display and Ceremonial Use”
• Stephanie Hornbeck, Head of Conservation, Field Museum, “The Field Museum’s Pilot Loan Program with an Urban Native American Art Gallery in Chicago"
• Landis Smith, Consulting Conservator, Museums of New Mexico, and Governor Brian Vallo, Acoma Pueblo, Topic “The Wider Impacts of Museum Loans: The Impact of a Pottery Loan to the Haak'u Museum at Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico”
• Ellen Carrlee, Conservator, Alaska State Museum, “Ceremonial Use and ‘Bridge Institutions’ in Alaska”
• Patricia Capone, Museum Curator, Genevieve Cutler Fisher, Senior Registrar, and T. Rose Holdcraft, Senior Conservator,  Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, “A Museum Strategy to Expand Access to Collections and Interpretive Capability: Loans to Community Centers and Tribal Museums”
• Elizabeth Holford, Conservator, Smithsonian NMAI, “NMAI Community Loans Initiative”
• Nancy Odegaard, PhD, Conservator, Head of Preservation Division, Arizona State Museum, Discussant

• Date: Wednesday, May 20, 2020, 15 minute appointments between 9:00am – 5:00pm
• Location: Salt Palace Convention Center, 100 S W Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
• Details: $45 registration fee (Free for CIPP members)

Whether you are using hazardous chemicals in your laboratory or working with mold-infested artifacts after a flood, you need to be protected with a properly fitting respirator. This workshop will provide the participant with access to an online lecture on respirator selection, care, and use, as well as a 15-minute, individual appointment for a personal respirator fit test, ensuring an acceptable, face-to-facepiece seal/fit of their respirator.

CIPP members can take the fit test for free. CIPP is covering the cost of these fees.

This AIC Respirator Fit Test Program is targeted towards conservators who may not have access to a Safety Professional to conduct the test or do not have respirator fit testing available through their employer, but is open to all interested parties. This workshop is in accordance with the U.S. OSHA Standard (29CFR1910.134 - Respiratory Protection). The online lecture and fit test appointments will be conducted by a Certified Industrial Hygienist.

Individuals wishing to be fit for a respirator MUST:

• Register for and attend a 15-minute fit test appointment at the Annual Meeting.
• Complete a REQUIRED medical evaluation within the twelve months PRIOR to fit testing.
• Watch the REQUIRED online lecture and take the corresponding quiz.

All required forms can be found on the Health and Safety wiki.

Fit test appointments will be scheduled in 15-minute intervals. The individual appointment also provides an opportunity for participants to ask any specific questions, and to “shop” for a new half-mask, air-purifying respirator from the Committee’s selection of samples. Please bring your personal respirator if you have one.

Participants must complete the OSHA Respirator Medical Evaluation Questionnaire prior to the fit test, and have it reviewed at their own expense by a healthcare professional or by the OMS, Inc., the clinic used during the Annual Meeting in Chicago 2017. Forms for using the OMS are available by emailing the Health and Safety Committee at health-safety@culturalheritage.org.

• Dates: Monday, May 18, through Wednesday, May 20
• Organizer: Seth Irwin
• Location: University of Utah Marriott Library Conservation Department
• Cost: $99

Varnished wall maps (most popular during the mid-19th Century) are complex composite materials of great historical significance found in nearly every archive and library collection in the United States. They also are held widely in private collections. The maps often, but not always are: large in scale; composed of several sections of paper adhered together; have printed, hand colored, and varnished layers; attached to a fabric backing; and have wooden hanging dowels at top and bottom. Condition issues can, and often do, appear with nearly every material element. Varnish layers are often darkened, and sometimes blanched, rendering parts of the map no longer visible. Deteriorated paper supports are often fragile and fractured with significant areas of loss and aqueous stains, and the fabric backing can be deteriorated and soiled.

Due to the complex nature of these maps and their condition issues, creating a treatment methodology is a challenging process for paper conservators. Ethical dilemmas are present when considering varnish removal, bathing and potential color loss, fabric lining removal (and potential lining replacement), and display and storage. The published literature has been intermittent and offers widely differing approaches that yield little consensus on treatment methodology. Curiously, most of the popular approaches and techniques have not been published yet. These maps can be intimidating to conservators who have never worked on them before, and many are being left untreated due to lack of experience or lack of more efficient options. 

This three-day pre-conference seminar will be held at the University of Utah Marriott Library Conservation Department. The seminar will provide a unique opportunity for paper conservators that work extensively with varnished wall maps, either by actively treating them or are in charge of collections that house them, to come together to demonstrate and discuss their condition issues and treatment methodologies around these maps.  Since no one approach will apply to every map, the goal of this seminar is to build a consensus of options for decision making and treatments. In addition, this seminar will allow for the opportunity to compare treatment methods and decision making strategies for maps held in private collections versus those in institutional collections. Ultimately, the group’s findings will be shared with the conservation community in the form of a publication and/or future workshops.

The majority of the seminar will be dedicated to hands-on demonstrations by participants on topics that include fabric removal and facing, varnish removal, washing approaches, and re-lining methods. Other issues that will be examined will be minimizing color loss, loss and fragmentation, documentation, storage methods, and exhibition options. Interwoven into these demonstrations will be round-table presentations and discussions to supplement and further the conversation. Portions of this event will also be filmed.  

Application Process – Applications are Due on January 31

The seminar attendance will be limited to sixteen participants, with a limited number of spaces reserved for conservators who work in private practice. Participants will be selected via an application process. Successful applicants will then be directed on how to pay the $99 seminar fee. Lunch and coffee will be provided to all participants for the three days.

The application requirements:

1. A short essay (1,500 words or less). Applicants interested in participating should address the following questions and statements:
   • How many varnished maps have you worked on?
   • What is your level of experience, comfort level, and confidence in working on these varnished maps?
   • If you work with wall maps in an institutional setting, please describe the scope of the work. 
   • Describe some differing treatment approaches and decisions to address the condition issues of these maps. 
   • What successes and failures have you had in your varnished map decision making?
2. A written documentation report of a prior treatment of a varnished map. Additional treatment reports may be sent in, but are not required.

If the applicant works in an administrative role and does not do active treatment, the applicant may send in alternative forms of documentation such as condition surveys, etc., in lieu of a treatment report. 

Please make a PDF of your application packet (if possible) and email to Ruth Seyler, Meetings and Advocacy Director at rseyler@culturalheritage.org by January 31, 2020. However, applications will be reviewed as they come in, and the seminar could fill up before January 31.