Job Posting: Contract Conservation Work, National Archives (Washington, DC)

Contract Conservation Work – National Archives
 
The Conservation Lab of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) intends to issue a contract for conservation services for archival materials.  The object of the solicitation is to acquire conservation services to stabilize paper-based records prior to digitization.  A range of stabilization treatments will be performed on original service records of Volunteer Union Soldiers Who Served from Massachusetts, 1861-1865, to ensure safe handling during digitization and full image capture of content.
 
The following treatments will be performed as needed:  separation of documents where unique information is obscured, mending, local humidification, surface cleaning, and removal of prior mends.
 
All conservation work is to be performed at the National Archives Building, 7th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington DC, one day per week during normal business hours.  Work will be carried out in a fully equipped conservation lab.  All supplies required for treating and housing records will be provided.
 
Individuals who would like more information or to receive the Statement of Work/Request for Proposal should contact  Amy Lubick, Conservation Digitization Coordinator (amy.lubick@nara,.gov; 301-837-0681) or Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler (marylynn.ritzenthaler@nara.govl 301-837-2906).  Quotes are due October 3, 2014.

Job Posting: 3 Openings for Conservator Technicians, National Archives and Records Administration (Washington, DC)

The National Archives and Records Administration (Washington DC area) has announced 3 openings for Conservator Technicians.
These are permanent full time positions that will focus on preparing archival records in a variety of formats for digitization.
Applications are due September 29. Please see the link to USAJobs for more information about the positions and the application process.
https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/379529200

Job Posting: Paintings Conservator, 6 month contract (with possibility for extension) – Art Conservation Services, Inc. (London, Ontario, Canada)

Art Conservation Services, Inc.
421 Ridout St. N.
London, Ontario
Canada
519-472-4138
artconserv@bellnet.ca
 
Position: Paintings Conservator, 6 month contract with possibility for extension.
 
Art Conservation Services, Inc., a private conservation studio located in London, Ontario, Canada, is seeking a Paintings Conservator to fill an upcoming 6 month contract. The candidate should have demonstrated ability and experience treating paintings in a broad range of age and condition, and be capable of working in a fast-paced private practice environment. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, as well as basic experience with photographic documentation.  Strong organizational and problem solving skills are necessary.  Required tasks include client interaction, assessing artwork condition, accurately estimating treatment times, preparing reports and proposals, executing a variety of treatments, and possible on-site projects.
 
The candidate should have a Masters in Art conservation from an internationally recognized conservation program, and/or equivalent professional experience, with at least 2 years post-graduate experience, and be a citizen or permanent resident of Canada. The position start date is flexible but early to mid-November 2014 is preferred. The contract will last for 6 months, at which time the candidate will be re-evaluated and the possibility of a longer position can be discussed. Compensation will be commensurate with experience. Please apply by sending cover letter, resume and name and contact information for two references, by email to Keith Bantock at artconserv@bellnet.ca. Closing date September 26, 2014.
 
Art Conservation Services, Inc. is a professional art conservation practice based in London, Ontario, Canada, independently operating out of the conservation laboratory in Museum London. Paintings Conservator and owner Keith Bantock, M.A.C. and Associate Book and Paper Conservator Jennifer Robertson, M.A.C., provide a wide range of conservation services and consultation; our clients include both private collectors and public institutions across Ontario. www.artconservationservices.com for more information.
 
 

Grant Deadline for NEH’s Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections


NEH Logo MASTER_082010
 
 
 
 
NEH’s Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections grants encourage sustainable approaches to preserving humanities collections
Grant deadline: December 3, 2014
The National Endowment for the Humanities invites applications from nonprofit museums, libraries, archives, and educational institutions in the United States to the Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections program. This grant program supports planning and implementation of sustainable preventive conservation projects that pragmatically balance preservation goals, cost, and environmental impact. All projects should be designed to be as cost effective, energy efficient, and environmentally sensitive as possible.
To identify and achieve sustainable preservation strategies, it is important to define preservation requirements based on an understanding of your collections, their conditions, and the risks they face, rather than relying on ideal and prescriptive targets. Your local climate, the characteristics and performance of your building and its systems, the potential effects of climate change on cultural property, and institutional capacities must also be considered. It is advisable to look first for passive (that is, nonmechanical) ways to improve collection environments and to design mechanical systems, whenever possible, after investigating and implementing passive approaches for achieving and managing desired conditions. It is also important to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of a project’s results through the collection of data on conditions, energy use, and costs.
Planning grants of up to $40,000 (with an option of up to $50,000) are available to bring together interdisciplinary teams that will work collaboratively to identify sustainable preventive conservation strategies.
Implementation grants of up to $350,000 are available to manage interior relative humidity and temperature by passive methods; install heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems; install storage systems and rehouse collections; improve security and the protection of collections from fire, flood, and other disasters; and upgrade lighting systems and controls to achieve levels suitable for collections that are energy efficient.
Over the program’s first five years, museums, libraries, and archives have used Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections grants to
* identify passive strategies for creating more stable and protective collection environments;
* reevaluate specifications for relative humidity and temperature and establish realistic, achievable, and perhaps seasonally adjusted targets;
* repair building envelopes and improve site drainage to prevent moisture infiltration to help stabilize collection environments;
* investigate how the environmental management features of historic buildings might be used, especially those related to ventilation and control of solar gain;
* study the natural variations in a building to identify spaces best suited for collections and reorganize collections by material type, locating more vulnerable collections in spaces that are more naturally stable;
* employ the concept of multiple layers of buffering to create more stable conditions for collections;
* evaluate existing mechanical systems and optimize their performance;
* explore control strategies and programming of building automation systems for operating HVAC systems more efficiently, perhaps implementing managed setbacks and shutdowns of climate control systems in well-insulated spaces;
* design mechanical systems that are “right sized” and adopt, when possible, simple and easy-to-maintain systems and controls; and,
* install energy efficient lighting and employ occupancy sensors for control in storage spaces and galleries.
Guidelines, FAQs, and sample narratives from successful applications: www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/SCHC.html
A list of previous awards: www.neh.gov/files/divisions/preservation/sustaining_cultural_heritage_collections_awards.pdf
NEH program officers are available to discuss project ideas and read draft proposals. Please contact the division for more information by emailing preservation@neh.gov or calling 202-606-8570.

There was no need for drama. It was carefully planned

On Saturday night September 6th, the Picasso curtain which had adorned the lobby of the Four Seasons Restaurant in the Seagram Building for fifty-five years was taken down and sent on its way to a conservation treatment and its future home. As if the long battle between the building’s owner and the curtain’s owner did not have enough drama, Benjamin Mueller writing about the deinstallation in The New York Times, (“After 55 Years in Vaunted Spot, A Picasso is Persuaded to Curl”, September 8, 2014), described a scene with lots of drama telling the reader that “one false tug could cause its [the curtain’s] demise” and noting that “the spector of the unknown haunted the proceedings”. As conservators, we know the careful planning and consideration for safety that goes into such an operation. Am I alone in finding Mr. Mueller’s manufactured drama a bit insulting to the professionals involved?

A story with a happy ending

In a brief article in the September 6- 7, 2014 issue of The Wall Street Journal (“A Museum Wins the Arm Race”), Alexandra Wolfe recounts the story of “Neptune’s Daughter”, a sculpture by Melvin Earl Cummings which was on display for decades in the garden of the de Young Museum until it was vandalized in 2011– one of its arms was detached and taken from the site. It was written off as a total loss by the insurance company. However, in 2012, the missing arm was anonymously returned to the museum. The sculpture was restored and will soon go back on display. How nice that this conservation story had a happy ending as the work could well have been relegated forever to a storeroom or insurance company back office like other art works which have been declared beyond repair.

Job Posting: Paintings Conservator – West Lake Conservators (New York)

PAINTINGS CONSERVATOR (Mid to Senior level)

 
West Lake Conservators has an immediate need for an advanced paintings conservator. The incumbent will report to Susan Blakney and Margie Sutton, paintings conservators and co-owners of West Lake Conservators.
 
Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Art Conservation from a recognized conservation program, or equivalent professional experience. Experience in or the ability to estimate labor and accurately track time is required.  Competent writing, photographic and computer-documentation skills are essential. Demonstrated interest in linings and their challenges, and prior project management experience a plus.
 
Salary is commensurate with experience.
 
West Lake Conservators is a mixed-specialty preservation firm located in the Finger Lakes region of New York and founded in 1975. West Lake’s clientele includes museum and private collections both regional and national. We encourage our employees to engage with the profession through research, presentation at meetings and conferences.
 
 
Please send resumes to sueblakney@aol.com;margie@westlakeconservators.com
 

Job Posting: Head of Preservation & Conservation – Qatar National Library (Qatar)

Qatar National Library has a new opening for a Head of Preservation & Conservation position, if interested please send me your CV to Sandra Montesinos smontesinos@qf.org.qa
 
Job Purpose:
The Head of Preservation & Conservation is responsible for the overall activities of planning, development, management, promotion, delivery and evaluation of services for preservation and conservation for the Qatar National Library.  As part of the Special Collections and Archives Team, the position will assist the Associate Director for Special Collections and Archives to develop strategic objectives for the department.  This position may also act in the absence of the Associate Director for Special Collections & Archives. Regularly scheduled evening and weekend work may be required.
 
Key Result Areas:

  • Develop, implement, evaluate and update policies, procedures, plans, budgets, standards and best practices associated with preservation and conservation.
  • Manage all activities and workflow for preservation and conservation.
  • Plan and oversee the setup and implementation of the new Preservation and Conservation laboratory in all aspects.
  • Develop and manage the review, selection, preservation and conservation for digitization of Special Collections and Archives books, maps, and manuscripts, along with other item formats, in collaboration with department heads, staff, and Associate Director.
  • Recommend, plan and assist in implementing best practices for movement of Special Collections and Archives items for relocation to new building, to exhibitions, for shipping, etc.
  • Responsible for selection, hiring, and professional development of new preservation and conservation staff.
  • Coach, mentor, lead, supervise, and evaluate the departmental staff, QNDP Trainees, Graduate Trainees, and Interns throughout the career development plan process.
  • Create and contribute content to the Qatar National Library website.
  • Keep informed of current practices, trends, and developments in the field and effectively use training and experience to enhance job knowledge, especially with new methods in preservation and conservation.
  • Contribute to the profession by publishing, presenting, or actively participating in professional organizations, especially with new finds, amended methods, or other advances in preservation and conservation.
  • Familiarize, understand and implement QF health, safety, and environment policy, procedures, legal regulations and objectives applicable to areas of responsibility. Ensures coordination with HSE department in implementing, monitoring and reviewing of HSE performance to ensure work under his/her control is performed in a safe, healthy and environmentally sound manner.
  • This position includes, but is not limited to, other duties as required and defined by the scope, purpose, and spirit of the institution and are not always indicative of the title and grade of the position.

 
Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

  • Master’s degree in relevant discipline, such as Conservation or Preservation, Library Science or related field.
  • Minimum 5 years of experience, 3 of which must have been in supervisory or leadership role in a library, museum, or research organization in preservation or conservation.
  • Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills in both oral and written English. Arabic language skills will be an asset.
  • Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively both independently and within a team.

 
For more information about Qatar National Library or Qatar Foundation, please feel free to visit www.qnl.qa or www.qf.org.qa

Job Posting: Winterthur Research Fellowship Program (Winterthur, DE)

Winterthur, a public museum, library, and garden supporting the advanced study of American art, culture, and history, announces its Research Fellowship Program for 2015–16. Winterthur offers an extensive program of short- and long-term residential fellowships open to academic, independent, and museum scholars, including advanced graduate students, to support research in material culture, architecture, decorative arts, design, consumer culture, garden and landscape studies, Shaker studies, travel and tourism, the Atlantic World, childhood, literary culture, and many other areas of social and cultural history. Fellowships include 4–9 month NEH fellowships, 1–2 semester dissertation fellowships, and short-term fellowships, which are normally one month.
Fellows have full access to the library collections, including more than 87,000 volumes and one-half million manuscripts and images, searchable online at winterthur.org. Resources for the 17th to the early 20th centuries include period trade catalogues, auction and exhibition catalogues, an extensive reference photograph collection of decorative arts, printed books, and ephemera. Fellows may conduct object-based research in the museum’s collections, which include 90,000 artifacts and works of art made or used in the British American colonies or United States to 1860, with a strong emphasis on domestic life. Winterthur also supports a program of scholarly publications, including Winterthur Portfolio: A Journal of American Material Culture.
Fellows may reside in a furnished stone farmhouse on the Winterthur grounds and participate in the lively scholarly community at Winterthur, the nearby Hagley Museum and Library, the University of Delaware, and other area museums. Fellowship applications are due January 15, 2015. For more details and to apply, visit winterthur.org/fellowship or e-mail Rosemary Krill at rkrill@winterthur.org.

Job Posting: Senior Project Specialist, The Getty Conservation Institute (Los Angeles, CA)

The Getty Conservation Institute (www.getty.edu/conservation) is seeking a conservation practitioner to fill the position of Senior Project Specialist (Built/20th-century Heritage).
 
The Senior Project Specialist (Built/20th-century Heritage) will lead the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative (CMAI), a comprehensive, long-term, and international program of the GCI. The goal of the CMAI is to advance the practice of conserving twentieth-century heritage, with a focus on modern architecture, through research and investigation, the development of practical conservation solutions, and the creation and distribution of information through training programs and publications. The CMAI works with international and local partners, including professional and organizational networks focused on modern architecture conservation, to expand the existing knowledge base.
 
Responsibilities:  The Senior Project Specialist will explore, develop and manage potential projects that address thematic areas in the context of conservation of twentieth-century heritage and specifically modern architecture. This includes designing, implementing, and monitoring projects that apply and test new research and practical approaches. The Senior Project Specialist will demonstrate a broad knowledge of the issues and best practices associated with the conservation and management of historic buildings and sites, specifically twentieth-century heritage; and will provide advice and guidance about these issues to staff from other departments of the GCI.
 
The Senior Project Specialist will conduct needs assessments, identify strategic issues, develop, interpret, communicate, and execute project plans and budgets to meet international needs. She/He will provides direction to project staff, external partners, and consultants related to built and urban heritage; and will undertake research, teach, write, publish, or present results at professional venues.
 
Qualifications: The Senior Project Specialist must have: 7-10 years combined practical and management experience in the areas of either architecture and historic building technologies, urban planning and preservation. A Master’s degree or equivalent graduate education in architecture or architectural conservation is required, as is knowledge and a demonstrated engagement in conserving twentieth-century heritage. She/He must be adaptable, analytical, a positive problem-solver, and a creative thinker. Skill and experience in designing, initiating and managing conservation projects with multi-disciplinary teams is essential. Experience in working in broad contexts including the international sphere an advantage. Knowledge of the international organizations working in the fields of twentieth-century heritage needed. Excellent oral and written communication skills are also necessary. She/He must be available for frequent international travel. An ability to read, write, and speak a foreign language is preferred.
 
An excellent benefits package and salary commensurate with experience will be provided. International candidates welcome.
 
To apply, please see:  https://jobs-getty.icims.com/jobs/2206/job. All applicants should be prepared to upload a cover letter and curriculum vitae as a single file (either a PDF or a Word document) when prompted to “upload a Resume” online. Candidates who successfully complete the online application process will receive an automated message from “autoreply@icims.com”.  If you have specific questions about the Senior Project Specialist (Built/20th-century Heritage) position, please email gcistaffing@getty.edu.
 
NB: This job search has been extended.  The deadline for applications is now October 10, 2014.