Job Posting: Paper Conservator – Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)

Paper Conservator
Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin 

Purpose
To manage, oversee, and supervise the paper conservation programs and the Paper Conservation Lab of the Harry Ransom Center. To provide complex conservation treatments to collection materials on paper.
Essential Functions
Perform paper conservation treatments of all levels of complexity. Supervise, train, and manage staff, interns, and volunteers in the Paper Conservation Lab in appropriate procedures and practices for the care of the Ransom Center collections. Oversee personnel safety training with regard to equipment, chemicals, and other materials used in paper conservation. Liaise and collaborate with curators, collection managers, administrative personnel, and other Ransom Center staff with regard to the care and treatment of collections on paper. Participate as part of the Preservation and Conservation Division’s senior team to strategically plan for the ongoing care of the Ransom Center’s collections. Take a leadership and educational role in all activities and programs of the division, and similarly support other areas of the overall institutional preservation endeavor. Pursue independent studies and professional opportunities as appropriate. Assist the associate director with project planning and grant writing.
Required Qualifications
Master’s degree in art, art history, or library and information science plus a certificate of advanced study in conservation, or Master of Science degree in Art Conservation. A minimum of four years of post-graduate experience applying conservation and preservation practices in libraries, special collections, archives, or museums. Experience should be primarily in paper conservation and include the treatment of works of art on paper, documents and manuscripts, and other paper-based works. Up to one year of experience in the conservation treatment of bound volumes or photographs will be considered as part of the four years of required experience.
Preferred Qualifications
More than four years of experience in conservation treatment of documents, manuscripts, and works of art on paper. Excellent oral and written communication skills. Extensive knowledge of materials and technologies encountered in the creation and conservation of the full range of works on paper. Superior knowledge of the nature of paper and inks, colorants, adhesives, and material technologies as applied to the creation of artistic, literary, and documentary works. Knowledge of basic research methods, exhibition standards, building environment systems, disaster planning and response, conservation trends, and collection surveys. Experience will include responsibility for collection management programs, laboratory management, and personnel training and supervision. Experience working with curators and conservators in a team environment.
Application procedure: please go to 
https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/hr/jobs/nlogon/search/0/ and refer to posting number 151125010607.  Applicants must upload a resume, submit a letter of interest and contact information for three references.
 A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
The University of Texas at Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity at all levels. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability or veteran status. (Compliant with the new VEVRAA and Section 503 Rules)
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification form, I-9. You will be required to present acceptable, original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Information from the documents will be submitted to the federal E-Verify system for verification. Documents must be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in dismissal.

This is one painting that might be better seen and not heard

The Improbability of Love, a recently published novel by Hannah Rothschild, film director and trustee of several British museums, is a tale of plundered paintings, self important art experts, desperate art dealers, and greedy art collectors. One of the few noble characters is a conservator who works in the National Gallery’s lab. Through descriptions of her work, the reader learns about conservation procedures like test cleaning, sampling, and cross section analysis. This positive view of conservation is muddled by a Watteau painting that expresses its view of restoration (yes, the painting, a major character in the novel, speaks—although no one hears it):  “Imagine my horror at the latest turn of events: the young man has found a restorer. The mere mention of the word sends shivers through my paintwork. The atrocities committed in the name of restoration; look no further than a certain Velazquez in London or Leonardo in Paris. I am so delicate that whole swathes of my composition could disintegrate in the wrong hands. Though my patina is smeared with layers of soot, candle smuts, human effluents, tobacco smoke and varnish, the prospect of a restorer let loose with bottles of noxious spirits fills me full of quaking, mind-blowing terror.” This is one painting that might be better seen and not heard.

AIC Ivory Position Paper

The Board of Directors of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works has recently approved a position paper prepared by Nina Owczarek, Stephanie Hornbeck, Jean Portell, and Terry Drayman-Weisser on the impact of U.S. government action on cultural property, legislation, and regulations relating to African elephant ivory.
The position paper is located on the AIC website at http://www.conservation-us.org/about-us/core-documents.
With thanks to everyone who assisted in the development of this paper,
AIC Board of Directors

Job Posting: Objects/Sculpture Conservator – RLA Conservation, Inc. (Miami, FL)

RLA Conservation, Inc. seeks to hire a full-time Objects/ Sculpture Conservator to be based in our Miami, Florida studio. The ideal candidate will hold a postgraduate degree (M.A. or M.S.) in conservation and have a strong background and interest in modern and contemporary art as well as other disciplines of objects conservation.  We are looking for an enthusiastic professional with excellent hand skills, critical thinking abilities, and verbal and written communication abilities, who works well as part of a team and can manage time and meet deadlines.  This position also requires occasional overnight travel.
Founded in 2008, RLA Conservation, Inc draws upon its founder Rosa Lowinger’s 30 years in private conservation practice and is considered a national leader in conservation of public art, buildings, contemporary three-dimensional art and sculpture.  We have offices in Los Angeles and Miami but work throughout the United States, with some work also in the burgeoning markets of Latin America and the Caribbean.  We are an equal opportunity employer with a uniquely high level of diversity amongst our team of 5 professionally trained conservators, 7 technicians, and 3 office staff.  We pride ourselves on being known as a great place to work and a firm that supports the personal and professional growth of its employees.  Please send a resume and cover letter to:  info@rosalowinger.com.
Key Responsibilities:.

  • Preparation of condition reports, treatment proposals, surveys, work schedules, and additional related documentation.
  • Hands-on treatments of a wide range of collections, with a specialty in modern and contemporary.
  • Outdoor sculpture conservation and maintenance, including supervision of skilled technicians.
  • Conducting of collections surveys.
  • Liaising with museum and private clients, including preparation of cost estimates in conjunction with lead conservators.
  • Triage and on-site collection recovery as needed.
  • Additional responsibilities as directed and supervised by the Lead Conservator

Qualification Requirements:

  • Postgraduate degree in Conservation of Fine Art, specializing in objects.
  • Equivalent experience will be considered if the individual is a professional level member of AIC.
  • Ability to work independently and contribute as an effective member of a team
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
  • Digital photography proficiency, computer proficiency
  • U.S. work permit
  • Active driver’s license and auto insurance

Also Desired:

  • Spanish language proficiency.
  • Strong background in modern and contemporary art.
  • Ability to work outdoors, on ladders, lifts, scaffolding, and be physically capable of carrying tools and equipment.

RLA offers a competitive salary and excellent benefits that includes:

  • Contribution towards health insurance.
  • Contribution towards smart phone plan.
  • Free eye exams and discounted eyeglasses.
  • Two weeks paid vacation to start and a third week after 3 years of employment.
  • 7 paid holidays
  • Annual contribution towards conference attendance.
  • Continuing Education opportunities
  • Paid sick leave
  • Participation in excellent retirement plan.

Call for Submissions – 2016 STASH Flash session on storage

STASH_logoDevising storage solutions that mitigate damage to collections from both threats small and expected, and large and catastrophic is a core task for preservation professionals. Doing so in a way that makes use of an institution’s human, financial and material resources makes this task an even bigger challenge.
The third annual STASH Flash session on storage solutions for all collection types has been scheduled as a late afternoon pre-session to the meeting Saturday, May 14.  The program will utilize a lightening round or “Tips” format as well as guided, audience participatory discussion.  We are calling for contributions of short (5 minute) tips on the following themes:

  • Building on the conference theme, presentations will be solicited on storage mounts or support systems that were either specifically designed to mitigate against the threat of a disaster or inappropriate environment, or presentations that assess how rehousing solutions performed in protecting (or not protecting) collections in a disaster or emergency event.
  • Building on a topic that came out of the 2015 STASH Flash discussion session and the TSG Tips session, the second proposed theme focuses on multi-function supports, with functions serving more than one purpose, such as storage, storage, travel and/or exhibition purposes.
  • Innovative storage solutions for individual or collection groups that do not conform to either theme will be accepted if space allows.

Presenters will be asked to show up with their solution in a ready format for uploading to the STASH website after the conference.
To submit your ideas please send a short abstract including the following information to Rachael Arenstein (rachael@amartconservation.com) by January 11, 2016.
Name:
Institution/Affiliation/Title:
Email:
Object/collection type:
And a description of approx. 150 words on the project

A wonderful article containing an unfortunate insult to the profession

In the arts section of the November 15, 2015 issue of The New York Times, Roberta Smith wrote about her visit with Museum of Modern Art sculpture conservator  Lynda Zycherman and what she learned from Lynda about the conservation research that preceded the opening of MoMA’s Picasso sculpture show (“Art ‘CSI’: Of Beauty Beneath Picasso”). Smith wrote about seeing “how a professional thinks through a work’s being, tracks physical clues and subjects them to forensic scrutiny and scientific testing, with results that potentially yield new art historical knowledge”.  All in all, Smith presented conservation in a wonderful light. However, while discussing how MoMA’s conservators try to recreate artists’ works to better understand them, she wrote, “chief conservator Jim Coddingham had also tried to recreate Pollock drip paintings—which made newly clear why many forgers start out as conservators”—a statement I find false (at least for American conservators) and insulting to the profession.

Upcoming Conference: A Century of Design in the Parks, Preserving the Built Environment in National and State Parks

National Park Service Centennial Symposium Series

June 21 to 23, 2016
Join the experience in Santa Fe, New Mexico from June 21 to 23, 2016. Learn from our nation’s leading experts about how to preserve the built environment within national and state parks. Understand the role that materials played in the development of these unique sites. Study sites from early rustic, CCC, WPA, post-WWII era, NPS Mission 66 campaign, and beyond.
Topics may include:
• historical perspectives,
• preservation issues,
• documentation,
• use of technology,
• adaptive reuse, and
• interpretation of NPS designed features, among others.
Plan to be part of this symposium today! Submit an abstract as part of the call for papers and posters by January 15, 2016.
Registration:
General Registration $299
Speaker Registration $199
Student Registration $99 (limited number, register early).
To register, submit a presentation, or for more information, see NCPTT’s website at www.ncptt.nps.gov.

Upcoming Conference: APTCARN – Embracing Cultural Materials Conservation in the Tropics, November 25-27, 2015 (Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

ASIA PACIFIC TROPICAL CLIMATE CONSERVATION ART RESEARCH NETWORK
EMBRACING CULTURAL MATERIALS CONSERVATION IN THE TROPICS
THE 4TH APTCCARN MEETING IN 2015
Wednesday 25 to Friday 27 November 2015
Conservation Center, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

研討會海報-2

In 2015, APTCCARN (Asia Pacific Tropical Climate Conservation Art Research Network) will hold its 4th Meeting in Taiwan at the Conservation Center, Cheng Shiu University. With a focus on Asia Pacific’s diverse climate, history and future, the meeting aims to embrace cultural materials conservation in the region, our experiences and the future. Issues such as developing a regional practice of cultural materials conservation within the needs, resources, communities and geographic place will be addressed. This is in light of recent extreme weather events, the current reality of the environment and sustainable practices.
DATE AND VENUE
Wednesday 25 November to Friday 27 November 2015 at the International Conference Hall, Cheng Shiu University, Taiwan.
PROGRAM
Please see the preliminary program at:
http://2015aptccarn.csu.edu.tw