Sustainability Committee: Call for Professional Member

AIC Sustainability Committee Seeks New Professional Member
Term: October 2016 – May 2018
The Sustainability Committee seeks a new professional member to join our dynamic, interdisciplinary team. The position is open to interim year members, Associates, PAs, and Fellows from any conservation specialty.
Committee goals:

  • Provide resources for AIC members and other caretakers of cultural heritage regarding environmentally sustainable approaches to preventive care and other aspects of conservation practice. Resources may be provided via electronic media, workshops, publications and presentations.
  • Define research topics and suggest working groups as needed to explore sustainable conservation practices and new technologies.

Membership Parameters:

  • The committee is comprised of 8 voting members.
  • Members serve for two years, with an additional two-year term option.
  • One member is a conservation graduate student.
  • One member serves as chair for two years.
  • During the second year of the chair’s term, another member serves as chair designate, assisting with and learning the chair’s responsibilities.
  • As needed, corresponding (non-voting) members and non-AIC experts will be invited to guide research on special topics.

Tasks:

  • Monthly telephone conference calls with the committee members.
  • Research, write and edit the AIC Wiki Sustainability pages.
  • Participate in researching and writing group presentations, publications, blog posts, and social media posts.
  • Contribute to development and planning for the Sustainability Session at the AIC Annual Meeting.
  • Initiate and support committee projects to increase awareness of sustainable practices in the conservation community.
  • Collaborate with related committees, networks, and working groups.

To Apply:
Please submit a statement of purpose (1 page maximum length) and resume by September 21, 2016 to Melissa Tedone, Committee Chair, at mtedon@winterthur.org.
 

Job Posting: Director of Conservation at West Lake Conservators (Skaneateles, NY)

West Lake Conservators, a mixed-specialty group practice, is currently seeking a competent, passionate, mid- to senior-level conservator with leadership qualities, who would assume the Director of Conservation position. The ideal candidate either specializes in paintings (our largest division) or paper; however, an object specialist may also be possible. We provide comprehensive preservation services for paintings, frames, murals, paper, photographs, painted objects, and textiles. The ideal candidate must demonstrate a high level of skill in the conservation lab and a broad range of experience necessary in their specialty, combined with general preservation knowledge and ethics, necessary to guide the other specialties operating procedures. As a practiced Conservator, the selected candidate will also be called upon to apply their skills directly to the treatment of artifacts. We work on a broad range of art and artifacts, both independently and in a team approach. Assistance with education of the public, workshops, and internships is required. Independent research and contributions to our field are encouraged. The selected candidate will become instrumental for managing the preservation activities of the WLC Laboratory and working with existing and future conservation staff to maintain the high standard of conservation care and treatment. Candidates must have a graduate level degree in conservation, or equivalent knowledge and abilities. A professional AIC standing or willingness to apply for PA or Fellow is required. Salary is commensurate with experience and productivity. Candidates with prior experience in private practice and in small business management will be given preferred consideration.
General Requirements

  • Ongoing professional development through membership in professional organizations, attendance of conservation workshops, seminars, or professional conferences.
  • Knowledge of preventive conservation practices relating to the care of historic and modern collections.
  • Knowledge of modern museum practices, for the care of collections, including environmental control and monitoring, safe handling, display, storage, framing, crating, and shipping.
  • Experience preparing and presenting reports, lectures, publications and seminars relating to conservation.
  • Prior experience in private practice and management of the business’s laboratory practice including Safety, Environmental and Regulatory compliance.
  • Experience estimating and monitoring costs for treatments on site, oversized, surveys, etc.
  • US citizenship or Green Card; fluent in spoken and written English
  • Physical strength to lift large and heavy artworks; ability to travel
  • Strong interpersonal skills

West Lake Conservators
Established in 1975 in paintings we have evolved with a staff of 8-12 operating in roughly 4000 square feet. Clients from the private and non-profit sectors, include numerous surrounding colleges and universities as well as small to mid-sized museums and historic sites. We have a national reputation for our mural treatments, research in painting lining supports and disaster recovery contributions. Our outreach and community participation initiatives include educational workshops, seminars and collection management services.
West Lake Conservators is located in Skaneateles, New York, a picturesque historic town in the Finger Lakes of central NYS with an excellent school system, beautiful lake, annual music festival, terrific YMCA and relaxed life style. Many business models are possible with this opportunity.
Applicants
Salary is commensurate with qualifications and benefits are offered. The position is available immediately. Please email application materials to principals, susan@westlakeconservators.com and margie@westlakeconservators.com for further details. When applying, include your résumé with a letter of interest that outlines career goals and describes conservation specialties.
Visit our web site www.westlakeconservators.com to learn more about us.

Job Posting: Executive Director – CIAS Image Permanence Institute (Rochester, NY)

The Image Permanence Institute, a non-profit organization located on the campus of Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, NY, is seeking an Executive Director. The Executive Director will provide leadership and strategic direction for the Image Permanence Institute (IPI) of RIT’s College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, a university-based laboratory devoted to preservation research and the development of sustainable practices for the preservation of images and cultural property. Through a balanced program of sponsored research, education, products, and services, and with annual operating income of $2M and 16 staff, IPI provides essential guidance and information, consulting and testing services, practical tools and preservation technology to libraries, archives, museums, and related industries worldwide. The Executive Director will guide IPI in supporting current initiatives and in developing new research and transformative paths to sustainable best practices. Candidates should have an Advanced Degree and 5+ years of leadership experience. Personal experience in the following areas will be considered: institutional management, preservation and/or conservation of collections; oversight of a multidisciplinary team; sustainable operations management; overseeing or conducting research; or other relevant professional experience.
How to Apply
To view the full job description and to be considered for this position, apply at: http://careers.rit.edu/staff/; click on “Search Openings“. Enter “2588BR” in the keyword search.
Additional Details
The hiring process for this position may require a criminal background check and/or motor vehicle records check. Any verbal or written offer made is contingent on satisfactory results, as determined by Human Resources. RIT does not discriminate. RIT is an equal opportunity employer that promotes and values diversity, pluralism, and inclusion.  For more information or inquiries, please visit RIT/TitleIX or the U.S. Department of Education at ED.Gov.
About the Image Permanence Institute
The Image Permanence Institute® (IPI) is a recognized world leader in the development and deployment of sustainable practices for the preservation of images and cultural property. IPI accomplishes this through a balanced program of research, education, products, and services that meet the needs of individuals, companies, and institutions.
IPI® is a nonprofit, university-based laboratory devoted to preservation research. It is the world’s largest independent laboratory with this specific scope. Founded in 1985, IPI provides information, consulting services, practical tools and preservation technology to libraries, archives, and museums worldwide. The imaging and consumer preservation industries also use IPI’s consulting, testing and educational services.
Learn more: www.imagepermanenceinstitute.org/

I shouldn’t be annoyed by it, but I am

Every other week, the weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal contains a column by Amanda Foreman titled “Historically Speaking” in which she writes on history, culture, and world affairs. This past weekend (August 27-28, 2016), the column, “When Works of Art Come Apart”, focused on the vulnerability of works of art to a number of things, primarily inherent vice. Foreman details the problems of specific works from Leonardo’s Last Supper to Damien Hirst’s “The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living” (his preserved shark). This is good and informative. The last line of the piece, “There’s a moral in all this, somewhere”–almost a throwaway— seems to belittle all that came before it. I shouldn’t be annoyed by it, but I am.

Job Posting: Paintings Conservator – West Lake Conservators (Skaneateles, NY)

West Lake Conservators, a mixed-specialty group practice, is currently seeking a competent, passionate Paintings Conservator. We provide comprehensive preservation services for paintings, frames, murals, paper, painted objects, and textiles.
The Paintings Conservator will be responsible for the effective and appropriate treatment of painted objects of historic and cultural significance from all periods, including contemporary works and murals. They will examine and assess the condition of objects, conduct technical examination and analyses, consult and collaborate with other conservators, curators, and other staff as necessary during examination, treatment, or research. All duties will be performed in accordance with the AIC Code of Ethics and Guidelines for Practice. Independent research and contributions to our field are encouraged.
Candidates must have a graduate level degree in conservation, or equivalent knowledge and abilities. A professional AIC standing or willingness to apply for PA or Fellow is preferred.
Salary is commensurate with experience and productivity.
General Requirements

  • Knowledge of preventive conservation practices relating to the care of historic and modern collections.
  • Knowledge of modern museum practices, for the care of collections, including environmental control and monitoring, safe handling, display, storage, framing, crating, and shipping.
  • Experience preparing and presenting reports, lectures, publications and seminars relating to conservation.
  • US citizenship or Green Card; fluent in spoken and written English
  • Physical strength to lift large and heavy artworks; ability to travel
  • Strong interpersonal skills

West Lake Conservators Established in 1975 in paintings we have evolved with a staff of 8-12 operating in roughly 4000 square feet. Clients from the private and non-profit sectors, include numerous surrounding colleges and universities as well as small to mid-sized museums and historic sites. We have a national reputation for our mural treatments, research in painting lining supports and disaster recovery contributions. Our outreach and community participation initiatives include educational workshops, seminars and collection management services.
West Lake Conservators is located in Skaneateles, New York, a picturesque historic town in the Finger Lakes of Central NYS with an excellent school system, beautiful lake, annual music festival, terrific YMCA and relaxed life style.
Applicants Salary is commensurate with qualifications and benefits are offered. The position is available immediately. Please email application materials to principals, susan@westlakeconservators.com and margie@westlakeconservators.com for further details. When applying, include your résumé with a letter of interest that outlines career goals and describes conservation specialties.
Visit our web site www.westlakeconservators.com to learn more about us.

It's a serious philosophical issue. Why undercut the seriousness with snarkiness?

In the August 16, 2016 issue of The New York Times, Doreen Carvajal writes about the trend in French (and other) museums to have their conservators work in public (“Museum Showtime: Watching Varnish Dry”). She notes the reasons why museums like this trend (increased publicity and funding, more transparency about what goes on in conservation studios) and the reasons why some conservators do not like it (lack of concentration and quiet , being watched all the time). However, this well balanced discussion of the topic is marred by opening paragraphs containing lines like : “it’s show time” , “all to watch varnish dry”, and “they swipe away”. This is a serious philosophical issue. Why undercut the seriousness with snarkiness?

Job Posting: Admin Assistant for Conservation – Frick Collection (NYC)

The Frick Collection is an art museum consisting of more than 1,100 works of art from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century, displayed in the intimate surroundings of the former home of Henry Clay Frick. The residence, with its furnishings and works of art, has been open to the public since 1935. The Frick Art Reference Library is an internationally-recognized research library that serves as one of the most complete resources for the study of Western art. Founded in 1920, the Library today holds more than one million study photographs, 285,000 books, 80,000 auction catalogs, and 2,250 periodical titles. It is open to interested individuals from all over the world.
Summary and Responsibilities
This is a full-time position, which will provide administrative support to the four-member art conservation department. Duties include preparing correspondence and reports; managing conservation object records and databases; coordinating department calendars; maintaining inventory and general upkeep of the lab; and processing environmental monitoring data. The Administrative Assistant will also conduct library and on-line research and process digital image documentation. S/he will respond to inquiries and requests, process vendor invoices, and prepare expense reports. The successful candidate will occasionally be called upon to assist with handling of artworks and gallery and art storage projects.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree required, master’s degree preferred. Comfortable using Macs and experienced with the following software: Adobe Creative Suite, Filemaker Pro, Microsoft Office, and The Museum System; familiarity with data logger software is also beneficial (e.g. Hobo and T&D loggers). Excellent attention to detail and ability to attend to a variety of tasks and projects simultaneously, as well as good communication skills and ability to interact with colleagues at all levels. Knowledge of decorative arts and sculpture as well as material science would be helpful.
Benefits in Employment with The Frick Collection
Full-time employees are eligible to participate in group life, health, and dental insurance plans. Employees contribute to the cost of their health insurance based on income level and the type of coverage they select. Other benefits include Short and Long Term Disability insurance, employee contributed tax deferred annuity, flexible spending plans for health, dependent care and commuting costs, generous pension plan with participation after one year of service/vesting after five years of service, 13 paid holidays, and accrual of 12 vacation days the first year of employment (25 days subsequent years).
All employees of the Frick Collection may access free or discounted admission to most of New York’s finest museums. Additionally, we provide employees and volunteers with an extremely affordable lunch in our employee dining room and a discount on Museum Shop purchases. The Frick Collection offers a beautiful and pleasant work setting and an excellent opportunity to appreciate some of the world’s finest works of art.
To apply, please send resume with salary requirements/history to:
Chief Conservator
The Frick Collection
1 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
Fax: 212-861-7347
Email to: jobs@frick.org
Inquiries without salary requirements will not be considered. No phone calls, please
Equal Employment Opportunity has been, and will continue to be, a fundamental principal at The Collection, where employment is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, alienage or citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, military status, creed, genetic predisposition or carrier status or any other protected characteristic as established by law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
This description shall not be construed as a contract of any sort for a specific period of employment.

The Conservator as Performance Artist

According to Claire Voon posting in Hyperallergic on August 19th, for a five month period beginning on August 20, 2016 the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston will allow visitors to see the conservation process in action as experts from the Museum’s Asian Conservation Studio and the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art will work on an ancient Japanese hanging scroll, “The Death of the Historical Buddha” by Hanabusa Itchō (1713) in the MFA’s Asian Paintings gallery. Accompanied by other hanging scrolls and woodblock prints from the 19th and early 20th centuries that portray scenes executed in the same memorial portrait tradition, the conservation work is part of an exhibit, “Conservation in Action: Preserving Nirvana”. Jacki Elgar, Head of Asian Conservation at the MFA is quoted as saying that, “It’s an exhibition, but it’s a changing exhibition. Every week will be different because we’ll be progressing in the treatment. To me, it’s more like a performance piece.” The conservator as performance artist! Imagine if this show brings these conservators the renown that Marina Abramović got for her two month performance piece, “The Artist is Present”.

Job Posting: Photo Archivist – National Geographic Society (Washington, DC)

National Geographic Society is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, and collaborative Senior Archivist to work with the Society’s vintage photo collection. Please apply online.
Summary
The Photo Archivist is responsible for the daily management, preservation and organization of the photo archives and monitors and reports on the condition of the collection. Archivist will oversee the intellectual and physical organization of the vintage photo collection and, working in conjunction with other Society collection staff, will help establish policies and priorities for the photo archives. Position may provide tours to explain the collection and its importance to business vendors, partners, potential donors, and other visitors.
The Photo Archivist will work with NGS management and other collections areas and museum staff to create a long term collections management plan that addresses conservation, maintenance, digitization, and outreach for all NGS heritage assets.
Responsibilities

  1. Review and build working knowledge of all current finding aids (digital and analog) that pertain to the collection. Where lacking, bring standardization and consistency to finding aids; particularly analog finding aids. Recommend, create, and execute work plans for back-up systems to analog finding aids. (30%)
  2. Maintain photographic archival collections in accord with archival industry standards for environmental needs, arrangement and description, and preservation and conservation protocols. Analyze database and other finding aids for greater intellectual control over collection. Standardize, improve, and enhance metadata in analog finding aid. Identify new platforms and tools that may maintain and improve access the collections (30%)
  3. Broadly support research/reference services as may be needed to NGS and NGP. Work with NGS and NGP staff members on exhibitions, educational and public programs, content development etc. and identify photo archives collection materials to be used in such programs. Work with other collections areas for bridge information gaps between collections. (15%)
  4. Develop and perform outreach activities relating to the photo archives and working in collaboration with other collection areas, prepare condition and assessment reports, identify priorities for preservation and conservation attention, and identify areas of particular strength and importance within the collection. Review and make recommendations for donation of photographic materials from outside parties. (10%)
  5. Work with Director of Archives and Research to create a long-term plan for preservation, maintenance of and accessibility to the collections. (15%)

Minimum Education Required
Master’s degree in archival science or MLIS from an ALA-accredited program, with an emphasis on archival coursework or training; knowledge of preservation standards for archival materials; particularly photographic materials.
Minimum Years and Experience
Seven years’ experience arranging, describing, and cataloging archival photography collections in a museum or research library setting. Experience using descriptive standards and best practices. Knowledge of history of publishing,photography, and photojournalism.
Knowledge and Skills Required

  • Relevant training or experience in cataloging and metadata creation in a library or museum
  • An understanding of controlled vocabularies and current standards for Library of Congress subject headings and classifications. Understanding of current cataloging and technical trends in collections management.
  • Knowledge of past photographic processes and techniques and the preservation needs and challenges associated with them. Knowledge of fine art preservation and conservation needs and protocols.
  • Ability to work effectively in both a team environment and independently
  • Strong service orientation and awareness of end user needs for exhibitions, publishing, and other product/content uses.
  • Strong organizational skills, high level of concentration, and attention to detail
  • Strong communication skills, enthusiastic, collaborative, creative.
  • Must be able to lift/move/maneuver objects up to 40 lbs.

Supervision
Interns
Responsibility percentages may vary depending on business needs.
National Geographic’s headquarters is located in the heart of Washington, D.C. In addition to a unique and dynamic work environment, National Geographic offers its employees a comprehensive benefits package, including health and dental benefits, generous vacation and leave time, a 401(k) plan, and flexible work options. Please visit our careers site at www.nationalgeographic.com/jobs to view this job as well as our full listing of career opportunities. National Geographic is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

AIC’s 45th Annual Meeting – Call for Papers Deadline is Fast Approaching

The deadline for submission of papers for specialty, joint, and pre-sessions is just around the corner!

We would like to remind you that there are only 3 weeks left to submit your 500-word maximum paper abstracts, workshop proposals, and pre-session programming. The deadline is Monday, September 12, 2016.
Visit our website to find new information about our 2017 Annual Meeting’s theme, specialty session call, and how to submit for posters, pre-sessions, and workshops.
Be part of the conversation on “Treatment 2017: Innovation in Conservation and Collection Care” in Chicago during AIC’s 45th Annual Meeting, from May 28 through June 1, 2017.
Whether item- or collection-level, preventive or interventive, treatment remains central to preserving cultural heritage collections. The design and implementation of an ethical and sound conservation treatment, even the ultimate decision of no treatment at all, begin before its commencement and the consequences continue well beyond its completion.
We are soliciting papers that explore various facets of conservation treatments and collection care programs intended to prolong the lifetime of cultural property.  Topics may include, but are not limited to, a reconsideration of historic procedures no longer in practice, cutting edge technologies employed in treatments, effective preventive conservation or collection care steps that reduce the necessity or extent of interventive treatments, the incorporation of sustainability into conservation treatments, or innovations in treatment design, execution, and documentation.
Learn more about the Annual Meeting at www.conservation-us.org/annual-meeting, and visit regularly as more updated information and sub-themes will be added over the summer.
If you have any questions, please contact Ruth Seyler at rseyler@conservation-us.org