Month: January 2018

Apply to the Rathgen Heritage Science Scholarship 2018

The Rathgen Research Laboratory is the leading institution for conservation science, art technology and archaeometry at the National Museums in Berlin. It carries out investigations on a broad variety of materials within the museum environment and focuses its research on scientific issues concerning the care of monuments and archaeological sites.

It carries forward the tradition of the world’s oldest scientific museum laboratory, the Chemical Laboratory of the Royal Museums in Berlin, which was founded on April 1st, 1888 and bears the name of its first director, Friedrich Rathgen.

It is the mission of the Friends of Rathgen (Förderkreis des Rathgen-Forschungslabors e.V., www.rathgen-foerderkreis.de/) to support the work of the Rathgen Research Laboratory in various ways, among others by supporting research projects of young professionals in heritage science.

To this end, the Rathgen Heritage Science Scholarships have been established in 2009 and are awarded annually. The Rathgen Heritage Science Scholarship enables young professionals to undertake a project at the laboratory within a 1-3 month duration. The topic is proposed by the applicant. Successful applicants will receive a scholarship for Post-Graduate Scholarship of EUR 900 month and Post-doc Scholarship EUR 1,200 per month.

The topic of the research project can be proposed freely by the applicant or chosen from the following three proposed topics, if the applicant has the required previous knowledge:

  1. Study the gold alloy of rings and jewelry by micro-X-ray fluorescence analysis.
  2. Optimization of the Quantification routines for studying archaeological glasses by means of portable X-ray fluorescence analysis
  3. Development of a method for the removal of shell lacquer on ceramics without discoloring the objects through the solving of the lacquer.
  4. Analyses of medieval silk dyestuff and mordant from different origins by means of HPLC and XRF

The application consists of:

  • 1-2 pages explaining the research proposal, the required resources and the envisaged time frame, including preliminary work accomplished and short bibliography
  • CV including list of publications
  • 2 reference letters of support

Deadline for 2018 applications is February 23, 2018.

Please submit your application electronically to: rf@smb.spk-berlin.de, or by mail to:

Rathgen-Forschungslabor
– Scholarship –
Schlossstrasse 1 A
14059 Berlin, Germany

Graduate Conservation Intern (Potomac, MD, USA)

Glenstone is an art museum located on more than 200 acres of rolling hills and unspoiled woodland in Potomac, Maryland. Conceived by founders Mitchell and Emily Rales on their deeply held belief that art is essential to life, it has already become one of the finest collections of modern and contemporary art in the world. In addition to the current museum, when its new museum building opens to the public in 2018, Glenstone will become the largest private museum in America welcoming 100,000 visitors every year free of charge. By thoughtfully integrating the power of art, the energy of architecture and the serenity of landscape, Glenstone is both a distinctive idea and a unique place.

Glenstone is proud to foster a professional environment in which people can do interesting, fulfilling and enjoyable work. Not only do its founders develop and oversee all acquisitions and exhibitions, but Emily Rales also serves as director of the Museum and curator of the collection. This provides all associates an unusually high degree of access and interaction with the spirit and vision of Glenstone. To work at Glenstone is to be a part of something bigger, something more meaningful, and something truly special. It is a chance to do a job to the highest standard, with the resources and support available of a founder-led and endowed organization. It is an invitation to be engaged, challenged and stimulated, to help fulfill a powerful mission, and to contribute to a noble purpose.

We are incredibly proud of what Glenstone offers to those who create, appreciate, study, and otherwise participate in the world of art; and we are equally proud of what Glenstone offers to those who choose to join us in doing so. There is no better time than now to become a part of Glenstone.

The internship will provide a unique opportunity to work with Glenstone’s superlative collection of post-World War II artworks. A major focus of the internship will be assisting with the movement of the collection into the Pavilions, Glenstone’s second museum building, which measures 170,000 square feet and was designed by Thomas Phifer and Partners. In addition, the intern will have the opportunity to maintain and treat Glenstone’s outdoor sculpture collection, as well as contribute to the Museum’s preventive conservation activities. Applicants with experience in time-based media would have the opportunity to document video and sound installations, as well as contribute to ongoing migration projects. Due to the distinct challenges posed by contemporary art, Glenstone’s conservation program is collaborative in nature. As such, there will be occasions to work with other conservators, museum professionals, galleries, artists, and their studios or foundations.

Required Skills & Experience: Candidates should be enrolled in a recognized conservation training program or have equivalent training. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in the following areas: objects/sculpture, time-based media, modern and contemporary art, and preventive conservation.  Strong problem-solving and communication skills are essential.

Salary & Benefits: The internship includes a stipend of $20/hour. The internship will begin in the spring/summer of 2018 and run for a minimum of 8 weeks. The start date is flexible and the internship may extend into the fall if the applicant is available.

To promote collaboration and show appreciation to associates, Glenstone provides a weekly staff lunch, on-site health and wellness classes and volunteer opportunities.

Application Process: Submit a cover letter and resume to our Glenstone Jobs Portal: https://goo.gl/ckKeoQ.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Project Specialist (Los Angeles, CA, USA) – PASSED DEADLINE

*** APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS PASSED – PLEASE DO NOT APPLY FOR THIS POSITION ***

The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), located in Los Angeles, California, and one of the operating programs of the J. Paul Getty Trust, works internationally to advance conservation practice in the visual arts—broadly interpreted to include objects, collections, architecture, and sites. The Institute serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, field projects, and the dissemination of information. In all its endeavors, the GCI creates and delivers knowledge that contributes to the conservation of the world’s cultural heritage.

The Building and Sites Department of the Getty Conservation Institute is seeking a Project Specialist to work on the Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative (CMAI). Reporting to the Senior Project Specialist who manages the CMAI, the Project Specialist will manage the CMAI’s new education and training initiatives. This is a three-year, limited-term position, based in Los Angeles.

The CMAI’s education and training initiatives are key to its goal of improving the management, conservation, and recognition of the value of twentieth-century heritage. Through these initiatives, the CMAI will develop training materials and techniques for physical conservation, and will increase the application of appropriate values-based conservation methodologies, leading to an expanded and strengthened community of practice. By developing and offering a variety of courses and training opportunities (of short and long duration) and offering other capacity building experiences, CMAI will reach target audiences at many different levels and in different regions of the world. These education and training opportunities will be offered starting in the winter and spring of 2018 and thereafter, for many years to come.

The Project Specialist will project manage the development of modern conservation education and training courses, develop related didactic materials, and manage the implementation of these courses. He/She will be responsible for: developing course budgets and schedules, selecting trainers and lecturers, preparing course material, advertising courses, and selecting participants. He/She will manage the day to day needs of the course to meet its educational goals; this will include working closely with participants, lecturers, and others involved in the delivery of the course. He/She will work with a broad range of conservation professionals, as well as other heritage professionals, in an international environment. The Project Specialist will develop long and short courses, which are repeatable so they can be offered many times; he/she will be in charge of adapting and modifying courses, as necessary, to keep their content relevant and to ensure they address the needs of audiences in different regions of the world. It is the objective of CMAI to create education and training courses that others can use, so the Project Specialist will also be tasked with the role of “training the trainers” to ensure that there are qualified people who can sustain and perpetuate the courses that CMAI develops.

Must have a Bachelor’s degree in architecture, archaeology, architectural conservation, or a related discipline. Post-graduate degree in cultural heritage conservation or the equivalent practical experience is also required. Must have a minimum of 3–7 years of practical work experience in the area of built heritage conservation and experience in teaching and/or designing educational and training courses.

The Project Specialist must be adaptable, analytical, a positive problem-solver, and a creative thinker. The position requires excellent oral and written communication skills and superior organizational and time management skills. Proficiency in English is required and proficiency in a language other than English is an advantage. The position involves international travel. This is a three-year, limited-term position.

To apply, please visit: https://jobs-getty.icims.com/jobs/3046/gci-project-specialist,-conserving-modernarchitecture-initiative/job. Please prepare a cover letter and curriculum vitae in a single PDF file. Note: When prompted by the online application system to select or submit your “resume”, please upload your cover letter and curriculum vitae as a single PDF file.

Candidates who successfully complete the online application process will receive an automated message from “autoreply@icims.com”. If you have specific questions about the Project Specialist position, please email gcistaffing@getty.edu. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2018.

There is something about Vo’s destruction of art works which I find unsettling

In the January 29, 2018 issue of The New Yorker, Calvin Tomkins profiles Danh Vo (“The Whole Thing is Crazy”) , an artist whose large survey show will open at the Guggenheim Museum on February 9th . Describing one series of works which Vo began making in 2009, Tomkins says, “The collages consist of Roman marble busts, medieval wooden saints and Madonnas and other relics that he finds in antique shops or buys at auction; he cuts each one up into tow of more parts, and joins part of one to part of another.” While not every genuine art work is historically or aesthetically important or belongs in a museum collection, there is something about Vo’s destruction of art works which I find unsettling.

Icon Internship: Ceramics Conservation (Liverpool, UK)

  • 6-month Internship starting April 2018
  • Location: Little Crosby Village, Liverpool, L23 4TS
  • Supervisor: Lynne Edge ACR
  • Educational Stipend: GBP8,500

Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the internship forms part of the joint project, Galkoff’s and the Secret Life of Pembroke Place, between Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and the Museum of Liverpool (MoL) which began in July 2016.

EDGE Conservation-Restoration Services is private sector conservation workshop, working with Cunningham Brown Ltd., to conserve and re-display tiles from the shop facade of the Galkoff’s Family Butchers in Liverpool. This internship will provide a unique opportunity to gain practical experience in the conservation of faience tiles and the mounting and presentation of these tiles for display in the Museum of Liverpool of the National Museums Liverpool.

The building that housed the shop facade is a Grade II listed Georgian building, principally listed for the survival of a nationally unique Jewish butcher’s shop front: the explicit display of Hebrew lettering of the facade in such a context is very unusual and is an expressive reflection of Jewish identity in Liverpool at this time. This is an exciting tile conservation project that will preserve an iconic legacy of Liverpool’s Jewish history.

The tileworks started December 2017 with their removal from the shop front by EDGE Conservation-Restoration Services. From March – September 2018 these tiles will be conserved, missing tiles replicated, and the tiles mounted to mimic the original shop frontage, forming a major element of the Secret Life of Pembroke Place display at the Museum of Liverpool due to open in October 2018.

Under the guidance of Lynne Edge ACR, the successful intern will be involved with all elements of related conservation work and will learn about historic and contemporary conservation techniques and approaches. There is also the opportunity to work alongside professional mount makers and engineers to gain experience in the display of tiles in a museum context. An important element of the project is outreach and as such, the intern will be asked to record their experiences to produce a report and write a blog for the Museum of Liverpool.

Requirements: Applicants should be able to demonstrate a clear interest and experience that is relevant to this opportunity. There isn’t a set requirement however it would be expected that this may be an undergraduate or post graduate qualification in Conservation or related experience and training in a relevant subject such as Ceramic Design.

Please apply using the application form on the Icon website only. https://icon.org.uk/what-is-conservation/internships.

  • Closing date: February 15, 2018 at 9:00 a.m.
  • Interviews will be held on: March 1, 2018
  • Internship will commence: April 3, 2018

Questions: pwhife@icon.org.uk.

Membership Operations Assistant (Washington DC, USA)

Position with the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)
Arts association and its foundation seek a membership administrative and operations assistant. The ideal candidate will have a background in customer service, data entry, and an interest in the visual arts, museums and/or cultural heritage. We offer excellent benefits and a supportive work environment.

AIC seeks a membership operations assistant to work with the communications and membership team as well as support office tasks. This position reports to the Membership Manager.

Primary duties include:

  • Perform data entry for purchases, sponsorships, donations, and assist with financial reconciliation reports.
  • Work with other staff members on advertising and sponsorships, event registrations, and website editing.
  • Serve as a staff liaison to internal groups, including scheduling conference calls and helping to coordinate the organization’s budgeting process.
  • Provide excellent customer service to members and customers via telephone and email.
  • Administrative tasks and other duties as assigned.

Data entry involves entering checks and faxed/mailed/phoned-in credit card payments into our association management system (whether for membership applications, renewals, or event registrations), and running relevant reconciliation reports.

Working with publications, communications, and meeting staff members to track advertising and sponsorships includes ensuring that vendors receive timely communication and promised services are delivered.

Serving as a staff liaison to internal groups includes: keeping volunteer leadership on track with scheduling, budgeting, and managing online assets (such as our abstracts management system, meeting website, project management module, and communication tools). With more training, you will have room to expand your role in this area, but an outgoing persona and interest in the arts in general or conservation in particular will be helpful assets.

The Membership Operations Assistant will also manage the office support systems, including ordering office supplies, handling shared office equipment, and liaising with service providers.

Required Skills:

  • Attention to detail in data entry
  • Excellent customer service and time management skills
  • Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office Suite
  • Basic knowledge of website editing using a content management system (HTML or WYSIWYG)
  • Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
  • Ability to lift up to 30 pounds

Desired Experience: One to two years of experience, preferably in a similar role or environment. College degree required.

Salary range: $35,000 to $39,000

Excellent benefits include: health, dental, and vision, 401K, generous leave, and access to fitness facilities.

How to Apply: Please send a resume and cover letter to work@conservation-us.org. Please send applications by February 16, 2018.

Firearms Conservation Technician 2018 Summer Internship (Harpers Ferry, WV, USA)

The Great Basin Institute, in cooperation with the staff at the National Park Service’s Museum Conservation Services facility in Charles Town, WV is seeking a graduate student — who is currently enrolled in a recognized U.S. or Canadian conservation training program — for a paid summer internship assisting MCS staff conservators with the preservation of forty late 19th and early 20th century firearms from the Scotty’s Castle collections in Death Valley National Park.

This opportunity will benefit a first or second-year graduate student attending a master’s level program in art conservation who is looking to expand his or her existing skills in the conservation of historic objects.

This internship focuses on the unique problems associated with preserving composite mechanical-arts objects. Although this is a treatment-oriented internship, there will also be time allotted for relevant lab visits and research.

Location: Charles Town is just a few miles from historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. The area offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation plus easy access to both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD.

Compensation:

  • Pay Rate: $17.00/hour
  • Benefits: Paid holidays, Affordable Care Act-compliant health insurance

Timeline:

  • 8-week summer internship with flexible starting date in 2018.
  • Full-time, up to 40 hours per week

Qualifications:

  • Be currently enrolled in a U.S. or Canadian graduate-level museum conservation program.
  • Successfully complete a routine Department of Interior background investigation.
  • Must provide own transportation and have a valid state-issued driver’s license.
  • Must provide own laptop computer.
  • Eligible applicants must be a U.S. citizen, national, or legal permanent resident alien of the United States.

How to Apply: Qualified applicants should submit a cover letter, including a statement of interest, resume or CV, and list of three academic or professional references to Augustine Sughrua, GBI Recruitment Coordinator. Incomplete submissions will not be considered. No phone inquiries, please.

The Great Basin Institute conforms to all laws, statutes, and regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, age, disability status, genetic information & testing, family and medical leave, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We prohibit retaliation against individuals who bring forth any complaint, orally or in writing, to the employer or the government, or against any individuals who assist or participate in the investigation of any complaint or otherwise oppose discrimination.

Graduate conservation/preservation internship (Ames, IA, USA)

 Iowa State University (ISU) Library Preservation Department

With a generous gift from the Lennox Foundation, the Lennox Foundation Endowment for Preservation Education, Training and Outreach was established to fund graduate level internships in library and archives preservation administration and conservation, and to support the educational outreach activities of the Iowa State University (ISU) preservation staff. The internship is offered by the ISU Library Preservation Department to provide graduate students with practical experience and exposure to preservation in an academic library environment.

This internship is intended to give current graduate students and recent graduates of preservation and conservation programs the opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge of care and treatment of library and archives materials in an academic library. Interns will work in the ISU Library Preservation Department with guidance from the Head of Preservation and the Library Conservator.

Interns will learn about the overall functioning and organization of the Preservation Department:

  • Workflow of materials through the various units and tracking of materials
  • Condition assessment and treatment decision-making
  • Inter- and intra-departmental workflows and collaboration
  • Operations in digital and audio visual reformatting

In addition to learning about general operations of the department, interns will undertake and complete projects selected based on their interests and skills, and the needs and capabilities of the Department. Projects may include, but are not limited to, aspects of:

  • Condition survey and assessment of a particular collection
  • Re-housing collection materials
  • Preparation of Special Collections materials for exhibits and digital reformatting projects
  • Conservation treatment (conservator students will have the opportunity to propose treatment options for Special Collections materials, perform agreed upon treatments, and document condition and treatment)
  • Issues in digital collections and digital preservation
  • Survey of audiovisual materials
  • Development of metadata and digital program best practices and workflows
  • Development of preservation education, training and outreach resources
  • Disaster planning and response

Eligibility and Requirements:

  • Applicants must currently be graduate students, in good standing, in a program of library and archives preservation administration or conservation; or a recent graduate of such a program;
  • Applicants must have completed at least four preservation or conservation courses before the anticipated start date of this internship;
  • Applicants must commit to full-time employment as interns for the duration of the internship;
  • Internship must be completed within the calendar year;
  • At the end of the internship, the intern will be required to submit a final report or project;
  • Applicants must have student or working visas if not U.S. citizens.

The duration of the Lennox Foundation Internship is 3 months. The intern will be provided with a stipend of $3,200  and a furnished university apartment.

To apply for the Lennox Foundation Preservation and Conservation Internship please submit the following items:

  • Cover letter
  • Current resume
  • Contact information for two professional references (include address, phone number and e-mail address)
  • Statement of interest (include projects of interest)
  • Graduate program description including requirements and course descriptions. Please include an unofficial transcript indicating the courses you have completed.

The application materials can be emailed to: sbarron@iastate.edu

To guarantee consideration, apply by March 1, 2018

Information about Iowa State University

For information about the Ames community, see Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3680 Beardshear Hall, 515 294-7612.

Pre-Program Internship in Rare Book and Library Materials Conservation (Seattle, WA, USA)

The University of Washington Libraries is offering a pre-program internship for an individual with a demonstrated interest in conservation.  Applicants are expected to be preparing for or enrolled in a graduate level conservation program in the United States.

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) summer program.  Duration is 10 weeks, with exact dates to be arranged between June and September 2018.  The University of Washington Libraries provides a $6,000 stipend.

Working under the supervision of the Senior Conservator, the intern will have the opportunity to perform a broad range of conservation treatments on rare books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, maps, and other unbound archival and special collections materials on paper and vellum.  The intern will develop skills in treatment decision-making, prepare condition and treatment reports with appropriate photo documentation, and gain additional experience in conservation treatment.

For additional information or to apply, see: www.lib.washington.edu/about/employment/internships/conservation.

To ensure consideration, applications should be received no later than Monday, February 19, 2018.

For all other questions, please contact Justin Johnson, Senior Conservator, jpjohn@uw.edu

Sustainability Committee seeks new Professional Member

AIC Sustainability Committee Seeks New Professional Member

Term: June 2018 – May 2020

The Sustainability Committee seeks a new professional member to join our dynamic, interdisciplinary team. The position is open to anyone in the profession including 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 sustainable approaches to all aspects of the 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.

Note: The SC is working to expand our focus to include economic and social sustainability, whereas in the past we have focused on environmental sustainability.

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.
  • Participate in researching and writing group presentations, publications, blog posts, and social media posts.
  • Research, write and edit the AIC Wiki Sustainability pages.
  • 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 March 1, 2018 to Geneva Griswold, Committee Chair, at sustainability(at)conservation-us.org with “Call For Members Application” in the subject line.