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Interim Meeting of the ICOM-CC Working Group – Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decorations Hosted by Tomar Polytechnic Institute Tomar, Portugal 28-29 May 2013 This two day symposium will focus on artistic tradition within the field of polychrome sculpture relating to decorative practice. After two symposiums on construction techniques (Maastricht 2010 and Glasgow 2012), the main …

Joint Interim Conference of three ICOM-CC working groups: Wood, Furniture, and Lacquer Scientific Research Sculpture, Polychromy, and Architectural Decoration National Museum in Warsaw, Poland 28-30 October, 2013 Hosted in collaboration with the National Museum in Warsaw, and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw The conference entitled “Heritage Wood: Research and Conservation in the 21st …

The building conservation-program at Seinajoki University of Applied Sciences in Finland is threatened to be terminated. The program is the only one of its kind in Finland.  Please sign a petition in which the Finnish section of the Nordic Association of Conservators pleads the decision-makers at Seinajoki University of Applied Sciences for reconsidering closure of the study …

Gillian (with a hard “G”) is  a conservator of interior murals and decorative finishes and presented beautiful images of a wide variety of 18th and 19th century American murals, with a deep appreciation of the special perspective of the conservator, given our unique level of access to these artworks. She began by relating this level of access …

Amanda Norbutus is in the Preservation Studies doctoral program at the University of Delaware, and has her undergraduate and master’s degrees in chemistry. Her presentation first outlined the state of public murals preservation and the issues faced today, then described current research into protective coatings for public murals and discussed a case study of a mural by …

Historical considerations were of great importance for this restoration project and therefore the first part of the talk of Mrs. Alicia focused on them. I found really interesting the account on the techniques that were behind the production of tiles. For this restoration work Mrs Fernández performed a very interesting research on XIXth century historical …

This talk presented how the works of restoration and conservation in the Inca, 1000 years old Temple of Pachacamac were conducted. The importance of this temple relies in the fact that is the only temple with painted designs in its walls besides the fact that it was one out of the two oracles in Inca …

Doug Porter, of the University of Vermont, teamed with Angelyn Bass, of the University of New Mexico, to present their recent work at Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico.  Their project began as a structural monitoring program, in collaboration with MIT, and Angelyn first walked the audience through the computer modeling investigation of a particular …

Emily Aloiz presented a recent treatment investigation to address blistering and delamination of earthen finishes at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.  Her study continues the work begun in 1994 at this site by Professor Frank Matero and the graduate students of the University of Pennsylvania program in Historic Preservation. (http://repository.upenn.edu/hp_theses/178/ ) The need to …

This paper shares a testing program that incorporated the use of phosphate solutions to create a mineral coating (hydroxyapatite) on stone to impart strength and durability. The project goal was to consolidate the surface of weathered stones (primarily calcareous stones were tested) to prevent loss from dissolution. Naidu shared that the idea of this testing program …

This talk presented an approach to fountain care that is preventative, focusing on maintaining an ideal water chemistry to prolong the life of fountains and associated mechanical systems, plumbing and artwork.  Krueger presented a process for treatments to fountains, particularly when biogrowth is observed. Prior to treating water chemistry, Krueger recommended draining the water and mechanically …

This talk focused on research studies of biodiversity and treatments to control biogrowth on fountains, thus slowing the deterioration of stone. Cuzman explained several factors that affect micro-environmental conditions including: water regime (continuous or sporadic), materials (intrinsic properties), location (colonizers) and treatments (to water or fountains). Four fountains were selected in this study – two …

Lauren’s presentation introduced me to a true treasure hiding out in my downtown New York City neighborhood at 8 West 8th Street on Washington Square. In what was once the original location of the Whitney Museum lays the intimate studio retreat of patroness to the arts, Gertrude Vanderbilt.  Lauren’s focus on this room was to …

As an objects conservator, I tend to overlook the decorative walls of a historic house, focusing instead on the surrounding 3D aspects.  Angela’s talk really made me stop and think about the walls, as not only a significant work in themselves, but also as a record for changes in style and taste.  However the problem …

I had never heard of the Villa Caparra before Yaritza’s talk.  Yet, after her presentation I was left with the urge to take a summer vacation to Puerto Rico to see this beautiful example of cement embedded glass mosaics; both for their personal design elements, and their intriguing conservation issues.  Yaritza presented her thesis from …