Call for papers--Conservation and maintenance of contemporary public art

The following is posted on behalf of Hafthor Yngvason, Director of
Public Art, Cambridge Arts Council, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Call for papers Conservation and Maintenance of Contemporary Public
Art

The field of public art has grown fast over the last three decades,
with more than 140 public art programs established in the U.S. These
programs have enriched the urban environment with an impressive
number of "permanent" sculptures and murals; yet little attention
has been paid to the preservation of this important legacy.  Without
clear policy or established best practices to follow, proprietors of
public art are ill prepared to address the issue.

The Cambridge Arts Council is organizing a conference to gather and
disseminate information on the conservation and maintenance of
contemporary public art.  The conference will bring together
professionals from varied fields for an inter-disciplinary
exploration of the complex issues involved.

The conference will be held in October 2001 at the Arthur M. Sackler
Museum at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  General
discussions of cultural preservation will be combined with in-depth
explorations of technical and administrative aspects.

Workshops and technical clinics will address program structures and
funding models, collection and de-accession policies, conservation
assessments, documentation, maintenance plans, outreach and
education, materials research, treatment methods for non-traditional
materials, and preventative maintenance.

Panel discussions on the maintenance of complex collaborative
projects and case studies of major conservation efforts will bring
artists, conservators, and other professionals together to develop
their varied perspectives and common interests.

Keynotes by cultural critics and historians will address the
philosophical issues, such as what counts as "permanence" in
ever-changing public space, for whom public art is produced and who
has the right to decide what should be preserved for posterity.

Call for papers: The Cambridge Arts Council welcomes proposals for
papers, panels, workshops, and case studies from all related
disciplines.  Please submit a one-page abstract by January 15, 2001
to the Cambridge Arts Council, attention Hafthor Yngvason, 57 Inman
Street, Cambridge, MA  02139. Papers presented at the conference
will be collected in a handbook, which will also include appendices
with sample assessments, case studies, and bibliography.

To be placed on a mailing list for further information, please call
(617) 349-4380 or e-mail hyngvason [at] CI__Cambridge__MA__US.  Updated
information will be posted on the Cambridge Arts Council's web site:
<URL:http://www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~CAC/>

The conference is funded in part by the National Endowment for the
Arts, a Federal agency, with additional support from the Harvard
University Art Museums, Cambridge Center for Adult Education,
Forecast Public Artworks, and the City of Cambridge.

Rika Smith McNally
Conservator of Objects and Sculpture
508-650-5739 (phone/fax)


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:2
                  Distributed: Thursday, June 29, 2000
                        Message Id: cdl-14-2-017
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