Request for proposals--Artifact conservation

The Autry National Center for of the American West is soliciting
proposals to assist with planning and implementing a comprehensive
preservation program for the Southwest Museum's artifact collection.

The Autry Museum of Western Heritage and the Southwest Museums have
merged to create the Autry National Center of the American West.
Together the Autry and Southwest Museums will tell a comprehensive
story committed to the exploration of our common heritage.  The
Autry National Center will have no parallel among cultural
institutions in the country and will consist of three entities:  The
Southwest Museum of the American Indian; the Autry Museum of Western
Heritage and the Institute for the Study of the American West.

The Southwest Museum holds one of one of the nation's most important
museum, library and archival collections related to the American
Indian totaling 250,000 objects. Regarded as one of the earliest
examples of Mission-revival architecture, The Southwest is also Los
Angeles' oldest museum, founded 100 years ago by Charles Lummis as
the Southwest Society. In addition to American Indian collections,
the Museum holds materials relating to the Spanish presence in the
new world, such as Spanish and Mexican Colonial art and artifacts.
These are maintained at the Museum's ancillary facility, the Casa de
Adobe.  The reference collection of the Braun Library contains over
55,000 volumes and includes monographs and serials covering the
fields of ethnology, archaeology, linguistics, folklore, and
history.

The Autry Museum opened in 1988 and was founded through the
generosity and vision of Gene and Jackie Autry.  It was always Mr.
Autry's dream to build a museum that told the history of the
American West as seen through the perspective of history and popular
culture.  In its short 14-year history the museum has built a
collection of 78,000 objects, including fine art, folk art, and
various forms of material culture representing the many groups who
have been a part of the West's history.  The museum's research
center maintains holdings of rare books and serial titles, maps,
photographs, journals, manuscripts, documents, sound recordings,
motion pictures, and film posters.

Preservation Goals and Initial Strategy:

    *   The overall approach will be to preserve the collection as a
        whole, rather than to conserve individual artifacts.

    *   Preservation will be done in a phased approach, from the
        most vulnerable collections to the less vulnerable
        collections.

    *   A preservation program for each category must deal with
        issues of security, climate control, fire suppression, pest
        management, mold, and potentially hazardous materials.

    *   Specific artifacts will be identified and targeted for
        conservation treatment during the project, according to
        need.

    *   Conservation of selected items may either occur at the
        Southwest, or at the Autry in its conservation labs.

    *   The Southwest Museum facility and property will be used for
        the preservation effort, utilizing certain gallery spaces
        and other locations on the premises.

    *   After preservation, the artifacts will be stored at least
        temporarily at the Southwest.

    *   The Southwest will be open for public visitation during
        preservation.

Preliminary Timeline: Starting immediately, the Southwest museum is
reconfiguring its gallery spaces to allow for the on-site
preservation effort.  It is using this opportunity to create new
exhibitions and utilize some galleries currently used for storage.
Reconfiguration and installation of new exhibits will take place
between now and January, 2004.

The preservation effort will be planned in the fall of 2003, with
full operations commencing in January or February, 2004. Concurrent
with the reconfiguration, the collections management system is being
upgraded.  Target date for full operation of the new system is also
January, 2004.

It is expected that the duration of the preservation project will be
from January, 2004 until June, 2006, (two-and-a-half years). We have
not produced a definitive plan for the best way to manage this
conservation effort but have looked at various alternatives. We are
looking for the most practical solution, and one that guarantees the
protection of the collection at an affordable cost.

Consulting Firm Requirements and Selection Process: We are
interested in hiring a conservation firm or a conservator who can
put together a team that will help us ensure that the preservation
of the Southwest Collection will be thoughtfully and thoroughly
planned and implemented.  We require a conservator or conservation
firm that can demonstrate depth of experience in working with
collections similar to the Southwest's.

We will use a three step process in selecting the preservation
conservators:

    Step 1. We request letters of intent and general outline of your
            proposal and qualifications by May 26.  If you intend to
            submit a letter of intent, we appreciate knowing as soon
            as possible by phone.  Your letter of intent should
            include:

    *   Experience in conducting preservation efforts of similar
        scope for comparable organizations;

    *   General description of methodology;

    *   How you will assemble your team of professionals;

    *   If you are not local, how you would conduct this effort
    remotely;

    *   Client list and contact information for reference purposes;

    *   Professional profiles of the specific principals you would
        commit to this project, if known.

    Step 2. At least two firms will be selected to come to the
            Center and tour the Southwest collection, during the
            weeks of June 2-13.

    Step 3. Subsequent to the visit, detailed proposal will be
            submitted.  The proposal should then include:

    *   Detailed description of methodology, work plan and timeline
        describing what your firm will do and what will be expected
        of Center personnel;

    *   Detailed costs.

We intend to make our selection by July 15.

Should you need further information to prepare your letter of intent
or your proposal, please contact me at 323-667-2000, extension 215.

Linda Strauss
Director of Collections, Exhibits and Conservation
Autry National Center of the American West


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 16:71
                   Distributed: Tuesday, May 13, 2003
                       Message Id: cdl-16-71-017
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