Workshop on exhibition

The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)
Presents

    Where Artifact Meets Exhibition:
    Advances in Preservation Planning and Design

    a three-day Educational Series
    The Walters Art Museum
    Baltimore MD
    April 4 -6, 2005

Developing an exhibition today is a highly dynamic interactive
process, and with an increased emphasis on sophisticated and
interactive exhibit design, the need to preserve and conserve
objects on exhibition has become an important consideration.  While
scientific findings from conservation analytical laboratories give
us serious reason to be concerned about the effects of exhibition
displays on collections, there is also good news.  With technology
now available, a well-designed exhibit has the potential to
aesthetically present vulnerable collections while protecting and
preserving them.

With knowledge and understanding of available new technologies,
conservation features can be specified as standard components of
exhibition design.  This 3-day series is designed to provide
training in several key areas: safe planning and design practices;
appropriate engineering and fabrication of exhibition cases;
selection of suitable exhibit construction materials; and the
creation of conservation-responsible exhibit mounts.  Case studies
on exhibit lighting, pollution and humidity control, new
construction materials, and designs for object mounting systems will
be included.

These sessions are intended for curators, librarians, archivists,
collection managers, exhibition designers, preparators,
conservators, and other staff who are involved in exhibition design
and installation in cultural institutions.

Although attending the entire series is not required, it is
recommended.  Individually, the sessions will provide valuable
information; as a series, they will provide a framework for
understanding all of the components for having preservation
responsible exhibits.

Session Descriptions

April 4, 2005
Strategies in Exhibition Planning and Design

A successful exhibit must fulfill its educational intent, be
aesthetically engaging, and protect the objects on display. Using
case studies and discussion, this session will demonstrate how
conservation and the use of new technologies can be incorporated
into the exhibition planning and design process. Issues to be
addressed include the criteria for conservation-grade display
enclosures; exhibit case solutions and macro (room) vs. micro (case)
technology; environmental control options; responsible exhibit
lighting; creating specifications and communicating needs to exhibit
designers.

    Session Leaders:

        Pam Hatchfield
        Head of Objects Conservation, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA

        Joan Irving
        Head of Paper Laboratory, Conservation Center for Art and
        Historic Artifacts, Philadelphia, PA

        Toby Raphael
        Museum Exhibition Conservator and Lighting Specialist,
        Shepherdstown, WV

    Leaders in the field will present case studies.

April 5, 2005
Under Cover: Exhibit Cases that Preserve

A conservation-grade exhibit case is a well-designed and carefully
fabricated display enclosure, and the most important and
cost-effective tool for preserving vulnerable collections on
exhibit.  This session will address the criteria for hazard-free
exhibits; problematic and safe exhibit materials; structural and
decorative materials; use of wood products; coatings and isolation
barriers; controlling pollutants and using pollutant sorbents; and
monitoring and maintaining exhibits after installation.

    Session Leaders:

        Pam Hatchfield
        Head of Objects Conservation, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, MA

        Jean Tetreault
        Senior Conservation Scientist, Canadian Conservation
        Institute, Ottawa, Canada

April 6, 2005
Safe and Sound: Secure Mounts for Exhibitions

The exhibit mount is where the exhibit plan and the collection
intersect; its design and fabrication are critical to long-term
preservation.  This session will address how successful exhibit
mounts meet aesthetic objectives while protecting objects from
damage, and will look at the elements of a conservation-grade
exhibit mount; how to identify objects that need custom mounts;
criteria of successful mounts; the diverse categories of mounts; key
strengths and weaknesses of mounts; and technology available for
special conditions, such as earthquakes.

    Session Leaders:

        Robert Sieger
        Exhibit Mount and Installation Specialist, President, Fine
        Art Service, LLC, Glendale, WI

        Shelly Smith
        Book Conservator, Conservation Center for Art and Historic
        Artifacts, Philadelphia, PA

    Leaders in the field will present case studies.

Funders: The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the
Independence Foundation, and The Pew Charitable Trusts have provided
partial support for this program.

Registration Fee

             CCAHA Member Non-Member
    1 day       $ 80.00    $ 90.00
    2 days      $140.00    $150.00
    All 3 days  $190.00    $200.00

Registration cost includes a copy of the electronic publication in
CD-ROM format, Exhibit Conservation Guidelines, prepared by the
Division of Conservation of the National Park Service.

For information about CCAHA, its programs and services, and for
workshop registration forms, please visit <URL:http://www.ccaha.org>
or contact CCAHA's Preservation Services Office at 215-545-0613 or
ccaha<-a t->ccaha< . >org.

Christina Bruno
Preservation Services Administrator


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:40
                 Distributed: Monday, February 28, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-40-023
                                  ***