Workshop on varnishes for paintings

The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic
Works, in partnership with St. Louis Art Museum, presents

    "Varnishes for Paintings: Results from Recent Research and
    Practical Applications"
    St. Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
    July 21-23, 2005
    10am-5:30pm

Instructors: E. Rene de La Rie, Jill Whitten, Robert Proctor

Course Fee: $350 AIC members; $450 non-members Enrollment Limit: 12
Registration Deadline: June 20, 2005 (if space remains).
Registration forms are available on the AIC Website. Participants
are responsible for all meals, housing, and transportation.
Participants will be selected based on order of receipt of
registration.

Description: The introduction of new synthetic low molecular weight
(LMW) resins by Rene de la Rie in the early 1990's has increased the
number of varnishes available to conservators. These varnishes have
since become part of the standard working practice of many
conservators.  Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations,
and practical sessions, this workshop is designed for mid-career
paintings conservators seeking to bring their knowledge of varnishes
up to date.

Lectures and laboratory sessions will cover:

    *   comparative aging studies and analysis of varnishes
    *   criteria for selecting varnishes
    *   properties of low molecular weight resins
    *   comparisons between varnishes
    *   solvent selection
    *   application techniques

Participants will gain knowledge in the properties of new varnishes,
how to evaluate resins and solvents, how to test new materials, and
how choices can affect the appearance and aging properties of
cultural materials in their care.

Instructors: E. Rene de la Rie received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in
chemistry from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.  He has
been head of the scientific research department at the National
Gallery of Art in Washington, DC since 1989, where artists' methods
and materials, as well as materials used in the treatment of works
of art, are being studied.  Before coming to the National Gallery of
Art, he held positions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York,
and at the Training Program for Conservators and the Central
Research Laboratory for Objects of Art and Science, both in
Amsterdam.  He has held adjunct positions at the University of New
York and the University of Amsterdam.  He has been an editor for
Studies in Conservation since 1994.

Jill Whitten is a painting conservator in private practice in
Houston, Texas. She received a BFA in Painting from the University
of Texas at Austin, and an MA and Certificate of Conservation from
Buffalo State College, New York. A graduate internship and a
three-year Mellon Fellowship were undertaken at the Art Institute of
Chicago. A Kress Grant allowed her to be a guest conservator at the
J. Paul Getty Museum in the winter of 1995 where she worked on the
first phase of a collaborative project to produce new retouching
paints for conservators. She was a sabbatical replacement lecturer
at the Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department in the
spring of 1996 and Resin Research Coordinator and Painting
Conservator for 20th Century Paintings at The National Gallery of
Art .  Jill has lectured and led workshops for conservators in the
U.S. and Europe on the use of new materials for varnishing and
retouching.

Robert Proctor studied Art History at Tulane University in New
Orleans and graduated in 1980. He completed his graduate studies at
Buffalo State College in Buffalo, New York in 1991. He traveled to
Munich for his graduate internship at the Bayerisches
Nationalmuseum. Rob treated a large group of paintings by Max
Beckmann at the Saint Louis Art Museum and has worked at the
Indianapolis Museum of Art.  Rob is a specialist in the reweaving of
tears and has taught workshops on reweaving and has lectured on
varnishes for several years. He has worked as a contract conservator
and treated a number of public murals.

Housing and Transportation: The St. Louis Art Museum is located just
west of downtown St. Louis within Forest Park.  For driving
directions, see the museum Website at <URL:http://www.slam.org>.
Hotels in the area are approximately $85-$120 per night. Specific
housing recommendations and travel directions will be sent to all
participants.

This program is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for
the Humanities and by the FAIC Endowment for Professional
Development, which is supported by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
and by contributions from members of the American Institute for
Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works.

For more information, contact:

    Eric Pourchot
    Program Officer for Professional Development American Institute
        for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
        1717 K Street, NW, Suite 200
    Washington, DC  20006
    202-452-9545, ext. 12
    Fax: 202-452-9328


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:51
                  Distributed: Tuesday, April 26, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-51-029
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