Kent Severson appointed conservator at Shangri La

The Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art is pleased to announce
that Kent Severson has been appointed to the position of Conservator
at Shangri La effective March 26, following an international search.
Shangri La is the Foundation's center for Islamic arts and cultures,
housed in the former Honolulu residence of philanthropist and
collector Doris Duke (1912-1993) with its late 1930s architecture,
extensive collections of Islamic art and 5 acres of tropical
gardens.

Severson, a graduate of the New York University (NYU) Institute of
Fine Arts Conservation Center training program, was most recently a
conservator in private practice based in Boston and worked primarily
for museums and other institutions.  He has participated in
archaeological projects in Turkey, Greece, Italy and Egypt for more
than 20 years including serving as the Senior Field conservator for
the NYU Excavations at Aphrodisias, Turkey.  Since 2010, he has also
been Visiting Instructor in Collections Care and Management for the
Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage in
Erbil, Iraq.

At Shangri La, Severson is responsible for overseeing the proper
care and preservation of Shangri La's collection of Islamic art.
Deborah Pope, Executive Director of Shangri La stated that "Kent's
extensive experience managing complex projects and working with a
wide variety of media and environmental conditions make him uniquely
suited to addressing Shangri La's conservation challenges and
guiding daily care and long-term preservation of collections.  We're
delighted to have Kent join our staff."

Shangri La is a five-acre site with three historic buildings
designed by architect Marion Sims Wyeth (1889-1992) and built
between 1936*1938 as a seasonal home for philanthropist and
collector Doris Duke (1912*1993). Shangri La borrows architectural
elements and artistic sensibilities from regions of the Islamic
world and blends them with a distinctly Hawaiian landscape that
features sweeping ocean views and exotic gardens. The collection
ranges from pre-Islamic material to early 20th century commissions,
in a wide variety of media.  The collection is particularly strong
in material from the 17th through 20th centuries, and in ceramic
tiles and vessels.  A significant portion of the collection is
integrated into the historic architecture.

First opened to the public in November 2002, Shangri La offers
guided tours, lectures and performances as well as residencies for
artists and scholars and periodic symposia.  It is owned and
supported by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art

    <URL:http://www.shangrilahawaii.org/DDFIA/>
    <URL:http://www.ddcf.org>

which Doris Duke created in her will to promote the study,
understanding and preservation of Islamic art and culture.

For more information, visit

    <URL:http://www.shangrilahawaii.org>


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 25:45
                   Distributed: Sunday, April 8, 2012
                       Message Id: cdl-25-45-001
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