Class Exercises: Conservation
Indianapolis Museum of Art
Directions:
Working in teams, consider the following scenarios from the perspective of the conservation staff of this art museum. Be prepared to present your response to the class.
- You are the conservator on an exhibit development team. The curator wants to have a scroll that is central to the interpretive message of the exhibit on display for the whole run of the exhibit — six months. According to professional guidelines, the light sensitive paper scroll should only be on display for three months at most. What solutions can you propose?
- The ADA advisor for a project is looking into ways to make the sculpture gallery more accessible for visually impaired visitors. What recommendations do you as conservator have to offer?
- You have been asked to come as a conservation consultant to an underfunded historic house museum. The only facility on the property is the historic house itself. Much of the collection is on display in the house, but the rest is in storage either in the basement which tends to be damp or the attic which has high temperature swings (cold in the winter and hot in the summer). What recommendations do you have to offer the director of the museum regarding conservation of the collection?
- A local collector who has been a strong supporter of the museum has asked you to look at an item she recently purchased from a private dealer. She wants you to give your opinion on the painting's condition. First, should you look at the piece. Assuming you do, in the course of your examination you discover evidence that suggests that the painting was not really done by the artist attributed by the dealer. What do you do now?
- Your museum is planning a major expansion. While in the long run this will be larger collections facilities it also involves moving the entire collection at least twice. What, as conservator, are your concerns and what plans do you make?
- Your museum director wants to know what the conservation department's disaster plan includes. Prepare a summary that the director can present in five minutes to the board.
- You, a conservator, are hired to review the gallery design done by a major outside museum design firm. What do you look for in reviewing the design?