All
Conservators, Appraisers and Art Related Professionals Can Help Save Storm
Damaged Art & Artifacts
from the safety and comfort of their own lab
In a benevolent gesture, Judith Tartt,
conservator of paintings, PA, owner of the web site Art-Care and I, Susan
Blakney have designed a volunteer program for conservators,
appraisers and art-related professionals,
to offer preservation treatments to storm damaged art and artifacts,
either completely donated, or possibly subsidized from a Preservation Fund by
lottery. The Internet with digital documentation is the
primary vehicle to implement the program nation wide, combined with advertising
post disaster regionally.
This is possible because Judith has donated the use of her compatible web
site, developed necessary new programming and dropped usage fees for this
Volunteer Program. The web site's complex programming has
evolved over five years and is an established, necessary foundation to
implement the volunteer program.
We need your involvement and
contribution to be successful. Our
plan is just the beginning. Yes of course it can be improved. There are many
questions to be answered, details to fine tune, fund raising to manage,
program to implement and monitor.
COLLEAGUES PLEASE JOIN IN
THE DEVELOPMENT AND READ ON.
Art-Care
The web site Art-Care, a 5 year old, for
profit professional referral service, is designed as one stop shopping
for the art owner; providing access to recognized
conservators, appraisers, private curators, transportation and insurance
companies. Related educational essays, encourage the custodian to make
informed decisions and actively gain specific preservation knowledge by
interacting on line with professionals through direct e-mails.
It's other mission is to
market professional conservators, appraisers and other art related
professionals, in private practice with
a searchable referral list, enhanced with illustrated, personalized on
line brochures advertising services and specialties. This is a simple, affordable means to have
an easily created, on line presence individually and as a group, to market
personal talents and services. If you already have a web site it will
provide a link. The same AIC
referral rules apply. Participating conservators must be recognized, good
standing AIC PAs or Fellows, sworn to abide by the Code of Ethics and Standards
of Practice, providing preservation services to the public. Likewise,
Appraisers must be accredited by their National Associations, the ASA, AAA,
ISA.
However for this volunteer program, students and associates
conservators may contribute if a recognized PA or Fellow agrees to mentor the
treatment.
Non -accredited appraisers may also contribute if mentored by
accredited appraisers. This may
encourage eligible conservators to become Professional Associates and
appraisers to become accredited.
There is an existing posting board to ask conservators to answer
questions about preservation.
There will be;
an on line
essay about basic digital documentation useful for an
exam.
an on line
illustrated glossary of conservation terms to describe what they
think they are seeing.
essays about safe packing and links to suppliers of archival supplies and packing materials like MasterPak.
an on line
virtual gallery of completed Katrina treatments, before and after images, to
educate the public what the possibilities of treatment are.
Conservation, Appraisal and Art Professionals
- Angel Treatments
Owners of Storm Damaged art & artifacts will
register and be given a password for a private on line portfolio
to up load with images of their damaged treasure. A virtual examination room
displays the item to invited Angel conservators to begin consultations
privately on line, or by phone. It hopefully will end with a treatment.
Subsidized treatments are necessary due to the volume of damaged works. Even with a few
totally donated treatments we barely scratch the surface. The reality is
we are few and many conservators would like to help but can't leave their
business, or even donate more than a treatment or two, thus the idea of a
preservation fund to partially subsidize the
work.
AIC
We presented this in draft to the CIPP and
formally to AIC board. They reviewed it but passed for reasons found in
their reply posted below, although they noted it as worthy.
Detailed On Line Proposal History
Here are on line documents in full for
review.
http://www.art-care.com/members/aic/final_proposal.doc,
http://www.art-care.com/members/aic/flowchart.doc
HELP
I will briefly present this to the Painting
Specialty Group and hopefully at the CIPP dinner, during the AIC annual Convention
June l6 – 19, to see what support we
get from you our colleagues. We have a radio station out of New
Orleans willing to advertise it. Judith is looking into creating a not for profit arm of Art-Care to implement this program
and raise funds for the subsidized treatments. We want and need help
improving the concept, managing it and fund raising. It also doesn't
have to be exclusively for private collections if museums are equally
needy. You don't have to be a subscribing member of Art-Care either.
Please talk this up and give us your ideas and support. E mail me
If this program evolves and fundraising is
successful it should be accompanied by field hospitals, near, or in the
devastated regions to disseminate preservation information, perform initial
digital documentation and emergency measures, necessary for storage or
transportation, etc. This is a separate
proposal not included at this time.
Sincerely,
Susan Blakney, Chief Conservator
FAIC, FIIC
West Lake Conservators
Judith Tartt, PA AIC Paintings Conservator
Washington, D.C.
Judith@art-Care.com