University of Delaware Art Conservation Programs

Welcome to the WUDPAC class of 2027! These 10 fellows bring a variety of experiences and accomplishments to the table. They have collectively worked at 46 different institutions including museums, cultural centers, libraries, archives, and private practices. Their extensive conservation experience and broad interests have shaped them into a formidable cohort of future conservators.

📸: Nat Caccamo

From left to right: Allejandra Chavez, Michaela Lott, Sarah Lavin, Anna-Colette Haynes, Sarah Purnell, Luke Kelly, Sydney Collins, Emma Reuther

Seated: Jennifer Beetem (left), Elizabeth Glander (right)

⚠️Tour alert!⚠️
Tours of the WUDPAC conservation laboratories at the Winterthur Museum will be offered on designated afternoons from 1:30-2:30 pm!
Dates for the 2024-2025 academic year are:

October 16th, December 11th, January 13th, March 14th, and April 9th. 

To sign up for a tour or to ask questions about pre-program conservation tours, please contact WUDPAC Fellows Sam Lee (she/hers) and Zoe Avery (she/hers) at [email protected]!

See you soon!

At the Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium rising junior ARTC major Chloe Terrell presented her findings from her summer research. Titled “Plastic Alternatives in the Art Conservation Laboratory”, their work looked at how different biodegradable and compostable plastic alternatives compared to plastics when exposed to common solutions and forces applied in our laboratory space. Working with chemistry professor Dr. Elizabeth Singewald she designed and completed this research independently through the McNair Scholars program.

Please join us on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, for the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation’s Portfolio Day! If you cannot attend the in-person Portfolio Day, we will be hosting a Virtual Portfolio Day on November 12, 2024, from 6:00-8:00 p.m. (EST).

RSVP for the in-person event by September 23rd: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScmbH1p6qJ4a0nmIKhdYROtEvDVfIORmK6Zlt6H5nKRLV4dhw/viewform and our virtual eventhttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSffU4qXzY5paR-VSZtVnkSmRBX1dZtEv9ge6WMcSy9MRnS3vA/viewform

🎓🎨✨ Many congratulations to the WUDPAC Class of 2024! Your dedication and passion have inspired us for the last three years. Here’s to your bright futures and the amazing impact you’ll make as you care for the world’s cultural heritage!

🎨 Save the date!! The Winterthur/University of Delaware program in Art Conservation's portfolio day will be October 2 from 4-7pm at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library! Second-year Leah Palmer will speak about her summer internship at the Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA) in Cleveland. Stay tuned for more details!

Daniella Briceño Villamil, third-year objects conservation major, shared her journey during her year-long internship with in London in this month’s UD Student blog 🇬🇧🎡✨

Specializing in contemporary and time-based media collections, Daniella tells us about her work with the time-based media team supporting the collection care for Tate’s four institutions: Tate Modern, Tate Britain, , and

Read more by visiting the UD Student blog. 🔗checkout the lastest posts in the Linktree > blog > “Time-based media in London”

Images:
1. Daniella doing a condition assessment of an artwork’s equipment during its mock installation.
2. Daniella with mentor Alexandra Nichols measuring projector image for proper display of video artwork. (photo: Pierre Bouvier Patron)
3. Daniella pictured evaluating time-based media artwork: “Pteridophilia I” by Hong-Kong based artist Zheng Bo. Here she is comparing equipment and its aesthetic qualities for their overall suitability for the artwork (photo: Alexandra Nichols)

Today, we are highlighting Leah Palmer, rising second year objects major! This summer, Leah is working at the Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA)- the oldest not-for-profit conservation regional center in the United States. At ICA, both museum and private clients from the Ohio/midwest region bring their beloved objects to the 5 conservators on staff.

Under the supervision of objects conservator/WUDPAC alum Claire Curran, and paintings conservators Andrea Chevalier and Wendy Partridge, Leah has treated a range of objects, from a polychrome stucco sculpture from the Ming Dynasty, to a batch of balsawood planes from the Air Force Museum.

Leah has also strengthened her public engagement muscles this summer, participating in DELPHI (the Delaware public humanities institute), creating a vlog about her graduate experience, interviewing conservators for the FAIC oral history project, and contributing to ICA’s social media.

Swipe to see images from Leah’s work this summer!

1) Consolidating flaking paint on a 16th century Italian polychrome sculpture. Leah went on to surface clean, fill, and inpaint areas of loss on this dazzling sculpture.

2) Filling losses in two Ming Dynasty stucco sculptures. These sculptures suffer from moisture sensitivity, so delicate hand skills are needed when applying and clearing fill material.

3) Creating and shaping fills on a carved wooden frame that will house an El Greco painting.

4) Rejoining a porcelain sugar bowl that was originally in 16 pieces! Leah went on to create and tone fills for this precious piece so it can return whole to its owner.

5) The many porcelain sherds Leah started out with!

6) The sugar bowl in the process of being repaired.



6) The sugar bowl in the process of being repaired.

Today, we are highlighting Leah Palmer, rising second year objects major! This summer, Leah is working at the Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA)- the oldest not-for-profit conservation regional center in the United States. At ICA, both museum and private clients from the Ohio/midwest region bring their beloved objects to the 5 conservators on staff.

Under the supervision of objects conservator/WUDPAC alumna Claire Curran, and paintings conservators Andrea Chevalier and Wendy Partridge, Leah has treated a range of objects, from a polychrome stucco sculpture from the Ming Dynasty, to a batch of balsawood planes from the Air Force Museum.

Leah has also strengthened her public engagement muscles this summer, participating in DELPHI (the Delaware public humanities institute), creating a vlog about her graduate experience, interviewing conservators for the FAIC oral history project, and contributing to ICA’s social media.

Swipe to see images from Leah’s work this summer!

1) Consolidating flaking paint on a 16th century Italian polychrome sculpture. Leah went on to surface clean, fill, and inpaint areas of loss on this dazzling sculpture.

2) Filling losses in two Ming Dynasty stucco sculptures. These sculptures suffer from moisture sensitivity, so delicate hand skills are needed when applying and clearing fill material.

3) Creating and shaping fills on a carved wooden frame that will house an El Greco painting.

4) Rejoining a porcelain sugar bowl that was originally in 16 pieces! Leah went on to create and tone fills for this precious piece so it can return whole to its owner.

5) A few of the many porcelain sherds Leah started out with!

6) The sugar bowl in the process of being repaired.

📖📚Akimah Kumar, a rising junior art conservation major, is dedicating her summer to working in the archives of the Delaware Historical Society. Her primary task includes evaluating a set of historical scrapbooks and developing preservation guidelines for members of the public. In the first image, Akimah is studying a scrapbook with dance cards that still have attached pencils! Scrapbooks provide a special glimpse into what was important to mostly female creators and can help researchers uncover information about women's lives that may not be recorded in traditional historical documents.📚📖

Daisy Diamond is a rising second-year in objects conservation spending their summer at the Princeton University Art Museum. Daisy is helping prepare objects for the opening of the new museum under the supervision and guidance of Elena Torok, Associate Objects Conservator and Bart Devolder, Chief Conservator.

While at Princeton, Daisy is treating four objects: a bronze work by the contemporary artist Myron Brody, a marble capital excavated from a burial context in Antioch in Turkey, a celadon glaze bowl made during the Goryeo Dynasty in Korea, and a Tunic by contemporary artist Sanford Biggers with a metallic synthetic down coat underneath a thick plume of feathers.

Additionally, Daisy is assisting with materials research on sinew and beadwork in the African arts collection at Princeton, condition reports for loans, student engagement for chemistry and museum summer programs, and technical imaging projects.

Swipe to see photos of Daisy at work!

1. Cleaning and reshaping feathers on the Tunic by Sanford Biggers before consolidating delaminating plastic and assisting preparators and mount-makers with remounting
2. Consolidating the break edge of a celadon glaze bowl before reassembling shards, completing fills, and inpainting
3. Completing before treatment photo documentation alongside Jeff Evans, Manager of Visual Resources and Photographer at the Princeton University Art Museum
4. Before completing surface cleaning of the Antioch pilaster capital, we analyzed the object to determine if there was any polychromy through standard microscopy, and an imaging technique called visible induced infrared luminescence to look for Egyptian blue pigments. This technique works by documenting the absorption or luminescence of materials while exposed to discrete bands of electromagnetic radiation.
5. Removing surface oils and grime with solvents from the mirror-finished Myron Brody bronze sculpture before polishing away etched fingerprints as well as corrosion products and applying a protective coating.
6. Before and after treatment images of Forma Thirteen by Myron Brody

Sam Callanta is a rising WUDPAC second year majoring in paper conservation and minoring in textiles conservation. With her WUDPAC education, she intends to build a foundation of materials knowledge and support her training in the care of East Asian paintings.

This summer, Sam is doing just that! For her summer work project, Sam is working at the Seattle Asian Art Museum in the new Atsuhiko and Ina Goodwin Tateuchi Conservation Center under Tanya Uyeda, Senior Conservator for East Asian Paintings.

During her time at the Seattle Asian Art Museum, Sam has one main project: remounting an unusually small, eight-panel Japanese *byōbu* screen that was donated to the Seattle Art Museum for educational purposes. Sam will remount this screen into a didactic six-panel screen that will display the 9-layer interior structure (photos 1-4).

In addition to this summer-long project, Sam has also assisted with the final *ukeshibari* layer for a small *karibari* board and *kakishibu* dye application for larger karibari boards (photo 5). She will perform remedial treatments on some of the artworks that will be included in the summer rotation of SAAM’s permanent galleries, and in the upcoming special exhibition "Meot: Korean Art from the Frank Bayley Collection".

This internship is generously funded through SAM's Emerging Arts Leader Program, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Anne and Steve Lipners' support through the SAM Conservation Restricted Fund, UD's Unidel Louise Roselle Collections-based Travel Award, and the Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing’s (SHARP) Research Development Grants for BIPOC Scholars.

Swipe through the photos above to see Sam’s intricate handiwork!

(Caption continued in comments) ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Have you ever wondered exactly what art conservation is, or how one becomes an art conservator? Are you curious what goes on inside the WUDPAC first year student classroom? And do you want to know why conservators study history, art, AND science? Wonder no more! Rising second year Leah Palmer spent the last nine months capturing clips from her first year in the WUDPAC program and produced a vlog outlining a week in her life as a conservation grad student. Check out this short video for answers to the questions YOU may have about the WUDPAC first-year experience and the field of art conservation writ large!

Week In The Life Vlog || Art Conservation Grad Student Have you ever wondered what art conservation actually is, or how one becomes an art conservator? Are you curious what happens during art conservation graduat...

ANNOUNCEMENT Pre-doctoral fellowship: the technical study of works by Simeon Solomon. https://delart.org/opportunities/pre-doctoral-fellowship-the-technical-study-of-works-by-simeon-solomon/

Exciting opportunity for an early career paintings conservation or technical art history professional to work with incredible colleagues at University of Delaware and the Delaware Art Museum!

The Delaware Art Museum (DelArt) is pleased to announce a funded collaborative pre-doctoral fellowship with the University of Delaware (UD) on the technical study of artworks by British Pre-Raphaelite artist, Simeon Solomon (1840–1905). This work will explore the artist’s working methods, material use, and evolution of style, as well as assess the history and condition of his works.

The fellowship is anticipated to run from Fall 2024 – Fall 2025 and expected to apply for graduate studies at UD to begin in Fall 2025. Please see the call for more details and to whom those interested may direct inquiries and/or apply to. International applicants are welcome to apply. This position will remain open until filled and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by July 15.

The Many Sides of Joyce Hill Stoner '68 An eminent art conservator shares her story

Greetings from the WUDPAC Class of 1977,

Next year marks the 50th anniversary of the first class of just six students in the WUDPAC program. We remember all the people involved at the beginning, but particularly the founders and directors who created, developed, and led the program from the outset to today: from Charles van Ravensway, Don Sebers, George Reilly, Dr. William Alderson, Charles Hummel, and Dr. Peter Sparks to Dr. Joyce Hill Stoner, Debbie Hess Norris, and Dr. Joelle Wickens today. Thanks to their mentorship, the 455 graduates of WUDPAC have rewarding and successful careers! Our founders and directors continue to work tirelessly to ensure academic excellence, provide outstanding facilities, offer a wide range of opportunities for research and travel, and maintain scholarships for all students. Our goal is to raise funds for an annual award, given by the director to current students and recent graduates. This award will foster outstanding research projects and associated travels. Please join us and contribute any amount to the Founders and Directors Award. From today to December 31 your donation will be matched up to $10,000! Help us meet this challenge! Your support is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Many thanks and Happy Holidays!
Meg Loew Craft, Carol Forsythe, Shelley Reisman Paine, and Tina Leback Sitwell

https://www.udel.edu/alumni-friends/give/henfunder/?cfpage=/o/university-of-delaware/i/henfunder/s/wudpac-founders-and-directors-award-fall2023

📸 WUDPAC Class of 1977, WUDPAC Class of 2026 (Evan Krape, UD)

Calling all UD ARTC undergraduate students!! Applications for the Vicki Cassman Undergraduate Award are now open! The awards are available to all undergraduates in any year. You can apply more than once and receive up to $1,500 over the course of your undergrad career. Internship, travel, and professional development plans do not need to be confirmed before you submit your application. Creative ideas are highly encouraged!! Application, budget, & one recommendation due by March 15th . Send all applications and questions to the Selection Committee: [email protected]

Students will be notified after April 15th.

Thank you to those who visited us during the Blue and Golden open house! Ready to take the next step? Apply to become a today: https://www.udel.edu/apply/

Figuring out where to apply to college is a big decision. Attend a Blue and Golden open house to learn why to earn a degree in art conservation! Register now: https://apply.udel.edu/portal/blueandgoldenagenda

Postdoctoral fellowship in conservation science at LACMA! Greenberg-Steinhauser Post-Doctoral Fellow

Recruitment

Join us for our annual Portfolio Day prospective student event on October 11th at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE 19735)!

Portfolio Day will showcase the pre-program portfolios of the WUDPAC class of 2026. Sarah Beach of the WUDPAC Class of 2025 will present about her summer internship with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Winterthur's historic Copeland Hall. After her presentation, attendees will have the chance to browse the pre-program portfolios of the Class of 2026 and attend faculty-led tours of the Winterthur Conservation Laboratories and meet with our second-year students.

3:30 – 4:00 Check-in Copeland Hall, Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library

4:00 – 4:30 Presentation by Sarah Beach (WUDPAC 2025) on her summer with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Copeland Hall

4:30-7:00 The WUDPAC Class of 2026 will share their pre-program portfolios and visitors can attend faculty-led tours of the Winterthur Conservation Laboratories in the Research Building to see the conservation projects our second-year students are working on!

Register here:

WUDPAC Portfolio Day 2023 Welcome to Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation's Portfolio Day! We welcome all pre-program prospective students!

Join us!

WUDPAC Portfolio Day 2023 Welcome to Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation's Portfolio Day! We welcome all pre-program prospective students!

Congratulations, Debbie!!! 💙💛

Congratulations to interim dean Debbie Hess Norris who is celebrating a half-century as a today! Debbie has served UD in a variety of roles since that first day on campus in 1973 – as a long-time faculty member, department chair and member of the Board of Trustees. We are excited to have your leadership in the coming year!

Congratulations to the WUDPAC Class of 2023 who are giving their final presentations today! We are so proud of all you have accomplished and can’t wait to see what you do next!