To Preserve A Legacy: Art Conservation at the Atlanta University Center, Part 2
Channel: AIC & FAIC
Date: 10/09/2020

"To Preserve A Legacy: Art Conservation at the Atlanta University Center" was a program that took place at the Atlanta University Center on January 24th, 2020. The program was created in collaboration between the Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective (AHCC) and the Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), and was made possible through the generosity of the Berger Family Foundation. 

This recording concludes session two, "Consequences: Conservation and the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art," Anne Collins Smith, (Spelman College C' 1996), Curator of Collections, Spelman College Museum of Fine Art presented on the Museum’s multiple conservation efforts from the establishment of the Museum to collection best practices and the 75th Anniversary of the Art Department exhibition in 2006. LaStarsha McGarity, Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Objects Conservation, National Gallery of Art joined her in a discussion about Romare Bearden's Guitar Executive, 1967, a mixed media collage, and one of the quilts from the Quilters of Gee’s Bend.

Session three was a lunch panel, "Becoming an Art Conservator + Emerging Conservation Professionals Network Overview," Shannon Brogdon-Grantham, (Spelman College C' 2009), Photographs and Paper Conservator, Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute, LaStarsha McGarity, and Ephranette Brown (Spelman College C’2009), Conservation Technician, Emory Libraries, shared their personal journeys into the field of art conservation. Following the panel, Kaitlyn Wright, Atlanta Regional Liaison, Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) shared opportunities to get involved in ECPN, which assists emerging conservation professionals entering or thinking about entering the field of conservation with the transition from pre-program candidacy to graduate school and through to early career stages.

Later parts of the program that were not recorded included sessions on "Conservation at the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum," with Maurita N. Poole, Ph.D., Director and Curator, Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, who discussed the critical role of art conservation for the museum’s collections, focused on works from the permanent collection in conversation with Shannon Brogdon-Grantham, and a panel on "Conserving Our Cultural Heritage, the Politics of Art Conservation," which featured Cheryl Finley, Ph.D., Inaugural Director, Atlanta University Center Art History + Curatorial Studies Collective, Brandi C. Brimmer, Ph.D.(Spelman College C' 1995), Associate Professor, History, Spelman College, Kimberly Jackson, Ph.D. (Clark Atlanta University C’ 1999), Chair of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Associate Professor, Food Studies Program Director, Spelman College, and Rico Chapman, Ph.D., Assistant Dean, School of Arts and Sciences, Clark Atlanta University. The panel engaged in a cross-disciplinary conversation about the history, politics, and science of cultural heritage preservation, and its relationship to transforming the field of art conservation. 

The final session focused on "Honoring a Career in Art Conservation: a Special Viewing of the Conservation Materials of Ted Stanley." Sarah Tanner, Head, Archives Research Center, Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library, Tiffany Atwater Lee, Public Services Archivist, Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library, and Shannon Brogdon-Grantham, presented Ted Stanley's recently donated personal collection of conservation journals alongside additional art and conservation related materials from the Atlanta University Center, Robert W. Woodruff Library Collection. Recently retired, Ted Stanley had a dynamic career in art conservation for over 35 years. Mr. Stanley was one of very few black conservators and specialized in the restoration of paper-based objects such rare, fine art on paper, maps, manuscripts, papyrus, or posters.

You can find the first part of this program here: https://youtu.be/eHlH5_c8nqY