ARTium Presents: Grace Walters
Presentation on August 16, 2021
Grace is currently the Paper Conservation Fellow at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Before going to graduate school, she gained years of experience working for a wide range of institutions, including the Biltmore Estate, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and the Menil Collection. She received her graduate education from the Garman Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State where she specialized in paper conservation. While at school, she completed graduate internships in the paper conservation departments of the Weissman Preservation Center at Harvard Libraries and the Library of Congress. Her background in architecture at Clemson University prior to entering the art conservation field provided her with a foundation in spatial planning, an understanding of the importance of material choices, creative problem solving, and collegial collaboration. Her current research pursuits include the use of novel imaging techniques to observe the characteristics of paper as well as in-depth research into the working methods of modern artists.
PRACTICAL CONSERVATION: Environmental Decisions
Pay attention to the temperature and relative humidity. If it’s not comfortable to you, it’s not comfortable for your art!
Do not leave artwork in your car. Some paints can start to deform, or plastic wrapping will stick.
Mold begins to grow after 48 hours above 60% humidity. You can mitigate this with increased air flow (fans).
Keep artwork out of direct sunlight, or glaze with ultra-violet (UV) filtering plex. Certain colors will fade faster than others (i.e. dye based, yellows, pinks, reds).
Check your storage areas periodically. Inserts are everywhere but not all are bad. Silverfish, cockroaches, and termites will eat paper.
Microenvironments. (The immediate small-scale environment around the artwork -e.g. between the canvas and any paper backing, draws or cabinets, portfolio cases, etc.)
Helpful Links for the Preservation of Works of Art on Paper
https://www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator
https://stashc.com/
https://stashc.com/the-publication/containers-2/folders-envelopes-enclosures/
https://stashc.com/the-publication/containers-2/boxes/
https://learning.culturalheritage.org/caring-treasures/
https://cool.culturalheritage.org/jaic/articles/jaic35-03-005.html
