Pottery Project Update
Arizona State Museum’s Pottery Project Continues with IMLS Grant
May 2010
Congratulations to Dr. Nancy
Odegaard, Arizona State Museum (ASM) conservator and head of
preservation, for a $147,000 grant recently awarded by the federal
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Caretakers of the world’s largest collection of Southwest Indian pottery, ASM conservators work carefully and painstakingly to preserve the structural integrity and research value of each vessel.
Her project, entitled Conservation of Southwest Ceramic Vessels,
is part of ASM’s ongoing Pottery Project and will focus on 700 of
the most unstable archaeological and ethnographic vessels from
within the larger 20,000 whole-vessel collection.
“The 700 are the museum’s current, highest conservation priority,”
explained Odegaard. “They have been identified through a detailed
survey as the most insecure and in the most danger of destruction.
They also have been deemed to possess the highest research
significance.”
Treatment is the final step in the comprehensive conservation
program for the chosen 700. Steps for each vessel will include
testing, analysis, and removal of old adhesives, residues, deposits,
and paints; cleaning; consolidation; stabilization; and
documentation.
Over a two-year period, the museum’s conservators and curatorial
staff will supervise and facilitate the work of a part-time specialist
conservator and a graduate research assistant dedicated solely to
the treatment and stabilization of the vessels. The part-time
conservator is a local professional who is particularly familiar with
the collection. The graduate student will be selected from the
University of Arizona’s heritage conservation science graduate
program.
The grant will also fund the development of vehicles through which
the conservation process will be shared: web information, lectures,
publications, and workshops for both professionals and the general
public.
Visitors to the museum will be able to view the ongoing activities in the conservation lab through the
Pottery Project gallery window.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services
is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s
123,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The institute's mission is to create strong libraries and
museums that connect people to information and ideas. The institute works at the national level and
in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge;
enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.
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Photo by Jannelle Weakly
