ICA News Online
Intermuseum
Conservation
Association
October 2007
- Vol 1, No 4
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The Vitrolite Building, ICA's Cleveland home.


As we look back on our first year of ICA News Online, the common theme that emerges is outreach. The ICA is committed to bringing conservation and preservation services to all the citizens of the lower Midwest. This issue highlights only some of our recent endeavors.

As we approach the holiday season, please consider making a gift of membership in the ICA to a friend or loved one. By supporting the ICA, you join a special group of over ninety individuals and institutions committed to the preservation of our region's common cultural and artistic heritage.

Membership in the ICA brings the following benefits:
  • Discounted rates on conservation services
  • Discounted registration fees to workshops and seminars
  • Preservation education
  • Access to the ICA's library and technical assistance
  • Subscription to ICA Review
  • Subscription to ICA News Online
  • Member tours
  • Invitation to the Annual Meeting
  • Ability to rent facility for professional meetings
  • Invitations to members-only events
In November, the ICA will be hosting its Annual Meeting. And in early December, members are invited to a champagne reception to celebrate the renovation of our building facade. We have many more such events planned for 2008, so please consider making a gift of membership, to a friend or to yourself!

Reading the Book
More than one hundred people, from all over Ohio and from as far away as Michigan, Utah, Illinois, and New York, converged on Oberlin College in early September to discuss their common passion: the book. The ICA's free symposium, "Reading the Book: How Preservation Impacts Interpretation," drew professors, students, museum and library professionals, and those with an interest in contemporary fine press editions and the book arts.

Presenters included Dr. Erik Inglis and Dr. Anne Trubek of Oberlin College, and Dr. Cathy Baker and Mr. Randy Silverman, representing the libraries of the University of Michigan and the University of Utah, respectively. After a day of stimulating discussion and hands-on identification exercises, participants were invited to a private reception at the Oberlin home of book conservator Banu Casson.

The Friends of the Oberlin College Library hosted this special event, and Head of Special Collections Ed Vermue created an exhibition entitled, "Odyssey of the Book: The Transmission of Ideas Through 5,000 Years" to coincide with the symposium. It was also through the generosity of Oberlin College that the ICA was able to film the symposium, and we hope to be able to make copies available free of charge in the near future. Check the ICA website in the coming months to obtain your copy!

The Denison Museum, part of Denison University, was recently awarded a $66,000 Conservation Support Grant by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The grant will be used to treat more than 7,500 prints and drawings from the museum's permanent collection.

Paper conservator Emily Helwig worked closely with Denison staff to write the grant, which includes support for ICA conservators to provide training and oversight to interns and staff working on the project. The grant will also be used to produce a DVD that documents the project activities and to present a lecture by the conservators about the project.

The ICA provides grant information and support through generating estimates, creating condition reports, assisting with project planning, and supplying letters of commitment and resumes of ICA personnel. For questions regarding grant information, contact Field Services Officer Nicole Hayes.

The Cleveland Public Library has become the first public library to receive the prestigious Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections. This award is presented annually by Heritage Preservation and the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC). The ICA was proud to nominate the CPL for its dedicated stewardship of its collections. The award will be made at a special meeting of the Library's Board on October 18, 2007.

Associate Preparator Charles Eiben explains archival framing procedures.
Over fifty representatives of Ohio's museums and libraries recently attended the Ohio Preservation Council's bi-annual symposium, "Preservation Strategies for the Care and Storage of Photographic Collections."

The event was held at Ashland University and featured nationally-known photographic expert Gary Albright as the keynote speaker. The ICA's Emily Helwig and Charles Eiben presented two of the four breakout sessions. Topics included care of historic albums, photo cleaning, humidification and flattening, and archival framing.

In April 2008, the ICA is planning to offer a workshop focusing on the identification of historic photographs. As Emily Helwig stressed in her cleaning presentation, no decisions about treatment can be made until one knows exactly what kind of photograph one has. Additional information about this program will be posted to the ICA website as it becomes available.

Huntington T. Block
Huntington T. Block, the nationally known insurance agency headquartered in Washington DC, recently made a gift of support to the ICA's new educational and outreach program. In the accompanying letter, President Joseph C. Dunn wrote, "To say that ICA is important to Huntington T. Block is an understatement and we admire everything that you and your colleagues do to underscore the value of art conservation."

It is through the generosity of individuals and organizations like Huntington T. Block that we are able to offer so many no and low-cost educational activities. If you are interested in supporting the educational program, please contact Field Services Officer Nicole Hayes.

RAW & CO
The ICA hosted a pair of successful "friend raisers" this summer. In July, our members received a private tour of the renowned Progressive Art Collection, conducted by curator H. Scott Westover. And in August, ICA Paintings Conservator and owner Per Knutås welcomed visitors for a private reception at his Tremont gallery, RAW & CO. Guests enjoyed wine and hors d'oeuvres while viewing a show by artist Todd Chilton.

To make sure you do not miss any upcoming ICA "friend raisers," become a member today. Contact us at 216.658.8700 to learn more.

The ICA was featured in several publications this fall. Cool Cleveland named "Reading the Book" a hot event for September. The Plain Dealer profiled Paintings Conservator Heather Galloway and, in a separate article, featured the Vitrolite Building as a "cool" workspace in the city. And Cleveland Magazine dubbed the ICA "Best Antique Updates" in its annual "Best of Cleveland" issue. To see the full text of these and a number of other articles about the ICA and its projects, visit the ICA website.

October 24-25, 2007
A Race Against Time: Preserving Our Audiovisual Media
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Cleveland, OH
The ICA is a co-sponsor of this CCAHA/PALINET program, and will be hosting a reception and offering lab tours for those attending. For more information or to register, click here.

November 14, 2007
ICA Annual Meeting
5PM-7PM
ICA members will soon receive invitations to attend this annual event.

December 9, 2007
A Toast To The Future!
1-3PM Reception
ICA members and friends will soon receive invitations to attend this afternoon reception, celebrating the completion of the restoration of the Vitrolite Building's facade. Come walk through our new front doors!

SAVE THE DATE!
February 2, 2008
Textiles: From Household Goods to Museum Artifacts
Join nationally-known textile educator Camille Myers Breeze of Museum Textile Services, for this one-day hands-on workshop on the care and handling of historic textiles. This program will be held at the ICA conservation center in Ohio City, and pre-registration IS required.


Nicole Hayes, Field Services Officer
Intermuseum Conservation Association

216-658-8700
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