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ICA - Art Conservation
America's first nonprofit art conservation center
October, 2013 - Vol 7, No 4
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ICA closed out our 2012-13 fiscal year at the end of August, and we are pleased to announce that it was a banner year for programming, as we recorded a 157% increase in the number of people participating in ICA programs. ICA launched its first exhibition, "The Silent Treatment" featured on our website and in museums and institutions around our region. ICA also participated for the first time in the Cleveland International Film Festival and the Ohio City Home Tour. These are just a few of the many ways we worked to raise awareness of the ICA and our important mission to protect, preserve, and conserve this region's artistic and cultural heritage resources.

Please join us as we celebrate this great year at our upcoming annual meeting. We will gather on Thursday, November 7th, 6:30-8:00 PM in the Penthouse at One Bratenahl Place. Dr. Michael Schwartz, past President of Cleveland State University and Kent State University, will be our featured speaker. There is no cost to attend, but reservations are required. RSVP by November 1 to info@ica-artconservation.org.

Often the ICA undertakes a conservation treatment, the piece goes back into the world, and we never know the impact the conserved object has on its viewers. Last month Andrea Chevalier, senior paintings conservator, had an opportunity to find out. She made a trip to Hicksville, Ohio to perform some minor work on a painted theater curtain at the Huber Opera House.

The curtain, created in 1895 by Noxon & Toomey in St. Louis, underwent an extensive treatment campaign at the ICA in 2002/03 when the Opera House was renovated as a community performing arts space and venue for private events. The theater curtain was one of the few original features of the space, but major structural and aesthetic work was required to allow it to be used again.

What we did not know until Andrea's return this year was what a source of pride the curtain had become for the community. The curtain is always in use during performances, local groups come to have their photos taken with it, and the curtain's subject matter makes the space a very attractive venue for wedding receptions. In fact, a 500 person reception was happening shortly after Andrea's visit!
Last month ICA's Objects Conservator, Mark Erdmann, and a team of our highly trained art handlers moved a steel sculpture out of a client's garden and down to the ICA lab for storage and eventual treatment.

If you have artwork in need of specialized handling, or repair, give us a call. Let us help you turn your next big project into a success story.

Thursday, October 24, 2013 12:00 - 1:30PM
Cost: FREE!

Works on paper are often matted and framed, obscuring the edges and making the object itself somewhat inaccessible. This means it is even more important for the buyer to thoroughly investigate an object they are considering for purchase. What are your rights as a buyer when trying to gather more information? What are your options for assessing an object when you are purchasing from a remote seller? How might the information you gather affect your decision to purchase a print or drawing? What types of damage can you reasonably expect a conservator to be able to fix? This talk will answer the above questions with case studies and treatment examples along with advice on how to protect your collection. An open Q&A will follow.


Tuesday, October 8, 2013 6:00 - 8:30PM
Cost: $25.00

As conservators, our main focus is reversibility and longevity and we encourage artists to also think about these topics. To this end, we often work with artists to create objects that will stand the test of time. This class will discuss some of the materials we use in paper conservation and introduce artists to the range of options available to make their creative vision a reality.

There's still time to register! Sign up for either of these programs by contacting Jennifer Souers Chevraux, ICA's Education Outreach Officer, via email at jennifersc@ica-artconservation.org, or by phone 216-658-8700.

ICA and the Cleveland Museum of Art will be helping to host the annual meeting of the Midwest Regional Conservation Guild (MRCG) November 15th-17th in Cleveland. Since its inception in 1980, ICA staff members have played an active role in the organization, and today ICA houses MRCG's archival records.

During the upcoming meeting ICA staff members Andrea Chevalier and Jamye Jamison will be presenting talks on notable projects carried out at the ICA, including the treatment of the B&B Carousell and large scale drawings damaged in Super Storm Sandy. MRCG members will be visiting from all over the Midwest and ICA is encouraging local students to take the opportunity to register to attend the meeting and hear professional talks right here in Cleveland.
ICA is pleased to welcome Elisabeth Fugmann, a conservation graduate student from the Technical University in Munich, Germany. Elisabeth started her seven month internship at the ICA in September. She is already diligently working on several challenging projects in the paintings lab and will be a great help to the conservators throughout her stay.
Young Audiences Art Apprentices visit ICA
With the end of the year rapidly approaching, we again look to our patrons and friends to help sustain the important conservation, preservation, and educational programming that is essential to ICA's mission. We are grateful for the generous support we receive from the community, and ask you to make a tax-deductible donation to ICA enabling us to continue the preservation of this region's artistic treasures for future generations.

We thank you for your consideration and appreciate your recognition of ICA's role in safeguarding our community's link to our shared cultural heritage. If you work for a company that matches employee charitable contributions, please ask for a matching donation to ICA-Art Conservation.

To make an online donation, visit the support page on our website, or download a printable form.

Photographs copyright ICA - Art Conservation, 2013.


Jennifer Souers Chevraux, Education Outreach Officer
ICA-Art Conservation

p: 216-658-8700 f: 216-658-8709