New York 2015

Transcommunality: A Concept That Encourages Encounters and Exchanges

Laura Anderson Barbata

National Museum of the American Indian, New York

Laura Anderson Barbata, transdisciplinary artist, will participate as the keynote speaker at the 10th North American Textile Conservation Conference - Material in Motion.  Laura Anderson Barbata is of Mexican origin and lives in Mexico City and New York.  A member of the National System of Art Creators; Honorary Fellow, LACIS (Latin American, Caribbean, Iberian and Iberian Studies) University of Wisconsin - Madison; she is professor at the Escuela Nacional de Escultura, Pintura y Grabado La Esmeralda of the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes, Mexico.  Her transdisciplinary work has received grants and awards from Bellas Artes and FONCA.  Since 1992, she has worked primarily in the social realm, and has initiated projects in the Amazon of Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Norway, the USA, and Mexico.  Her work is included in various private and public collections, among them The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museo de Arte Moderno in Mexico City, and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart, Germany.

The 2015 keynote address is sponsored by the Lenore G. Tawney Foundation.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL TRANSCRIPT OF THE KEYNOTE SPEECH PRESENTED BY LAURA ANDERSON BARBATA.

Two day workshop

Instructor: Richard Wolbers, Associate Professor – Art Conservation Program, University of Delaware/Winterthur Museum

In the first day, participants will explore the general principles of wet-cleaning.  The second day will cover more advanced topics in aqueous cleaning such as bleaching, enzymes, poultices and "spotting".  Participants will need an understanding of basic chemical principles to gain the maximum benefit from the material presented.

Two day workshop

Instructor: Denyse Montegut, Professor and Chairperson of the graduate program in Fashion and Textile Studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY

This 2-day workshop will provide participants with a basic understanding of fiber analysis, highlighting the optical properties of light that make using polarized light microscopy critical for identification. Morphology, aging characteristics, refractive index, and corroborating burn and solubility tests will be discussed as they apply to the identification of all fibers, especially those specific techniques suitable for man-made fibers. Participants will learn sample preparation for microscopy, and discuss advanced as well as low-tech methods for identification.

One day workshop

Instructor:  Shelly Uhlir, Exhibits Specialist, Mountmaker - National Museum of the American Indian, Washington D.C.

This workshop will teach a variety of approaches to creating faces, appendages and body forms using Fosshape 300 and 600. Students will have the opportunity to use the 300 weight material to mold hands/ faces/ feet and the 600 weight to mold body shapes.  Students will be encouraged to bring their own specific Fosshape-related mannequin challenges to discuss. Finishing methods (painting, fleece covering) as well as techniques of concealing brass armatures in the hand area will be discussed.

One day workshop

Instructor: Tae Smith - Professor at Parsons The New School for Design, New York, NY. Free-lance textile conservator, costume and textile installation expert.

This one day, hands-on workshop will teach participants basic pattern making alterations to create garments most often used in the dressing of costume exhibitions. The workshop will start with a quick review of garment patterns. Then, using 1⁄2 scale pattern templates, participants will learn how to pivot darts, create seams, draft different sleeve and skirt silhouettes and join the bodice and skirt to create an underslip/chemise. Pattern-making experience is not necessary.

1/2 day workshop

Instructor: Scott Geffert–Senior Imaging Systems Manager, The Photography Studio,The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

This 1/2 day workshop will focus on color measurement and color management strategies in a real world context. Conservators rely on effective communication about color yet many of the devices used, from digital cameras to displays and printers, can be unpredictable if not properly configured and monitored. Scott will provide insight into the topic with a high level overview of the color-managed workflow followed by specific examples of successful implementations throughout the museum.

An ecological alternative to dry-cleaning of historical textiles / Karla Castillo Leyva
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Big banners, tight spaces: Storage solutions at the Hispanic Society of America / Joy Davis, Janet Lee, Kirsten Schoonmaker
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Hanging Around: Unobtrusive display solutions for working clothes in the Barbara Hepworth Studio / Stella Gardner, Alison Lister ACR, Abigail Tyler
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Costumes on the move / Sarah Gates, Anne Getts
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When mobility is the cause of damage: The conservation of a 1950’s handbag / Zoë Lanceley, Karen Thompson
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Traditionally ornamented 17th century woolen shawl: Research, conservation and reconstruction / Jana Libiete, Indra Saulesleja, Indra Tuna, Irita Zeiere
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Rotation Ready / Denise Migdail, Courtney Helion
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The freezer limbo: How low should it go and for how long should it stay? / Sara Reiter
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Migration of dyes in archaeological textiles from wet sites / Maj Ringgaard
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I have a gel, and I know how to use it! An examination of the working properties of agarose gels in textile conservation / Emma Schmitt
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Supporting double-sided trade banners: How rare earth magnets allow for both sides to be viewed / Gwen Spicer
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Reaping the Benefits: Conserving a Countryman’s Smock for Community Use / Abigail Tyler, Megan De Silva
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Muscogee beaded bandolier bag: Moving from shoulder to storage, from conservation to display / Cathleen Zaret

ABSTRACTS