Preventive Conservation

The GCI's annual course on preventive conservation will be held May 4-20, 1992. The principal aim of the course is to provide the latest technical information on control of the museum environment and to encourage the implementation of preventive conservation practices. Since conservators must be adept as managers and advocates in order to be effective in establishing preventive conservation as a priority, the course will consider the organizational context in which conservation issues exist and, through case studies and exercises, emphasize problem solving.

Designed for mid- to senior-level conservators, the course has been increased from 10 to 13 days to include a number of new sessions on the environmental concerns of exhibitions and the packing and transport of art objects. In addition, the session on aesthetic, low-level lighting has been expanded.

On-site Conservation of Excavated Archaeological Materials

Organized by the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus and the GCI, this three-week course, to be held May 11-29, 1992, will take place on the site of excavations being directed by Dr. Demetrios Michaelides in a Roman villa in Paphos.

The course is designed for conservation technicians in supervisory positions who have practical experience both in museums and in the field in the conservation of excavated archaeological materials, but who do not have extensive professional training in this area. The objective of the course is to improve the conservation technicians' abilities in the safe retrieval, handling, transportation, storage, and conservation of excavated archaeological materials.

Course work will take place in conjunction with the archaeological excavation and will be complemented with lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and on-site practices. The principal instructors will be Claire Dean, of the University of North Dakota, and Andreas Georgiades, of the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus.

Recent Methods in the Lining of Paintings

The GCI and the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts School of Conservation will conduct a course on "Recent Methods in the Lining of Paintings" on August 3-21, 1992, at the School of Conservation in Copenhagen.

A small number of senior-level paintings conservators from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia will be selected for the course, with preference given to candidates who teach conservation. Participation will be limited to those who are employed by museums or teaching institutions, have at least five years of experience, and are nominated for attendance in the course by the directors of their institutions.

Course topics will include: methods of preparing paintings for lining, stabilization of paintings, lining of paintings, and the principles and use of suction equipment in the lining of paintings. The instructors include Steen Bjarnhof, Head of the Paintings Conservation Department at the School of Conservation; Mikkel Scharff, Paintings Conservator and Lecturer at the School of Conservation; and Wieslaw Mitka, designer of suction equipment. The course will be taught in English.