Workshops

If you would like to propose a workshop please contact our chair.

PRESENTING FOR 2023…Wait, You Collect What?!?

Join the Registrars Committee Western Region to (virtually) dive into the worlds of specialty collections. Every museum has something a bit bizarre, but sometimes a main component of your collection or mission makes you think outside the box. Are your collections alive? Do you drive your artifacts? Or has your museum studies degree put you in charge of explosive safety for over 100 torpedoes? Let’s learn how different institutions are acquiring, cataloging, and managing these collections; you might learn something to bring back to your institution, or be more grateful for what you collect!

WAIT, You Collect What?!?
In Plane Site: Art in a Very Public Space

September 28, 2023 @ 10:00am Pacific // Virtual Event

Did you know that there is only one AAM-accredited museum located inside an airport? The SFO Museum has 30+ exhibition sites throughout the airport, and they install about 30 new exhibits each year on diverse themes across art, history, science, and cultural topics. Most of these exhibits are loan-based, but their staff also manages a permanent collection of aviation-related material and maintains San Francisco’s Public Art Collection at the Airport, including site-specific sculptures, large-scale murals and paintings, and photography.

We’ll be joined by Alisa Tsuji, Curator in Charge of Registration for the museum, Jamie O’Keefe, Museum Registrar, and Claire Tsai, Associate Museum Registrar, bringing with them a combined 20 years of experience in this unique environment. So grab your boarding pass, and let’s discuss the unique challenges of registration and collections care in this very public exhibit space, and how their work enriches the public experience at San Francisco International Airport.

This event is part of the Registrars Committee Western Region’s 2023 (virtual) dive into the worlds of specialty collections. Every museum has something a bit bizarre, but sometimes a main component of your collection or mission makes you think outside the box. Are your collections alive? Do you drive your artifacts? Or has your museum studies degree put you in charge of explosive safety for over 100 torpedoes? Let’s learn how different institutions are acquiring, cataloging, and managing these collections; you might learn something to bring back to your institution, or be more grateful for what you collect!

This event was sponsored by Cooke’s Crating – thank you for your support!

WAIT, You Collect What?!? Trains!

June 15, 2023 @ 11:00am Pacific // Virtual Event

A rocking sleeper car, operating locomotives, and a variety of railroad equipment make up some of the California State Railroad Museum collections. Stewarding an operating collection comes with challenges, but also great opportunities. Join Melanie Tran, Chief Curator, on the inside track of keeping this collection relevant and operational.

This event is part of the Registrars Committee Western Region’s 2023 (virtual) dive into the worlds of specialty collections. Every museum has something a bit bizarre, but sometimes a main component of your collection or mission makes you think outside the box. Are your collections alive? Do you drive your artifacts? Or has your museum studies degree put you in charge of explosive safety for over 100 torpedoes? Let’s learn how different institutions are acquiring, cataloging, and managing these collections; you might learn something to bring back to your institution, or be more grateful for what you collect!

This event was sponsored by ArtWork FAS – thank you for your support!

WAIT, You Collect What?!? Things that go BOOM

May 4, 2023 @ 11:00am Pacific // Virtual Event // Free!

Did you not anticipate that explosive safety would be part of your collections management job? Join Beth Sanders of the U.S. Naval Undersea Museum and Kathleen Sligar of the Oregon Military Museum to consider the unique challenges of collecting everything from bullets to ballistic missiles. 

This event is part of the Registrars Committee Western Region’s 2023 (virtual) dive into the worlds of specialty collections. Every museum has something a bit bizarre, but sometimes a main component of your collection or mission makes you think outside the box. Are your collections alive? Do you drive your artifacts? Or has your museum studies degree put you in charge of explosive safety for over 100 torpedoes? Let’s learn how different institutions are acquiring, cataloging, and managing these collections; you might learn something to bring back to your institution, or be more grateful for what you collect!

This event is sponsored by Cooke’s Crating  – thank you for your support!

WAIT, You Collect What?!? Living Collections

March 6, 2023 @ 1pm Pacific // (Virtual Event)

So your collections are alive, what comes next? Join Rachel Burlington of the Portland Rose Garden, alongside Dr. Mandy Tu of the Hoyt Arboretum and Seth Menser of the Oregon Zoo for a discussion on how plant and herbarium collections fit into museum collections management, and how best practices can be a little bit different when you need to keep your collection alive!

This event is part of the Registrars Committee Western Region’s 2023 (virtual) dive into the worlds of specialty collections. Every museum has something a bit bizarre, but sometimes a main component of your collection or mission makes you think outside the box. Are your collections alive? Do you drive your artifacts? Or has your museum studies degree put you in charge of explosive safety for over 100 torpedoes? Let’s learn how different institutions are acquiring, cataloging, and managing these collections; you might learn something to bring back to your institution, or be more grateful for what you collect!

This event was sponsored by ArtWork FAS – thank you for your support!

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional (In Person!) The Care and Cleaning of Baskets

August 25, 2022 @ 10am - 3pm // Arizona State Museum Conservation Lab, Tucson, AZ // $30 (member); $45 (non-member)

Join Gina Watkinson to learn about the care of basketry. She will introduce the factors that can cause deterioration and will cover how to handle, rehouse, clean, and mount these objects properly. Gina will provide innovative solutions by sharing examples and her experience caring for basketry at the Arizona State Museum. Participants will get the opportunity to test out these basic cleaning techniques, and take home their own personal supply kit!

Conservator Gina Watkinson kneels next to a large basket

Gina is the conservation laboratory manager at the Arizona State Museum (ASM), University of Arizona where she has worked since 2007. She received a BA from the University of Delaware Art Conservation Department in 2007, a MA in American Indian Studies with a graduate certificate in Heritage Conservation from the University of Arizona in 2013 and is currently a doctoral candidate in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona. Gina is a professional associate of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and the co-chair for the AIC Archaeological Discussion Group.

RC-WR Behind the Scenes Opportunity at the Jundt Art Museum in Spokane!

June 16, 2022 @ 2:30-5:00pm // Spokane, WA // FREE!

Are you located in eastern Washington or northern Idaho and want to socialize with your fellow registrars? Join us for a vault tour of collections storage spaces at the Jundt Art Museum at Gonzaga University! We’ll start with a quick overview of the summer exhibitions and then provide a full look into the museum’s two storage vaults. With a collection of nearly 6,000 prints, paintings, and sculptures, let’s chat about the various ways our institutions store fine arts and help each other overcome storage obstacles. We’ll finish off the day by wandering down the Centennial Trail for a happy hour out on the patio at Osprey Restaurant & Bar, enjoy the views of the Spokane River, and watch the marmots play!

Photograph collage of Goganza University and three storage areas

When: Thursday, June 16, 2022, 2:30-4:00pm tour, 4:00-5:00pm happy hour
Where: Jundt Art Museum, 200 E. Desmet Ave, Spokane, WA 99202
Cost: FREE (food and beverage at Osprey not included)
Space for the tour is limited to 10 collections professionals, RSVP to Britta Arendt by Friday, May 27th to reserve your spot!

Join us at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon on Thursday, June 2nd

June 2, 2022 @ 10am - 3pm // Astoria, OR

RC-WR for Oregon is pleased to invite you to the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon for a presentation on collections moves, a behind-the-scenes tour of our “off-site” collection storage, and a first look at our new exhibit, Shipwrecks!. The presentation will start promptly at 10am, break for lunch at Fort George Brewery, then return for a tour of collections and the new exhibit.

*The presentation will examine large and small-scale moves, unpacking and permanent storage, barcoding and art storage, and consolidation and fundraising efforts for new storage.

 

Presenters:
Lydia Heins, Curation & Collections Director, Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
Helen Fedchak, Curator of Collections, Oregon Historical Society
Jeff Smith, Curator, Columbia River Maritime Museum
Meg Glazier-Anderson, Registrar, Columbia River Maritime Museum

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional Webinar Series

November 19, 2020 - January 20, 2022 // Virtual

Revisit RCWR’s 2020-2021 webinar series, Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional, featuring hands-on demonstrations by professional conservators of basic conservation skills that you can put to use with your own collection.

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Care and Cleaning of Taxidermy
January 20, 2022 @ 10:00am Pacific

Fran Ritchie, objects conservator for the National Park Service (NPS) Harpers Ferry Center, will share her knowledge and advice on the care and basic cleaning of mounted taxidermy. The presentation will include proper handling, safety protocols, how to vacuum, and tips for storage housing. To tailor the talk to the audience, specific questions will be solicited prior to the webinar. If you have any lingering questions, now is the time to ask!

Fran works on a wide variety of decorative arts, social history, and natural history collections across park sites. Prior to the NPS, she developed a specialty in natural history conservation by working at the American Museum of Natural History, Draper Museum of Natural History, and several small and private collections across the United States. Fran has co-taught graduate student courses on conservation of natural science collections at New York University, and guest lectured on the topic at Buffalo State College. She is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation and an active member of the Society for Preservation of Natural History Collections.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, U.S. Art – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Hazardous Materials
December 16, 2021 @ 10:00am Pacific

Since her internship at the National Museum of the American Indian, Özge Gençay Üstün has been intrigued by the testing of heavy metals pesticides especially on organic artifacts. This has led her master’s thesis at UCLA/Getty Conservation of Cultural Heritage program and later on as her profession at the Autry Museum of the American West. One of many hats Özge wore there was safety handling of cultural heritage materials possibly contaminated with these nasty chemicals. Aside from testing she felt responsible for informing handlers of these cultural materials, especially the communities that some items would be repatriated to. For this she held in-museum workshops to inform professionals and created some protocols of safety handling and housing of these artifacts. Özge is very excited to be presenting this information to the Registrars Committee -Western Region, this time online.

The Pandemic has changed so much in her professional life, but she never stopped being an advocate for cultural heritage and conservation. Since 2013 she has been in the team for the Alalakh/Tell Atchana excavation, a middle Bronze Age archaeological site and loves to share her conservation and preservation skills in a multidisciplinary setting. She is interested in preventive conservation, specifically Oddy testing for creating safe enclosures for housed/exhibited objects, environmental monitoring and Integrated Pest Management. Özge is always curious solving conservation related problems using analytical tools. Be it self-improvement or sharing her expertise, education is always her passion. She is always happy to provide workshops and tutorials on conservation matters to the public at any age as well as professionals.

 

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Gander & White – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Practical Care of Ceramics
November 18, 2021 @ 10:00am Pacific

Join Samantha Springer, owner and principal of Art Solutions Lab, to get a refresher on the various types of ceramics typically found in collections and general care practices. She will discuss a variety of cleaning methods used on ceramics including current conservation techniques so you are familiar with them when working with a conservator. The majority of the presentation will focus on methods that can be carried out by collections care staff and volunteers. A live demonstration of the most useful cleaning practices will be given.

Samantha Springer established Art Solutions Lab, a cultural heritage and fine art conservation practice, in Portland, OR in 2020. She provides collections care, courier, display mount, and treatment services for sculpture and variable art to regional arts and culture organizations, museums, artists, and private collectors. Her practice grows from a foundation of work at institutions with broad fine art collections and organizations with anthropological collections from around the world ranging from the Cleveland Museum of Art to the Field Museum of Chicago and National Museum of the American Indian. While Samantha remains a generalist due to the nature of her job, she has a particular interest in preventive conservation, sustainability, and working with living artists and cultural representatives as a means towards preserving less tangible aspects of artwork, such as artist’s intent.

 

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Cooke’s Crating – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Thinking Inside & Outside The (Archival) Box: Some Tips for Storing 3D Costume
September 9,  2021 @ 10:00am PDT
References list prepared by Meg Geiss-Mooney available here

Margaret (Meg) Geiss-Mooney will share some tips and recommendations for storing 3D costume objects. Tailored costume objects from all ages can be some of the most challenging to safely store. She will discuss briefly issues to be considered when determining the most appropriate solutions.

Meg is a conservator in private practice specializing in fibre-based media (such as textile and costume; costume accessories; basketry), based in Northern California since 1979. She is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC). She has served in a variety of capacities for the AIC Textiles Specialty Group and the Costume Society of America. Meg provides a full range of services including assessments; treatment; integrated pest management; disaster preparedness and response; preparation of custom supports, hangers and boxes for storage, display and/or loan and training (on-site and on line). Past on-site work includes conventional (i.e. accredited museum and heritage agencies) locations as well as unconventional (i.e. Scout hut, cruise ship, department store, winery), regionally and internationally.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Art Work FAS – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Preventing Corrosion on Composite Leather Objects
August 19,  2021 @ 10:00am PDT

That metal corrodes is common knowledge, but the interaction of metals with leather and textiles is not as often considered when storing and exhibiting composite objects and costumes. A simple solution of placing archival materials between the metals and the other object can prevent irreversible damage. We will discuss some of these interactions and materials to be considered as barriers.

Rachel Waters is a conservator living in Estes Park, Colorado specializing in composite objects and costume collections. She became a Professional Associate with the American Institute for Conservation in 2010, and has spent the subsequent years working in the Western United States.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Crozier Fine Arts – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Mold in Our Collections!
July 22,  2021 @ 10:00am PDT

Corine Landrieu will be sharing some of her knowledge about mold, and the different ways to identify it in our collections. She will also discuss protective measures to limit its spread and to avoid contamination to individuals.

Corine is an objects and sculpture conservator in private practice, working in Seattle. She offers conservation services for the cleaning, repair and treatment of a broad range of sculpture and objects, from the monumental to miniatures, to museums, local and regional institutions and governmental agencies, and private and corporate clients. Other services include condition and treatment documentation, collection assessments, environmental assessments, and consultation.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, U.S. Art – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Rust Never Sleeps!
June 17,  2021 @ 10:00am PDT
List of Resources and Supplies prepared by Francis Lukezic available here

“Rust never sleeps!” Join Francis Lukezic to learn about types of metals commonly encountered in collections, why they corrode, what the corrosion looks like for different metals, and strategies for handling and storing corroded metal objects. The presentation will include preventive conservation techniques, pitfalls to avoid, and when to contact a conservator.

Francis Lukezic is an objects conservator at the Naval History & Heritage Command, Conservation Branch, in Richmond, VA. She received a BA in Art Conservation from the University of Delaware and a MSc in Conservation Practice from Cardiff University in the United Kingdom. Francis is a professional associate of the American Institute for Conservation.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Gander & White – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
The Care and Cleaning of Baskets
May 20,  2021 @ 10:00am PDT
Resources for the Care of Basketry prepared by Gina Watkinson available here

Join Gina Watkinson to learn about the care of basketry. She will introduce the factors that can cause deterioration and will cover how to handle, rehouse, clean, and mount these objects properly. Gina will provide innovative solutions by sharing examples and her experience caring for basketry at the Arizona State Museum.

Gina is the conservation laboratory manager at the Arizona State Museum (ASM), University of Arizona where she has worked since 2007. She received a BA from the University of Delaware Art Conservation Department in 2007, a MA in American Indian Studies with a graduate certificate in Heritage Conservation from the University of Arizona in 2013 and is currently a doctoral candidate in the School of Anthropology at the University of Arizona. Gina is a professional associate of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and the co-chair for the AIC Archaeological Discussion Group.


This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Cooke’s Crating – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Conservation Hinging for Works of Art on Paper
April 15,  2021 @ 10:00am PDT
Supplies List prepared by Emily Derse available here

Join Emily Derse, a paper conservator in private practice in the Seattle area, to discuss conservation hinging for works of art on paper.

Over decades of private practice and museum training, Emily has come across countless hinging disasters that could have been avoided with some basic conservation knowledge and careful hand skills. In this session, Emily will discuss the perils of adding adhesives to paper supports and we will learn about a few elegant hinge-free mounting solutions to have in your back pocket for storage, transport, and display.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Art Work FAS – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Detection and Cleaning of Soot
March 18, 2021 @ 10:00am PDT

Join Rosa Lowinger to learn about techniques for the detection and cleaning of soot, a topic of growing importance with the rising prevalence of fires in certain areas. Rosa Lowinger is President and Chief Conservator of RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture, a firm with offices in Miami and L.A. A Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and the Association for Preservation Technology, she has been a member of IIC since the 1980s and the 2008-09 Rome Prize Fellow in Conservation at the American Academy in Rome. In addition to practicing conservation, Rosa writes regularly about conservation for mainstream media and is the author of the nonfiction book Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary Cuban Nightclub (Harcourt, 2005).

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Crozier Fine Arts – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Stabilization: Handling and Storage Enclosures for Fragile Paper Objects
February 18, 2021 @ 10:00am PST

Join paper conservator Madison Brockman to learn how to safely handle works on paper and stabilize fragile objects through simple enclosures, without the need for conservation treatment. Madison is currently in her second year as Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Paper Conservation at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. She graduated from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation with a major in Paper Conservation and a minor in Library & Archives Conservation, and has experience working at many highly-regarded California institutions, including LACMA, the Legion of Honor, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Margaret Herrick Library, UCLA Library, and more.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, U.S. Art – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Choosing the Right Stitch

January 21, 2021 @ 10:00am PST
Reference document prepared by Kathleen Daly available here

Knowing the appropriate conservation stitch to use, and when to use it, is an important part of working with costume and textiles in your collection. The wrong stitch, or even the right stitch done incorrectly, can mean permanent damage to an object. Join Kathleen Daly Sligar as she provides instruction on a few stitch techniques that every collections professional should know. Then, learn how to use some of those stitches to properly mount a flat textile for display. With sixteen years of small museum experience and practical and academic work in textile conservation, Kathleen will share methods for not only saving money, but also avoiding costly mistakes.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Gander & White – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
Storage and Display Mounts For Your Book Collections

December 10, 2020 @ 10:00am PST
Resources List prepared by Carolina Veentra available here

Book conservator Carolina Veenstra will discuss book supports for exhibitions and will demonstrate how to make a few simple book cradles constructed with museum board. Throughout her four decades of experience as a conservator and artist, she has taught art and bookbinding to a wide range of students, across all kinds of media. Her direct and practical approach is process-oriented and highly customizable.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Cooke’s Crating – thank you for your support!

 

Hands On! Practical Conservation for the Collections Professional
The Ins and Outs of Condition Surveys

November 19, 2020 @ 10:00am PST
Link to Google form mentioned in webinar available here

Samantha Springer, owner and principal of Art Solutions Lab, will discuss the benefits of using condition and conservation surveys to figure out where to start when caring for a cultural heritage collection. Speaking from her experience as a conservator at a range of museums across the country with broad ranging collections, Samantha will review different types of assessments and show you how to use widely available resources to get started on your own condition survey.

This webinar was sponsored by our Tier 1 Sponsor, Art Work FAS – thank you for your support!

Shipping Essentials: A Registrar’s Inside Guide for Shipping and More

January 24, 2020 @ 9:30am - 5:00pm // The Broad, Los Angeles, CA // $75/person

Join your colleagues in learning how to ship art and artifacts domestically and internationally from start to finish. Speakers will cover timelines, internal museum policies, trucking vs. air freight, crate requirements, customs issues, standard courier requirements, and more. This workshop is geared towards emerging museum professionals who are unfamiliar with the shipping process, as well as those mid-career Registrars who’d like to bone up on the process, become more efficient, or gain an inside track on how best to communicate with shippers.

Speakers Included:

Naomi Abe, Registrar for the Getty Villa
Naomi currently holds the position as the Registrar for the Villa at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Prior to joining the Getty, Naomi was a project coordinator at the shipping company Atelier 4 in Los Angeles, Associate Registrar at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles and Assistant Registrar and then Collections Manager at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles. She has worked on various aspects of managing art, including exhibitions, loans, collections management and packing and shipping.

Jacqueline Cabrera, Independent/Contract Registrar
Jacqueline currently is Principal at Cabrera + Art + Management, Los Angeles. Prior to becoming an independent/contract registrar, she was at the J. Paul Getty Museum as Associate Registrar for the Villa and Exhibitions for 20 years. Prior to joining the Getty, she was Registrar at the Long Beach Museum of Art and Assistant to the Modern and Impressionist specialist at Sotheby’s Auction House. In addition to having experience in shipping and exhibitions (including traveling exhibitions), she also manages collections of various mediums. Jacqueline was co-founder and former President of ARCS (Association of Registrars and Collection Specialists) and former Chair of the RCWR.

Amanda Shumante, Contract Registrar
Amanda moved to Los Angeles from Virginia in the winter of 2007. Her first job was part studio, part personal, assistant for an artist in Santa Monica. Since then Amanda has worked for various foundations, studios, crate shops and freight forwarders in LA. The bulk of her experience is with Dietl International, where she spent 8 years as the West Coast Museum Exhibitions Manager. Currently Amanda is working as a contract registrar for few clients in LA.

Time Based Media Panel

January 15, 2020 // Berkeley, CA

 

A discussion on Time-Based Media (TBM) was held at the Hearst Museum of Anthropology on the UC Berkeley campus, Wednesday January 15, 2020 from 4:00 to 6:00pm. For those new to TBM, the term describes any artwork that has both physical and temporal dimensions, unfolding over time when presented. Typical examples of TBM (known also as New Media or Media Art) are video and sound artworks, film-based installations, computer or software-based art and other forms of technology-based artworks, many of which can be regarded as installation art. The Time Based Media Panel discussion at the Hearst Museum examined topics of acquisition, cataloging and tracking, exhibition, loan, and storage of these works. Panelists from the Berkeley Art Museum Pacific Film Archive, the Oakland Museum of California, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art shared concerns and proposed solutions for museum staff in the management and care of TBM works. Panel attendees were encouraged to bring questions and shared experiences in an open forum Q&A directly after the panel discussion.

Time Based Media Workshop

Basketry with Margaret Mathewson

May 22, 2017 @ 9:30am-2:30pm // Philomath, OR // $35 for members

Do you have a basketry collection or a piece you need to identify? Want to know if it was made regionally, nationally on internationally? Or, are you just interested in knowing more about basketry? If so, join OMA, RCWR and Margaret Mathewson on May 22, from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the Benton County Historical Museum in Philomath, OR. We will be providing a bag lunch, and you’re invited to continue your conversation with fellow attendees over a light tea from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Workshop fee is $35 for OMA and RCWR members / $50 for non-members which includes an annual membership to either OMA or RCWR.

basket

Workshop Details:
During this workshop, Margaret will demonstrate the proper care, storage, and handling of basketry. She will discuss analysis: including techniques, materials and attribution of origin. Margaret will talk about proper practices for housing and cleaning baskets, and basketry identification. As well, she will discuss the philosophy of not repairing baskets, rather leaving a basket in its current state so as not to compromise later study. Feel free to bring a piece from your collection to use as your specimen for the day!

We will be providing a bag lunch, and you’re invited to continue your conversation with fellow attendees over a light tea from 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

margaret matheson

Margaret Mathewson is a scholar, teacher, and basket maker, weaving contemporary and traditional styles from many parts of the world since 1980. After graduating from UC Santa Cruz, she did graduate work at UC Berkeley focusing on contemporary issues in the maintenance of ancestral ways among native peoples in California. She pursued post-doctoral study at the Smithsonian USNMNH, focused on the study of old basketry collections and working with tribes to revive traditions. She continues to attend Western Native weavers’ gatherings every year and works for tribes in several states on issues of land management, access to weaving materials and ancestral food plants, and on cultural resources education. She also teaches Native American Land Management and Agriculture in the Department of Agriculture at Oregon State University.

This workshop is co-sponsored by the Oregon Museums Association.

Crash Course in Collections

June 16, 2015 // various, Utah

RC-WR and the Utah Division of Arts and Museums cosponsored the Crash Course in Collections workshop on June 16. There were 16 participants from small museums all over the state. The workshop focused on an introduction to basic storage (boxes and cavity mounts), display (including hinging and matting), object labeling and condition reporting, and object handling.

iPad 101: Tablet Technology for the Registrar

September 26, 2014

38 registrars attended the workshop held at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  With generous support from Robertson Taylor and Atelier 4, we were able to fly out Brent Mitchell from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas.  Brent is the head registrar at the Modern and has researched and practiced mobile technology for years in his continuous efforts to streamline his workload with mobile technology.  Brent presented on using the iPad for exhibitions, loans, and collections care. He also demonstrated apps on his iPad while participants followed along on their own tablets.

Meghan Grossman Hansen from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Museum presented on how she has adapted tablet technology for digital condition reporting and traveling exhibitions while working within the constraints of an institution with stringent security (e.g. no DropBox) and no wifi in the galleries.

RC-WR received an overwhelming response of interest for the workshop and we’re happy to announce that the workshop was video recorded.  The video is currently being formatted by the Audio Visual department at LACMA, and we will be posted to the RC-WR website as soon as it’s available.

Joint RC-WR and Museum Association Arizona Preservation Workshop: “What’s in Your Archives?”

May 3, 2014 // Flagstaff, AZ

The Museum of Northern Arizona hosted this workshop in conjunction with the 2014 MAA Annual Conference. The workshop focused on the long-term preservation of photographic and audiovisual materials, which is an ongoing concern amongst registrars and collection managers as technologies continue to rapidly advance.

Kim R. du Boise, Senior Conservator at PhotoArts Imaging Professionals, presented on the topic as well as provided hands-on demonstrations on photograph preservation techniques. Elaine Hughes, Collections Manager at the MNA, gave a tour of the new Easton Collection Center; a LEED certified building that sets a new standard for collection storage.  Finally, Andreane Balconi, Archives Associate at the MNA, shared some of the Museum’s unique photographic holdings.

Care of Collections: Paper

October 9, 2013 @ 8:30am - 4:30pm // Salt Lake City, Utah // $35 (lunch is on your own)

Exploring the specific needs of paper-based collections: the nature of paper, environmental issues, storage and display considerations as well as the basics of remedial care. Learn how to make material choices for storage housing and enclosures including understanding how these materials affect the storage microenvironment. Workshop exercises and demonstrations encompass understanding catalogue descriptions for the purchase of supplies and introductory remedial care methods.

Instructors: Janet Ruggles, Chief Conservator of Paper, and Stephanie Jewell (Assistant Conservator of Paper) at Balboa Art Conservation Center

Cockled, Frayed and Friable: A Conservator’s View to the Art of Condition Reporting

April 12, 2013 // Pacific Palisades, CA

Sharpen your condition reporting skills in this technical workshop led by conservators working with a variety of materials related to paper, paintings, textiles and outdoor sculpture. The workshop will cover definitions and tools for accurate assessments, proper handling of various objects and materials, and new technologies for condition reporting. The conservator’s view to condition report writing will be invaluable to registrars, collections managers, art couriers and any museum professional handing art and historical objects.

Textile Conservation Workshop

April 4, 2013 // Clackamas, OR

Proper textile preservation doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. This workshop, sponsored by the Registrars Committee – Western Region with support from the Oregon Museums Association, will provide those with some objects handling experience and those who wish to brush up on their skills a deeper knowledge of textile preventative care. A brief introduction to fiber composition and structure will help you understand why textiles do what they do, and why we care for them in the manner in which we do. By the end of this workshop you will know how to create an effective condition report, properly prepare textiles for storage, how to construct padded hangers (yours to take home), and how to photograph and roll textiles. As well, a portion of the afternoon will be dedicated to box construction. Feel free to bring an object that will fit into the 13″L x 8″W x 2.5″H practice box you will construct and keep.

Disaster Recovery for Collections: The First 24-48 Hours After an Emergency

October 21, 2012 // Palm Springs, CA

Disaster response requires quick action and immediate decisions. Join this workshop and get a jump start on your preparation and training! Participants will learn recovery methods from experienced senior conservators, practice skills through a wet recovery drill, and discover their planning weaknesses.

Don’t delay — the early bird conference registration deadline is July 31st! For more information on the conference and to register, visit the WMA website.

This workshop has been sponsored by the Registrars Committee Western Region with generous funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Environmental Management: Stewardship & Sustainability

May 22, 2012 // Portland, OR

This one-day program will explore new approaches to controlling environmental conditions in cultural institutions. Leading experts in the field will present physically and financially feasible environmental control strategies to help institutions preserve collections materials for the long term.

Topics to be covered will include:

  • The collections environment
  • Understanding the building/climate relationship
  • New approaches and best practices for environmental control
  • Environmental monitoring and data analysis

This program is intended for staff of cultural heritage organizations responsible for monitoring and managing environmental conditions for collections, including registrars, facilities managers, archivists, librarians, curators, collections managers, and stewards of historic house museums.

Surveying and Assessing Collections Needs

September 23, 2011 // Honolulu, HI

Surveying and assessing an institution’s collection care needs is an important step in the development of a preservation plan. Participants will learn about different types of surveys and assessments, and how to best evaluate institutional needs and shape the resultant plan. Funding sources for surveys and how a survey can be used as a funding tool for implementations strategies will be discussed. Practicum includes use of equipment and testing methods to monitor environmental conditions as well as procedures for analysis of results. This workshop is designed to provide guidance and resources for participants to assess immediate and future preservation needs of collections.

Basic Principles of Mount Making & Beyond

September 23, 2011 // Honolulu, HI

Attend this half day workshop and learn basic and advanced principles of mount making and earthquake mitigation measures, from contours, clips and cast interfaces to seismic isolation. Panelists will speak about the latest materials being used, methods, systems, designed environments, best practices and affordable solutions. Learn how to safely mount your art and artifacts while fulfilling your curators and exhibition designers’ visions.

Soft Packing Workshop

September 23, 2011 // Honolulu, HI

Learn how to safely move and store your artworks and artifacts using soft packing methods. This collections session gives you practical solutions to common problems faced when caring for precious objects. The panelists will cover detailed descriptions of safe archival material, design and techniques, and shipment options.

Not-So-Easy Object Storage: Solutions Found

September 1, 2011 // Seattle, WA

“How the heck do I store that?” Find out about some of the innovative solutions that collections care professionals in the Puget Sound area have developed for artifacts and objects from archaeological, art, ethnographic, historical, and popular culture collections. Attendees will have an opportunity to dialogue with the presenters to share ideas and seek advice about their own institutions’ storage challenges.

Fine Art Museum Collections and Exhibition Insurance

August 5, 2011 // Los Angeles, CA

Refresh your knowledge on the basics of Museum and Exhibition collections insurance. Learn how to purchase Fine Art Collections and Exhibition insurance or what you can do to improve your current policy. Learn some of the current issues concerning exhibition insurance issues both on domestic and international levels.

Natural History Collections: Now That’s Preserved!

April 29, 2011 // Los Angeles, CA

Ever wonder how fluid-preserved specimens, birds, mammals, fish, vertebrate paleontology or minerals are managed within a museum context? Natural History collections present special challenges because they include an entire spectrum of animal, vegetable and mineral items which range in various stages of growth. Learn how these collections are managed and how the structure of a Natural History museum might (or might not) differ from your institution.

Managing FIDM Museum’s Fashion Collection

February 18, 2011 // Los Angeles, CA

The FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Los Angeles campus houses a Permanent and Study Collection of over 12,000 garments, accessories, and textiles from the 18th century through the present day, including film and theatre costume. It is one of the largest such collections in the United States, and top designer holdings include Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, and Lacroix. The FIDM Museum also houses the early Hollywood Costume Collection on loan from the City of Los Angeles, Department of Recreation and Parks. Join your fellow RC-WR members as we learn from Meghan Hansen, Registrar of the FIDM Museum, how she and her staff manage this unique collection.

Two forums with local museum & arts professionals

February 2, 2011 // Pheonix, AZ

Wednesday, February 2nd & Wednesday, February 16th

“What do art professionals do?”

“What can I do with an art degree?”

“Do museum studies majors have to work in museums?”

Creating an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for Collections

October 17, 2010 // Portland, OR

The AAM reviews emergency and disaster plans as part of the accreditation process and specifies that plans need to address staff, visitors, structures, and collections; however the Heritage Health Index determined that 80% of collecting institutions do not have an emergency or disaster plan that includes collections, including how to prevent and prepare for an emergency, and the components of a comprehensive response and recovery plan. Handouts are provided to assist participants in drafting a tailored Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan for their museum.

Art Handling Workshop

October 16, 2010 // Portland, OR

This all day workshop is geared towards museum and other professionals concerned with the safe handling of artworks and artifacts. Areas of focus will include: The basics of handling practices in regard to installations, packing, and storage; handling requirements of objects on loan with emphasis on technical and material requirements of each topical area; job descriptions; and educational opportunities. Training will also be presented on how to build and/or expand staff in any collection-based program.

Soft Packing Workshop

October 11, 2010 // Park City, UT

Learn how to safely move and store your artworks and artifacts using soft packing methods. This collections session gives you practical solutions to common problems faced when caring for precious objects.

Maintenance of Bronze Plaques Workshop

April 5, 2010 // Honolulu, HI

Basic conservation maintenance of bronze plaques and markers will be covered in this morning workshop. The skills learned are applicable to other metal objects. The workshop will have a cleaning and waxing demonstration on a large bronze plaque. Participants will break up into groups to work (hands-on) on other plaques. This workshop is out-of-doors and hands-on, please dress appropriately. The workshop will be organized as follows: 1) Meet-up and introductions. 2) Condition reporting. 3) Washing demonstration. 4) Groups wash plaques. 5) Waxing demonstration. 6) Groups wax plaques. 7) Treatment reporting. 8) Close.

Appraisal Issues for Museums Seminar

February 22, 2010 // Honolulu, HI

Location: ‘Iolani Palace

Art Handling Workshop

November 20, 2009 // San Francisco, CA

This all day workshop is geared towards museum and other professionals concerned with the safe handling of artworks and artifacts. Areas of focus will include: The basics of handling practices in regard to installations, packing, and storage; handling requirements of objects on loan with emphasis on technical and material requirements of each topical area; job descriptions; and educational opportunities. Training will also be presented on how to build and/or expand staff in any collection-based program.

Navigating New Media in Collections without Going Adrift

October 25, 2009 // San Diego, CA

Time-based media such as video art, sound sculptures, oral histories, and other recorded media have been entering our museums collections and exhibitions for decades. The care and management of these works continues to challenge registrars and collection preservationists around the world as media changes are tied to the continuous advancement of technology.

How do we preserve these works without compromising the artists’ intent? How to we, or should we, apply museum collection standards onto this migrating medium? Join your fellow registrars, collection managers, conservators, and media technical managers in an open dialogue as we discuss current issues, preservation advancements, and other challenging museum practices surrounding time-based artwork. Proposed speakers represent a range of collections managers/registrars as well as media specialists outside of institutions. This pre-conference workshop will cover a broad range of material and illuminate current challenges and viewpoints in this media/technological field.

Fine Art Insurance Seminar

October 2, 2009 // Seattle, WA

Refresh your knowledge on the basics of museum and exhibition insurance. Learn how to purchase fine art insurance or what you can do to improve your current policy. Learn some of the current issues in dealing with exhibition insurance on a domestic and international level. Learn from experts in the field. Attendees will have an opportunity to dialogue with the panelists and seek advice about their own institution’s current policy issues.

Copyright Basics Seminar

September 11, 2009 // Portland, OR

Join colleagues in refreshing your skills on the basics of copyright. Learn about intellectual property basics, which types of works can be protected by copyright and what that protection allows (and doesn’t!). Get clarification about “Fair Use” and “Public Domain.” We will learn about utilizing and sharing copyright protected images, non-exclusive licenses and creative common licenses.

Soft Packing: For Internal and External Moves

June 1, 2009 // Scottsdale, AZ

Are you sending objects out on loan, moving into a new facility or moving objects around your current facility? Does your institution lack the funds for professional crafting and moving services? Well, you’re not alone. Come to this one day workshop and learn how to pack objects safely, without crating. We’ll talk about what packing supplies are appropriate in what circumstances and how to soft pack a variety of object types from pottery to paintings. The workshop will include demonstrations on how to soft pack several objects including a piece of pottery, a Kachina Doll, and a framed painting.

Fine Art Insurance Seminar

May 15, 2009 // Pasadena, CA

Refresh your knowledge on the basics of museum and exhibition insurance. Learn how to purchase fine art insurance or what you can do to improve your current policy. Learn some of the current issues in dealing with exhibition insurance on a domestic and international level. Learn from experts in the field. Attendees will have an opportunity to dialogue with the panelists and seek advice about their own institution’s current policy issues.

WAIT, You Collect What?!? Obsolete Media

January 1, 1970 @ 10:00am Pacific // Online // Free!

Becoming the “MacGyver” of your Archives: There’s So Much History to Discover on Obsolete Media Formats

Obsolete media formats contain an untapped goldmine of valuable history just waiting to be discovered and transferred to accessible formats. However, preparing to digitize obsolete media in your collections may seem like a daunting task, especially given the scarcity of resources that many archives and museums encounter. Figuring out how and where to start can seem impossible.

Join Austin Schulz to discuss common questions in digitization of obsolete media and the unique challenges that require some “MacGyvering” to unlock artifacts’ valuable history and expand accessibility through digital preservation. Austin has served as the Archivist for the Idaho National Laboratory for the past four years. Prior to that, he spent 11 years as a Reference Archivist for the Oregon State Archives. He brings extensive experience with digital archiving and making obsolete media material accessible.

This event is part of the Registrars Committee Western Region’s 2023 (virtual) dive into the worlds of specialty collections. Every museum has something a bit bizarre, but sometimes a main component of your collection or mission makes you think outside the box. Are your collections alive? Do you drive your artifacts? Or has your museum studies degree put you in charge of explosive safety for over 100 torpedoes? Let’s learn how different institutions are acquiring, cataloging, and managing these collections; you might learn something to bring back to your institution, or be more grateful for what you collect!

This event was sponsored by Art Work FAS – thank you for your support!

Support Our Sponsors