Twenty Years of Conservation
Improvements through CAP
Alutiiq Museum |
CAP Year: 1999 |
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Alutiiq Museum Lighting |
The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository was founded in 1995 by the Kodiak Area Native Association. The establishment of the museum provided the Kodiak Alutiiq community with a place to store its collection of over 100,000 items. In 1999, the museum participated in CAP to obtain recommendations for proper storage and exhibition of the artifacts. Conservator Brook Bowman, of the Alaska State Museum in Juneau, conducted their collections survey.
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New Emergency Supplies |
Using their CAP report as a tool, the museum applied for a grant from the Alaska State Museum’s 2000 Grant-in-Aid Program. Their proposal was entitled “Alutiiq Museum Collections Care Project – CAP Improvements” and they were awarded over $8,000 to purchase supplies and implement recommendations outlined in the CAP survey. To insure implementation of most of their conservator’s recommendations, the museum staff assigned a major conservation project to each month from August 2000 until April 2001. One month was dedicated to improving emergency preparedness, others to illumination, pest management, exhibits, and so forth. By spending an entire month focusing on each issue, the staff ensured their conservation recommendations were optimized. The museum purchased materials such as archival boxes and acid free tissue to upgrade storage of bone, antler and ivory, as well as a negative 40-degree freezer to process archaeological materials and ensure that they are pest free. A special map flat file is now used for their limited access archaeological maps of the Kodiak archipelago.
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New Storage Supplies |
By the summer of 2009, Steffian confirmed that 95% of the museum’s CAP recommendations had been implemented. One large award, a $50,000 IMLS Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Grant, was secured to upgrade the lighting throughout the entire museum to meet museum best practices. The Alutiiq Museum paired this with an NEH Preservation Assistance Grant to host a workshop on museum lighting that was attended by representatives of all Kodiak’s museums.
Steffian stresses that the key to a successful CAP is a positive approach. "The recommendations are nothing to be scared of or ashamed of–they have to be seen as an opportunity. They help the museum to obtain funding. Use your recommendations in your long-range planning and grant-writing! CAP is a great bang for the buck, a great return for a small investment."
Thanks to Amy Steffian for her help with this article.
Photos courtesy of The Alutiiq Museum
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