Twenty Years of Conservation
Improvements through CAP
Quincy Art Center | CAP Year: 1998 |
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Quincy Art Center Carriage House |
Founded in 1932, the Quincy Art Center in Quincy, Illinois collects and exhibits paintings and fine art prints, drawings, photographs, and a small number of three-dimensional works. In 1998, director Julie Nelson applied to have those collections and the Center’s historic carriage house building assessed through the Conservation Assessment Program. The collections were assessed by Elizabeth Batchelor, and the carriage house was assessed by architect Philip Hamp. The recommendations for improving collections care included updating condition reports for all holdings, photographing each piece, and un-framing and re-housing all works on paper that had previously been stored in acidic mats. UV protective shades were recommended for the windows in the gallery of the carriage house, and it was recommended that the HVAC system be updated in the collections vault.
Nelson said that the paper object rehousing, condition reports and object photography was seen to immediately. "We felt a new appreciation and ownership for the collection as we went through [the process]." Some of the larger projects required fund-raising, and were worked into the Art Center’s long-range plan. Starting with fund-raising efforts in 1999, the HVAC upgrades and UV filters were in place by 2005.
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Quincy Art Center |
As many museums that have occupied historic structures for a long time can attest, the recommendations for building improvements for the Art Center’s carriage house turned out to be the most urgent ones. Electrical improvements were sorely needed in the 1887 structure, whose frayed wiring presented a serious fire hazard. New lighting was also needed for both the office and gallery areas. The 1980s wing was not without its concerns – it was recommended that overgrown shrubbery, which can damage building exteriors and attract pests, be removed and replaced with smaller shrubs that did not encroach on the building. Like the collections recommendations, these improvements were also accomplished by 2005 with funds raised from local donors, foundations, and grants through the State of Illinois.
Julie Nelson had this advice to give to other small museums looking to improve conservation standards: "as a small museum with a small staff, it is always hard to keep everything going and continue to move forward with conservation work. It is very important but does not seem to directly relate to fund-raising or operations, which have to be top priority in these economic times. The best thing to do is write grants and keep board and staff, volunteers and the community involved."
Thanks to Julie Nelson for her help with this article.
Photos courtesy of Quincy Art Center
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