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Denver Art Museum

January - August 2021, Denver, CO

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Conservation and Technical Studies department at the Denver Art Museum (DAM)

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DAM is in the midst of renovating the Martin building that houses the permanent collection, due to open October 2021. Hundreds of objects over seven floors need treatment, mounts, and installation.

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DAM's conservation department includes, objects, paintings, paper, textile, modern/contemporary conservation, and shares a space with the mount-making department. The specialties work closely together, and I collaborating with nearly every specialty during my internship.

 

My internship focused on bench work for the upcoming installations, including the Latin American Art, Indigenous Art of North America, and Asian Art galleries. In addition, I supported ongoing department projects in modern and contemporary conservation, mount making, outreach, and outdoor sculpture.

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A selection of treatments, analysis, and other projects is given below.

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Treatment of Thai Nang Yai shadow puppet

Cleaning, repair, toning, and mounting of a five-foot painted leather shadow puppet for permanent installation in the Asian Art galleries

Department-Wide Projects

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'Cow and Calf'

Yearly washing, hot  waxing, and patination of DAM's iconic Scottish Angus Cow and Calf  (2001) by Dan Ostermiller

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Internal Mounts

Creating internal mounts for moccasins, boots, tobacco bags, and cradleboards for exhibition

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'Mud Woman'

Vacuuming the monumental Mud Woman Rolls On (2010) by Roxanne Swenztell in preparation for the artist's repairs 

Image c/o Aaron Burgess

Treatment of a Kiowa
Cradle Board

Structural stabilization to the wooden frame and repairs to the beadwork  for permanent installation in the Indigenous Art of North America  gallery.

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Treatment of a Polychrome Christ Figure

Cleaning, consolidation, replicating elements, and inpainting of a gilded polychrome figure for installation in the Latin American Art gallery.

Image c/o Gina Laurin

Modern and Contemporary Conservation and Work with Living Artists

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Exhibition Prep for Simphiwe Ndzube

Repairs to the foam crocodile by Simphiwe Ndzube in Oracles of the Pink Universe in consultation with the artist

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Artist Interview with Senga Nengudi

Collaboration and interview with Senga Nengudi to repair and deinstall A.C.Q. I (2016-2017)

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Installation of Butterfield Horses

Collaborating with Deborea Butterfield to install and wax DAM's collection of her work

Treatment of cradleboard

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Image c/o Kate Moomaw-Taylor

Treatment of the Wooden
Facade of an Islamic Palace

Assessment, cleaning, analysis, and structural repairs to a front facade of an Islamic palace, originally from Pakistan. 

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Image c/o Anna Piwowar

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Treatment of a Sioux Tobacco Bag

Surface cleaning and stabilization of the quillwork and leather.

Treatment of a Tibetan
Offering Mandala

Research into the conservation of food in museum exhibitions, and impregnation of rice with Paraloid B72. Silver cleaning and polishing.

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X-Ray Florescence

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Material Identification

Identifying toxic pigments on a 17the century Peruvian kero cup.

View Analysis
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Pesticides in Taxidermy

Screening for toxic pesticides in the taxidermy of Well  (2007) by Huang Yong Ping

View Analysis
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Pigment
Analysis

Determining the pigment and binder in a Latin American polychrome creche figure

View Analysis

Analysis in collaboration with and c/o Aaron Burgess

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