FIRST-YEAR ACTIVITIES

The first year of WUDPAC (the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation) introduced me to many conservation disciplines through a block system. Each block focused on one conservation discipline and I learned the technology of the material, how it deteriorates chemically and mechanically, and the basics of how to examine and treat items within each specialty.

Paper, Library and archives, Textiles, Organic objects, Inorganic objects, Photography, Furniture, Preventive and Paintings.

We had short courses covering polarized light microscopy, the identification of fibers and pigments, and the sampling and examination of cross-sections.

Additionally, we took four science courses:

Properties and Structure of Art Materials I & II and Chemical and Physical Techniques Used in the Examination of Art Materials I & II

  • Library Block

  • Inorganic Block

  • Furniture Block

  • Electrolysis lab in ARTC 671

  • Cross-sections with Peggy Olley and ​Kirsten Travers Moffitt

  • Paintings Block

  • Textiles Block

  • Paper Block

  • Field trip during paintings block to the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

  • Basketry in Organic Block

  • Identifying photography processes in Photo Block