2022 MRCG Symposium Workshop
RIGID AND SEMI-RIGID GELS:
METHODOLOGY FOR TREATING LOCALLY AND OVERALL STAINED ARTWORKS
Location: Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Date: Tuesday, September 27, 2022
Time: 10 AM - 4 PM (with a 1-hour lunch on your own)
Cost: $75 **SOLD OUT** The workshop is full but if you wish to be placed on the waitlist, please email Melina Avery at MRCG.vicepres@gmail.com
Instructor: Sophie Barbisan, Associate Paper Conservator, Saint Louis Art Museum
DESCRIPTION
The relatively recent introduction of rigid or semi-rigid gels (gellan gum, agarose, agar, xanthan gum etc.) to the field of paper conservation opened new possibilities for treatments, especially for local cleaning. In the fall of 2016, research began at the Smithsonian American Art Museum focused on the use of rigid gels as well as the optimization of aqueous systems for local treatment of stained artworks on paper with water-sensitive media. This workshop is based on the results of this research, and was later expanded to include applications in other specialties.
LECTURE
The morning program comprises a 2-hour lecture and discussion session. The lecture covers the specific properties of agarose, gellan gum and xanthan gum; parameters such as the concentration and the application method will be discussed. The presentation touches on how these parameters influence treatment decisions for overall and local cleaning. An overview of selected chelating agents in gels will also be included.
HANDS-ON WORKSHOP
The afternoon workshop is a 3-hour hands-on session designed primarily for conservation professionals who work with paper artworks, but other specialties will find useful applications. Some stained paper samples will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own samples to practice on.
REGISTRATION
Please note: Only 12 spaces are available for this workshop. Attendance to 2022 Annual Symposium and current MRCG membership is required.
INSTRUCTOR’S BIO
Sophie Barbisan has been the Associate Paper Conservator for the Saint Louis Art Museum since 2018. She graduated in 2016 from the National Institute of Cultural Heritage (Institut National du Patrimoine, Paris, France), specializing in paper and parchment conservation. Sophie previously held two fellowships, one at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in 2018 and one at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in 2017. Her primary research interest is focused on the local cleaning of stained artworks on paper with rigid gels. She completed various internships including a six-months internship at the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies, Harvard Art Museums. She also interned at the Louvre (Paris) and at the Museum of Fine Arts in Orleans (West France). Sophie recently served on the board of the Midwest Regional Conservation Guild as Vice President (2018-2020).
Many thanks to our sponsors for this workshop!
