e-conservation blog

The Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State College seeks conservators to fill a new two-year teaching residency.

The residency is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and offers exceptional professional development opportunities for future conservation educators. Successful candidates should demonstrate a strong interest in teaching and excellent communication skills. At least five years of work experience in conservation is preferred.

Conservation specialization in the areas of objects including wooden artifacts, archaeological, and ethnographic materials will be preferred followed by modern/contemporary art and paintings.

The responsibilities include:
•    Working closely with faculty mentor(s) to develop materials and skills for teaching and research projects.
•    Teaching graduate conservation core curriculum courses, electives and seminars in the candidate’s specialization.
•    Offering selected lectures (during the first year) and two to four-week teaching activities (during the second year) at partnering conservation programs.
•    Organizing (jointly with counterpart resident) the professional activities of the April 2013 and 2014 Association of North American Graduate Programs in Conservation (ANAGPIC) meetings in Los Angeles and Buffalo. The residents would participate in developing the professional themes focusing on particular conservation education challenges.
•    Participation in a seminar at Buffalo State College on Philosophy and history of education, Curriculum development and pedagogy teaching techniques
•    Participation in department research and/or program development for summer 2013 & 2014

The residency dates: start in August 2012 through August 29, 2014

The residency will provide a stipend of $55,000 and full benefits. Support for travel to select conferences and to the partnering conservation program will also be provided. Buffalo State College is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employers.

Applications due by 5pm March 30 2012, and should include a letter of interest in the position, curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation.

Submit applications and questions to: Meredeth Lavelle – LAVELLMA@BuffaloState.edu and in the subject line state: Conservation teaching residency at Buffalo State application

Assistant Professor of Conservation Imaging, Technical Examination and Documentation

Applications are invited for the tenure track faculty position of Assistant Professor of Conservation Imaging, Technical Examination and Documentation contingent upon funding.

Responsibilities: The successful candidate will teach the department’s lecture and laboratory courses in methods of conservation imaging, technical examination of art and artifacts and in graphic documentation techniques applied to conservation practice and research. Primary topics include: visible-light examination methods; photographic principles; digital imaging concepts; studio and scientific photography; examination and imaging methods involving ultraviolet, infrared, and x-ray radiation; multi and hyper spectral techniques; 3D imaging; and professional presentation techniques. The appointee will provide mentoring and guidance to students in mastering and applying imaging modalities and graphic documentation in their work. The appointee will actively engage in the development of the newly expanded imaging/examination/documentation suite and be responsible for maintaining and upgrading the imaging and photographic studios and laboratories. The appointee will revise and develop existing courses in response to developments in examination and documentation methodologies in the field, and contribute to these developments through scholarly and creative activities. The appointee will also take an active role in the life of the department, such as serving on department and college committees, and participating in department and college events. Appointment is contingent on budget availability.

Required Qualifications: Hold a terminal degree in art conservation or a related scientific discipline; possess experience in conservation examination methods and photographic documentation techniques involving visible and non-visible radiation; demonstrate proficiency in professional digital imaging and processing as applied to the documentation of cultural materials.

Preferred Qualifications: Evidence of ability, interest in and commitment to teaching at the master’s level; experience with x-radiography; familiarity with new developments in imaging technologies; involvement in the professional conservation community as demonstrated by publications, conference presentations, workshop participation, and other evidence of scholarly and creative activity; evidence of ability to work cooperatively and collegially within an interdisciplinary work environment; one or more years of postgraduate conservation experience; knowledge and experience with historical photographic techniques.

Application: Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled; the position will begin in August 2012. Interested applicants are requested to apply online at https://jobs.buffalostate.edu.
The application must include a letter of interest, curriculum vitae, contact information for three professional  references, and several recent illustrated publications and/or reports evidencing experience in a variety of technical examination methods and related photographic and imaging techniques applied to conservation treatment and/or research.
Buffalo State is the largest four-year comprehensive college in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The campus is located in the museum district of Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York State. The area offers a variety of cultural and recreational activities. The department offers an internationally recognized three-year program of graduate instruction leading to the Master of Arts Degree and Certificate of Advanced Study (MA & CAS) in Art Conservation. The position provides a unique opportunity to be part of a dynamic group of dedicated and distinguished educators, who are also respected practitioners in the field.  For more information about the college and the department, visit www.buffalostate.edu and www.buffalostate.edu/depts/artconservation/.

Imaging Scientist

Grade B: £30,768 to £34,853 per annum
2 year fixed term contract
Location: St. Pancras, London

This is an excellent opportunity to join The British Library and to have an immediate impact on the ways in which our collections are preserved, accessed and interpreted. We are the UK’s national library and our collections, comprising over 150 million items, from 3,000 year old oracle bones to current electronic journals, are consulted by 16,000 people every day both in our reading rooms an online.

You will be part of one of the largest Collection Care departments in the world, working with preventive specialists, conservation scientists and conservation practitioners to bring the collections to life in new and exciting ways.

Based within the Conservation Research Unit, you will use your expertise to develop innovative ways of applying imaging techniques that will increase understanding of our collections and provide new avenues of interpretation and scholarship.  You will also develop a network of contacts and partnerships in the Higher Education Sector and across the industry, building collaborative approaches that encourage and enable leading-edge analysis of archive material in a wide variety of formats

To be successful you will need a relevant degree-level qualification. Exceptional interpersonal skills and considerable experience of using multi-spectral imaging and polynomial texture mapping (or similar) to study books, manuscripts or works of art are essential.

You will also have strong written skills and excellent oral presentation skills, and be able to present your research and projects effectively to a broad range of audiences.

For an informal discussion, please contact Dr Barry Knight on +44 (0) 20 7412 7229
Closing Date:  Midnight, Monday, 14th November 2011

To apply for this role, please visit:  http://www.bl.uk/careers/index.html

The National Archives and Records Administration Conservation Branch wishes to hire two Conservation Technicians to work on a grant-funded, two-year project to preserve and make available a collection of flood-damaged, largely 19th-20th c Hebraic and Arabic books and documents.

As a member of the project team, the successful candidates will assist with conservation treatments to stabilize and prepare selected books and archival materials for digitization and exhibition, collection housing, packing materials for shipment and other project activities.  This position is a term federal appointment.  Knowledge of Hebrew and/or Arabic is desirable but not mandatory.  The work location is at the modern and well-equipped Archives II building in College Park, MD, a close-in suburb of Washington, DC.

Job and application information is at http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/301817300 under job announcement number JD555155DGA  Conservation Technician. The vacancy announcements closing date:  Friday, November 18.

If you are interested in this position, or seek additional information, contact Mary Lynn Ritzenthaler, Director, Conservation Branch marylynn.ritzenthaler(at)nara.gov 301-837-2906 or Doris Hamburg, Director, Preservation Programs doris.hamburg(at)nara.gov or 301-837-1785.

Senior Researcher in Conservation Science
Centre for Art Technological Studies and Conservation (CATS)

Deadline: Thursday 17 November 2011

The Centre for Art Technological Studies and Conservation (CATS) at the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK) wishes to appoint a senior researcher in conservation science. The focus is on artists’ materials and techniques, and on the deterioration of materials. Working with the Keeper of Conservation and Scientific Research, the senior researcher will establish the research and reputation of the CATS and plan for its future maintenance and development.

Responsibilities:
Plans for the development and implementation of a strong conservation science program within CATS with a focus on non-destructive analytical techniques including Raman spectroscopy.
Undertake research into materials and techniques of objects within the visual arts and presenting and publishing the results internationally.
Supervision of fellow research staff.
Selection and maintenance of research and analytical equipment needed to establish and run CATS.
Examination and analysis of works of art using specialized equipment, and the documentation and interpretation of results.
Acting as a representative for the CATS in national and international fora.

Qualifications:
PhD in chemistry/physical sciences with significant experience in analytical chemistry and materials identification, relating to art and artefacts.
Knowledge of art and art history is desirable, as is the ability to disseminate and communicate the subject matter of scientific research to a non-technical audience.
The candidate must have a strong interest in collaborative research since close collaboration with conservation scientists from partner institutions is expected.

Salary and employment conditions:
Working hours are 37 per week. Salary is in agreement between the Ministry of Finance and Danish Association of Masters and PhDs. An academic committee containing external examiners will evaluate the applications cf. applicable rules regarding research staff under the Danish Ministry of Culture.

Application procedure:
You apply for the job via our e-recruitment system on www.smk.dk. On the jobs-page you find practical information in regards to the application procedure. Please upload letter of intent, resumé and names and contact details of three professional references. A scientific curriculum including a record of peer-reviewed publications to be evaluated by the committee must also be forwarded.

Please note that the file/s should be no larger than 20 Megabyte.
The application etc. must be uploaded no later than Thursday 17 November 2011.

When you have uploaded relevant documents via the e-recruitment system, you will within 24 hours receive a confirmation e-mail.

About CATS:
CATS, Centre for Art Technological Studies and Conservation (CATS) was made possible by a substantial donation as a collaborative venture between the National Gallery of Denmark (SMK), The National Museum of Denmark (NM) and the School of Conservation (SoC) at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. While this initial donation will support the CATS for five years, the partners aim to seek further funding to sustain the Centre permanently.

CATS
National Gallery of Denmark
Sølvgade 48-50
DK-1307 Copenhagen K

Information about CATS can be found on

http://www.smk.dk/en/about-smk/news/artikel/new-centre-for-technical-art-history-will-safeguard-cultural-heritage/

Questions:
If you have any questions in regards to the application procedure, please contact HR-consultant Christian Svanning Mikkelsen, +45 3374 8472; christian.mikkelsen(at)smk.dk

Further information about the position may be obtained from the Keeper of Conservation and Scientific Research, Dr Jørgen Wadum, +45 3374 8450; j.wadum(at)smk.dk