A pioneering and unique class that covers the specifics of gallery and
collections cleaning, an essential tool in integrated pest management,
is only offered once in 2011. Museum Cleaning Basics, taught by
Gretchen Anderson, will be available online in January and early
February. If purchased today, there is a 10% discount on the price.
*MS217: Museum Cleaning Basics
Instructor: Gretchen Anderson
Dates: Jan 10 to Feb 18, 2011 *(Only runs once in 2011)*
Location: online at www.museumclasses.org
Price: $475 *(take off 10% if ordered by Dec 15, 2010)*
Description:*
Cobwebs in the gallery, dust on the dinosaur skeleton, mice in storage -
a dirty museum results in poor visitor experience and poor collections
preservation. Museum Cleaning Basics explores everything you need to
know about cleaning your collections. Participants learn when to clean -
and when not to clean. They also learn how to make those decisions.
Topics range from basic housekeeping to specific techniques for specific
objects. You will learn why cleaning is important and how to prevent
damage when cleaning. We will look at specific techniques that minimize
damage while getting the work done. And we will discuss when to call in
a specialist, such as a conservator. Students will create a housekeeping
manual for their institution.
*Course Outline:*
1) Introduction
2) Agents of Deterioration
3) Health and safety for the object and for you
4) Equipment and supplies
5) Cleaning techniques
6) Documentation
7) Spring Cleaning: Housekeeping Manual
8) Conclusion
*Logistics:*
Participants in *Museum Cleaning Basics* work through sections at their
own pace. Instructor Gretchen Anderson is available for scheduled email
support. Materials and resources include online literature, slide
lectures and dialog between students and online chats led by the
instructor. The course is limited to 20 participants. To reserve a spot
in the course, please pay at http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html
If you have trouble please contact Helen Alten at he...@collectioncare.org
*Student Comments for MS217: Museum Cleaning Basics:*
The course content and lectures were very informative, the instructors
were very helpful and pleasant, and the assignments, particularly the
hands-on tests and cleaning, brought the lectures to life, as we
practiced what we had learned.
I liked the examples that followed the explanations. This helped to
visually show what had been discussed.
A very informative course...instructors were very knowledgeable and made
the Powerpoint lectures fun. I give you an "A"!
I liked the fact that the class was extremely well organized. We did not
waste time while the instructor figured out what to do next.
I liked that high museum standards were pushed for cleaning (this is
very important), but that the instructor (Gretchen Anderson) did not
condemn those who could not implement every single facet. I know we can
implement most, but not every single thing at my institution. This is
certainly the case at museums smaller than my institution. I believe
every museum employee wants the very best for the museum artifacts, but
sometimes institutional funds prevent full implementation. Nevertheless,
people should know best museum practices and strive to meet them as much
as possible.
*The Instructor:*
Objects conservator *Gretchen Anderson* learned her craft at the
American Museum of Natural History, the Smithsonian's Conservation
Analytical Lab, the Canadian Conservation Institute, Getty Conservation
Lab, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Minnesota Historical
Society. She established the conservation department at the Science
Museum of Minnesota in 1989. She is the co-author of /A Holistic
Approach to Museum Pest Management/, a technical leaflet for the
American Association for State and Local History and established a
rigorous IPM program for the Science Museum. She was a key member in the
planning team that designed and built a new facility for the Science
Museum of Minnesota. This endeavor resulted in not only a state of the
art exhibition and storage facility, but also a major publication about
the experience of building a new museum and creating the correct
environments: _Moving the Mountain_. In 2009 she accepted the position
of conservator and head of the conservation section at the Carnegie
Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh. Ms. Anderson is a member of the
American Institute for Conservation and the Society for the Preservation
of Natural History Collections. She lectures and presents workshops on
preventive conservation, IPM, cleaning in museums, and practical methods
and materials for storage of collections.
