Spicer Art Conservation can assist your collection with a customized survey or   Assessment.  Examples include:

Conservation Assessment Program, CAP
Collection Surveys & Object Examinations
Collection Storage Assessment & Design
Housekeeping & Integrated Pest Management
Disaster Planning & Recovery
Collection Preservation Plan

Conservation Assessment Program, CAP

How do you develop a collection care strategy? A wonderful first step is with a CAP survey, supported by FAIC and IMLS.

Collection Surveys & Object Examinations

On-site visits and surveys are often needed to assess a collection’s condition, storage and future storage needs. Collection surveys are both general, discussing the collection as a whole, or can include specific detailed information, such as an item-by-item object examination of a collection or type of artifact. Recent surveys and examinations have been done for the Lincoln Boyhood Home Historic Site and the Home of President Harry S. Truman to name a few.

Collection Storage Assessment & Design

Custom design your collection storage area to best fit your needs and space. Proper design is essential for long-term preservation and ease of access to the collection. It is best to have a collection survey done before designing your collection storage. Energies spent with storage improvements are the most economical use of funds for preservation. Projects have been done for The World Awareness Children’s Museum and the Chautauqua Institution’s Literary and Scientific Circle’s Banner Collection, to name a few.

Housekeeping & Integrated Pest Management

Spicer Art Conservation, LLC has aided museums in implementing Housekeeping and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plans that are customized to each institution. On-site visits are used to better find a holistic and approachable plan. Plans have been prepared for historical houses and museums in historic buildings.

Disaster Planning & Recovery

Gwen is has completed training by the Foundation of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works in the area of Disaster Response for Cultural Property. Past projects have included surveying and restoration of salvaged artifacts damaged by smoke and soot as well as water. Spicer Art Conservation, LLC can also assist institutions with Emergency Plans using the DPlan.

Collection Preservation Plan

Spicer Art Conservation, LLC has been a part of several collection preservation teams of conservators that can be assembled to asses the preservation needs and priorities for museums. One such project was the home of Bill and Lois Wilson at Stepping Stones Foundation, in order to develop a comprehensive holistic collections plan. Spicer Art Conservation focused on the textile collections while conservators in other specialties focused on their areas. This later led to the development of a Housekeeping Plan and training. Other examples of Collection Preservation Plans have been an early nineteenth century carriage and the 1826 Best Bed.

To read about some of the institutions who we have helped with collection care surveys, environmental surveys and general collection care, see our project examples.