We are saddened to announce that on the 3rd of April, 2019, Colette Naud, who had been struggling for some time with cancer, succumbed to her illness.
Colette was at the origin of many durable bonds in the conservation field forged between France and Quebec. A number of her colleagues from the earliest graduating classes of the program formerly known as the Maîtrise de Sciences et Techniques (MST), continued to cross her path and share her professional life. Colette received her graduate degree in 1979, and was the first Québécoise student to take part in the conservation program at the University of Paris I. She was followed by a number of Canadians over the years. She had a certain view of our somewhat arrogant French culture – bemused, yet also enchanted – a view undoubtedly coloured by cultural differences. Upon her return to Canada, Colette maintained her French friendships, as well as those she made in Belgium and in Italy, where she had pursued internships at the Institut Royal du Patrimoine Artisitique(IRPA) and at the Instituto Centrale del Restauro(ICR). Once back in Canada, her first years were spent at the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) in Ottawa, which led her early on to immerse herself in a fairly recent field, that of preventive conservation. Indeed, aboard CCI’s Mobile Lab in the early 1980s, she covered much Canadian territory to share her knowledge of preventive conservation and promote good practices. She also contributed to this field by teaching at the University of Québec in Montreal (UQUAM). She left her students with unforgettable memories, thanks to her gift for storytelling and anecdote, combined with her great knowledge. She also enjoyed working with artists, teaching them the basic principles of painting materials and technique, to encourage sound studio practice and help them avoid the premature deterioration of their work. After arriving in Québec City in the early 1990s to work at the Centre de Conservation du Québec (CCQ), Colette soon took on the position of head conservator of the Paintings Lab. There she treated many paintings, in particular a number of works from the Fonds Desjardins, many of which were exhibited in the city of Rennes last fall. The CCQ has been an important venue for French students of art conservation, and Colette graciously hosted a number of them, each of whom fondly remembers her good humour and kindness. We join many who share the news of her passing with sadness, and we will long hold dear our memories of Colette as a cheerful and generous person. Those who wish to offer remembrances may send them to the CCQ (1825 Semple, Québec, QC, G1N 4B7, Canada / [email protected]; these words will be passed along to Colette’s family. Claude Laroque and Françoise Chavigner, conservators Michael O Malley Atelier de peintures Centre de conservation du Quebec Ministere de la Culture et des Communications 1825, rue Semple Quebec (Quebec) G1N 4B7 ****** Unsubscribe by sending a message to [email protected] Searchable archives: http://cool.conservation-us.org/byform/mailing-lists/cdl/
