Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Call for Papers: Contemporary Art: Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone - Electronic Media and Paintings 2. Haim Steinbach blue "Gem Lites" glitter lights 3. RE: Firecrackers on paper object 4. RE: Syton X30 / Ludox X30 5. RE: Firecrackers on paper object 6. RE: Applications now open: Conservation Guest Scholars Program 2026-2027 7. RE: Survey on Teaching and Learning Ethics in Conservation 8. RE: New SERCA Website - Southeast Regional Conservation Association ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Alessandra Guarascio Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 6:00 AM Subject: Call for Papers: Contemporary Art: Stepping Outside Your Comfort Zone - Electronic Media and Paintings Message: AIC's CAN! (Contemporary Art Network!), PSG (Paintings Specialty Group), and EMG (Electronic Media Group) invites you to submit an abstract for presentation at the 2026 AIC Annual Meeting in Montreal, Canada, 28 April-2 May 2026, which is being held jointly with our Canadian colleagues at CAC-ACCR. <https://www.cac-accr.ca/> We welcome submissions related to dismantling disciplinary boundaries. For the first part of this two-block session <https://www.culturalheritage.org/events/annual-meeting/current-meeting/call-for-submissions>, these topics may include: approaches and case studies of working with outside experts, vendors, fabricators, contractors and how that knowledge/relationship impacted the understanding and/or long-term care of an artwork; stepping outside of your comfort zone in terms of caring for artworks with challenging/unfamiliar technology or materials; and cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental collaborations in the treatment, display and/or documentation of contemporary art/electronic media. The second block of this session will highlight how conservators navigate new materials and ethical considerations often at play with contemporary art, specifically when dealing with paintings. Topics may include novel approaches to the cleaning and stabilization of complex painted surfaces, collaborations with living artists and their estates to preserve intent and materiality, and interdisciplinary case studies. Please see the abstract and submission guidelines <https://www.culturalheritage.org/events/annual-meeting/current-meeting/call-for-submissions> from AIC's Program Committee on how to submit your abstract for review to these Concurrent General Session blocks. The deadline to submit a presentation abstract is Tuesday, September 30th, 2025. Please limit abstracts to 500 words or less. Speaker travel funding opportunities are available <https://www.culturalheritage.org/discussion/financial-support-opportunities-for-2026-annual-meeting-and-conference-speakers>. Indicate eligibility and interest in funding opportunities during the abstract submission process. Contact the following program chairs for questions or additional information: PSG Program Chair: Magdalena Solano [email protected] <[email protected]> CAN! Program Chair: Megan Randall [email protected] <[email protected]> EMG Program Chair: Elisse Brautigam [email protected] <[email protected]> ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Alessandra Guarascio CAN! Communications Chair ------------------------------ Conservator, Installation Art M+ ------------------------------ 2.From: Marta Palmeira Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 9:00 AM Subject: Haim Steinbach blue "Gem Lites" glitter lights Message: Hi, I'm writing to know if someone in this community has already restored Haim Steinbach "Gem Lites" glitter lights? We have been asked to "fill" two of them because the liquid has evaporated, probably a crack on the seal of the bottles lid. The remaining 4 are still good and filled to the top. The problem is that the liquid used on these lamps is trichlorotrifluoroethane (Freon 113), that is no longer produced due to it being known to be one of the biggest causes to the ozone hole in our atmosphere and very toxic to the users, and we would like to know if this problem as occurred to your collection and how did you manage to solve it. Is there other solvent that we can use to replace Freon 113? Many thanks in advance for your help. Marta Palmeira ------------------------------ Marta Palmeira Conservator 20|21 Conservação e Restauro de Arte Contemporânea Porto Portugal ------------------------------ 3.From: Andrea Morris Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 9:00 AM Subject: RE: Firecrackers on paper object Message: This is a nice article on safe storage of matches- thanks. Possibly related, can anyone direct me to similar warnings/methods for storage of old, probably celluloid photo negatives? Andrea Morris West Chester, PA ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 9/16/2025 4:02:00 PM From: Michelle C. Smith Subject: RE: Firecrackers on paper object Hi Susan, I'm not familiar with the chemical makeup of these types of firecrackers, but your inquiry made me think about dealing with matches in library collections, which is a problem that seems to show up often with artists' books. I wanted to share this AIC News / Health and Safety post from 2022 which includes an article on the storage of matches in collections. I wonder if there could be any overlap with your object's needs? https://community.culturalheritage.org/blogs/aic-news1/2022/09/13/health-safety-september-2022 <https://community.culturalheritage.org/blogs/aic-news1/2022/09/13/health-safety-september-2022> I hope you'll share with us what you learn and what you decide to do. ------------------------------ Michelle C. Smith (she/her) San Francisco Public Library [email protected] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 09-12-2025 17:10 From: Susan Russick Subject: Firecrackers on paper object We have a c. 1973 Yoshio Nakajima pamphlet that has a small bunch of firecrackers adhered to the cover. I'm planning to remove as much powder as I can from the cylinders, but am wondering about other steps that might make it safer to store in a library collection. Any thoughts? Thanks, Susan ------------------------------ Susan Russick Chief Conservator Northwestern University Libraries ------------------------------ 4.From: Aliaksei Fedarenka Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 11:53 AM Subject: RE: Syton X30 / Ludox X30 Message: Hi Graham, I'm not sure the products you named are nano products. We lab tested NanoEstel, a nanosilica consolidant on few local sandstones. We tested Colorimetry, Resistance to abrasion, Biaxial Flexure and Water Vapor Transmissivity before and after. The porous sandstone took a lot of the consolidant and that stone became slightly darker, more resistant to abrasion as well as to the biaxial flexure. Stangely both stones became more permeable for an unknown reason. The dense sandstone didn't take much of the product and only changed the colour and increased permeability. Conclusion: in the situation of 'do it or loose it', the nano consolidant seems to work well on sandstone. Cheers. ------------------------------ Aliaksei Fedarenka Senior Masonry Conservator Capital Conservation Services Ottawa Canada ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 09-16-2025 05:37 From: Graham O'Hare Subject: Syton X30 / Ludox X30 I am looking for information about the use of Syton X30 / Ludox X30 and other types and grades of silica nano-particles for the consolidation of friable sandstone. Does anyone have experience of this? I have used it once previously, on calcareous sandstone (Chilmark, from near Salisbury, UK), apparently with success. But a sample of 1 is not statistically reliable! Thank you for your help. ------------------------------ Graham O'Hare Architectural Stonework Conservator O'Hare Stone Conservation Stroud United Kingdom ------------------------------ 5.From: Michelle C. Smith Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 3:15 PM Subject: RE: Firecrackers on paper object Message: Image Permanence Institute, "IPI Media Storage Quick Reference." https://s3.cad.rit.edu/ipi-assets/publications/msqr.pdf <https://s3.cad.rit.edu/ipi-assets/publications/msqr.pdf> <https://www.loc.gov/preservation/care/film.html> National Park Service, "Conserve O Gram 14/8: Caring For Cellulose Nitrate Film." https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cog-14-8-nitrate-film-care.htm <https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/cog-14-8-nitrate-film-care.htm> <https://s3.cad.rit.edu/ipi-assets/publications/msqr.pdf> Kodak, "Storage and Handling of Processed Nitrate Film." https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/page/storage-and-handling-of-processed-nitrate-film/ <https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/page/storage-and-handling-of-processed-nitrate-film/> American National Standards Institute, "Storing and Handling Cellulose Nitrate Film With NFPA 40, 2019 Edition." https://blog.ansi.org/ansi/store-cellulose-nitrate-film-nfpa-40-2019/ <https://blog.ansi.org/ansi/store-cellulose-nitrate-film-nfpa-40-2019/> (accessible by subscription only) ------------------------------ Michelle C. Smith (she/her) San Francisco Public Library [email protected] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 09-17-2025 07:20 From: Andrea Morris Subject: Firecrackers on paper object This is a nice article on safe storage of matches- thanks. Possibly related, can anyone direct me to similar warnings/methods for storage of old, probably celluloid photo negatives? Andrea Morris West Chester, PA Original Message: Sent: 9/16/2025 4:02:00 PM From: Michelle C. Smith Subject: RE: Firecrackers on paper object Hi Susan, I'm not familiar with the chemical makeup of these types of firecrackers, but your inquiry made me think about dealing with matches in library collections, which is a problem that seems to show up often with artists' books. I wanted to share this AIC News / Health and Safety post from 2022 which includes an article on the storage of matches in collections. I wonder if there could be any overlap with your object's needs? https://community.culturalheritage.org/blogs/aic-news1/2022/09/13/health-safety-september-2022 <https://community.culturalheritage.org/blogs/aic-news1/2022/09/13/health-safety-september-2022> I hope you'll share with us what you learn and what you decide to do. ------------------------------ Michelle C. Smith (she/her) San Francisco Public Library [email protected] <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Original Message: Sent: 09-12-2025 17:10 From: Susan Russick Subject: Firecrackers on paper object We have a c. 1973 Yoshio Nakajima pamphlet that has a small bunch of firecrackers adhered to the cover. I'm planning to remove as much powder as I can from the cylinders, but am wondering about other steps that might make it safer to store in a library collection. Any thoughts? Thanks, Susan ------------------------------ Susan Russick Chief Conservator Northwestern University Libraries ------------------------------ 6.From: Anna Duer Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 3:15 PM Subject: RE: Applications now open: Conservation Guest Scholars Program 2026-2027 Message: APPLICATION DEADLINE APPROACHING Applications for the 2026-2027 Conservation Guest Scholars Program are due by 5:00 p.m. Los Angeles time (GMT-7), Wednesday, October 1st. TO APPLY: Applications must be submitted through the Getty Foundation Grant Portal <https://getty.fluxx.io/user_sessions/new>. For more information on terms, eligibility, and application materials, visit https://gty.art/GCIScholars <https://gty.art/GCIScholars>. Questions? Contact [email protected] <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Anna Duer Reference Librarian Getty Conservation Institute Los Angeles, CA [email protected] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 08-06-2025 19:40 From: Anna Duer Subject: Applications now open: Conservation Guest Scholars Program 2026-2027 The Conservation Guest Scholars Program provides opportunities for established scholars or professionals who have attained distinction in the cultural heritage conservation field. Recipients are in residence at the Getty Conservation Institute for three months, in which they pursue their own projects free from work-related obligations, make use of research collections at the Getty Center and Getty Villa, and participate with other Getty scholars, fellows, and interns in the intellectual life of Getty. Applications are welcome from researchers and practitioners of all nationalities working in conservation, historic preservation, heritage science and related fields. Applicants should have at least seven years of professional experience and should have an established record of publications and other contributions to the field. Individuals from groups underrepresented across the field of cultural heritage conservation are encouraged to apply. Proposals for postdoctoral research or research that contributes to a PhD or other academic degree will not be considered. For eligibility, terms, and how to apply, visit https://gty.art/GCIScholars <https://gty.art/GCIScholars>. The application deadline is October 1, 2025. For questions regarding the program or the application process, please contact: [email protected] <[email protected]> ------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Anna Duer Reference Librarian Getty Conservation Institute Los Angeles, CA [email protected] <[email protected]> ------------------------------ 7.From: Nina Owczarek Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 5:05 PM Subject: RE: Survey on Teaching and Learning Ethics in Conservation Message: Last call! I appreciate all the responses that you have shared and all the conversations that I have been having (and will continue to have)! Ethics in conservation applies to all of us, and when and how we learn and teach ethics informs our practice. I'd love to learn what *you think if you haven't had the chance to share yet. There are plenty of open-ended questions for your experiences and ideas. I'll close the survey over the weekend, so if you haven't participated yet, but would like to, now is your chance!! Warmly, Nina ------------------------------ Nina Owczarek Assistant Professor University of Delaware Art Conservation Department ------------------------------ 8.From: Marianne Kelsey Posted: Wednesday September 17, 2025 8:29 PM Subject: RE: New SERCA Website - Southeast Regional Conservation Association Message: Thank you so much, Eliza! I appreciate it! ------------------------------ Marianne Kelsey Book & Paper Conservator Kelsey Conservation Greensboro NC ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 09-16-2025 08:49 From: Eliza Gilligan Subject: New SERCA Website - Southeast Regional Conservation Association The website looks fabulous!! I'm sure it was a lot of hard work, but the results are well worth it. Congratulations and Best Wishes from a former board member :) ------------------------------ Eliza Gilligan Senior Book Conservator Center for Conservation of Art & Historic Artifacts Philadelphia, PA ------------------------------ Original Message: Sent: 09-15-2025 12:15 From: Marianne Kelsey Subject: New SERCA Website - Southeast Regional Conservation Association Hello Colleagues, We're thrilled to announce that our new SERCA website is now live! This refreshed platform is designed to better showcase our community, support your business, and make it easier for visitors to discover all that SERCA has to offer. https://sercaconservation.org <https://sercaconservation.org/> We'd love your feedback! Please take a moment to explore the site and let us know what you think. If you spot any typos, broken links, or anything that seems off-we'd greatly appreciate your help in identifying them so we can make improvements. Please send them our way to: [email protected] <[email protected]> Want to be featured? If you have photos you'd like to share-whether of your studio/workshop, samples of your work or similar-feel free to send them our way. We're happy to update the site with fresh visuals that reflect our vibrant community. Please, help boost our visibility: Each time you visit the site, we encourage you to browse through multiple pages. This helps maintain strong engagement metrics, which are important for our visibility on Google and other search engines. Listing submissions: Fill in the membership form to be listed in the find a conservator tool. Please, follow the instructions as seen here <https://sercaconservation.org/instructions/>. Please be patient as we process new listings. We're working hard to ensure everything runs smoothly, and trying to update everything asap. Thank you for being part of SERCA and helping us grow. Your input and participation are what make our community so special! ------------------------------ Marianne Kelsey SERCA Communications Coordinator Paper Conservator Kelsey Conservation Greensboro NC ------------------------------ You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. To change your subscriptions, go to http://community.culturalheritage.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions. To unsubscribe from this community discussion, go to https://community.culturalheritage.org/HigherLogic/eGroups/Unsubscribe.aspx?UserKey=d16eaa87-0f69-494b-9f2f-303dbc1222e1&sKey=fab9aa4f27a04c5d876e&GroupKey=757a8f16-505f-4323-8e74-e376757aa9f7.
