Art Institute of Chicago Receives Mellon Grant for Conservation on artmuseumjournal.com

Conservation/Restoration

Art Institute of Chicago Receives Mellon Grant for Conservation
By STAN PARCHIN
September 30, 2009

Art Institute of Chicago (South View of Michigan Avenue Façade). Photograph courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

The Art Institute of Chicago was awarded a $2 million challenge grant by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for conservation and scientific research on its permanent collection. $1.5 million, to be matched by $500,000, will be used to endow a new position for an associate conservation scientist. The remaining $500,000 will support the Department of Conservation's collaborations with Northwestern University and Argonne National Laboratory over a four-year period.

Recognized for its cross-institution initiatives, the AIC's conservation department was founded in 1962. It has extensive facilities for the study and conservation of paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, textiles and books. Twenty scientists work with curators and other museum professionals to preserve the AIC's collection of some 270,000 objects from ancient to modern times and conduct research related to their care.

The Mellon Foundation grant also provides continued support for the AIC's Conservation Science Initiative. Its work was aided by the museum's first ever National Science Foundation grant in 2007. The CSI is a model for integrative and cross-disciplinary collaboration among museums, universities and scientific institutions with the goal of enhancing the field of cultural heritage science in the United States. The results of the institute's intensive research are published in both professional journals and general interest publications.

James Cuno, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of the Art Institute of Chicago, said, "The Department of Conservation is charged not only with maintaining the collection but also with performing highly technical analysis of our objects to better understand how they were made and where they came from. We are deeply grateful to the Mellon Foundation, whose early support was critical to the development of the department and whose continuing support, with this award, allows us to continue this significant and often revelatory work."

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