UNM Art Museum staff members Laura Downey and Kate Guscott offered a variety of suggestions about how to maintain and preserve private artwork Tuesday.
The presentation was part of an ongoing series of talks sponsored by the UNM Art Museum and featured a tour of the new art conservation laboratory. Downey, the museum's new art conservator who helped equip the lab, showed slides of artwork she had restored for conservation purposes.
She discussed things to remain aware of when exhibiting artwork, such as environmental conditions, pest management and emergency preparation.
She stressed that environment is extremely important because temperature, humidity levels, air pollutants from car exhaust or dust, storage materials and light exposure can damage art. She added that every part of the environment should be taken into account.
"Treatment of only one item only can improve the condition of that one item," Downey said.
She said that in high humidity, mold growth, mildew or fungal attack can occur. She used a diploma covered in "foxing spots," or brown spots, that had been stored in a bathroom as an example of this damage. Downey added that high humidity can also cause photo fading and paper wrinkling.
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With low humidity, she said, paper pieces can dehydrate. She added that it is a lesser risk and doesn't happen much even in very arid places.
Downey suggested that reducing light exposure is best because too much light can discolor paper.
She also warned art collectors to stay away from acid-based paper adhesive tape because when it moves into the paper it becomes yellow or orange and can corrode or stain the artwork.
"The adhesive used in tape can be very damaging," Downey said. "It's often rubber-based and inherently acidic."
She said even holding a piece carelessly can cause damage, assuring that the museum staff is very careful about the way artwork is handled.
Guscott, an art preparator, added to Downey's presentation by showing a variety of ways to mat and frame artwork to protect it. She said that art is always more secure within a mat package.
When it comes to framing, Guscott proposed a set of questions to ask framers, such as what kind of tapes they use, whether their work was insured and what experience they have with conservation framing, which differs from regular framing. Guscott added that it helps for people to notice how the framers' staff behaves around other people's work.
Guscott suggested using wheat or vegetable paste or linen tape in place of adhesive tapes to place the art on acid-free paper and using corragated plastic or acid-free cardboard for backing the piece.
She said to be aware of where the art is hung, avoiding places such as the fireplace or above swamp cooler vents. She added that rotating pieces also helps to protect against wear.
Beginning April 15, the UNM Art Museum will begin to upgrade its environmental control system. According to the UNM Art Museum Web site, construction should end in early October and the entire museum will be closed for the duration of the project.
