Shelburne Museum receives Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of Collections Award

Shelburne Museum Receives Award for Preservation and Care of
Collections

On September 25, 2009 AIC Executive Director Eryl Wentworth
presented the 2009 Award for Outstanding Commitment to the
Preservation and Care of Collections to the Shelburne Museum in
Shelburne, Vermont. The award is determined by a panel of
distinguished conservation experts from across the country and is
presented jointly by Heritage Preservation and the American
Institute for Conservation of Historic Artistic Works (AIC).

   "We are honored to be recognized by our peers for our work in
    caring for the many and varied collections at Shelburne Museum,"
    said Rick Kerschner, director of preservation and conservation
    at Shelburne Museum. "The museum's diverse collection, coupled
    with the environmental challenges presented by Vermont's
    climate, makes our work both challenging and rewarding."

Shelburne Museum was selected for showing a sustained and exemplary
commitment to preserving America's heritage and for enriching the
community by caring for its unique and varied collections through
dedicated planning and effort. Those efforts include the gamut of
collections care from innovative lighting to environmental control
and security measures that allow the public safe access to
artifacts.

Historic Cherry Hill in Albany, NY, was the second recipient of the
2009 award. Historic Cherry Hill's programs and publications provide
an unprecedented view into one family's life and the community in
which they lived. The size and richness of the collections literally
had the house bursting at the seams--floors that should have carried
30 pounds per square foot were discovered to be carrying 100 pounds
by a structural engineer hired to review the site after staff
members noticed severe cracking in the walls of the home in 1996.

Lawrence L. Reger, President of Heritage Preservation, said,

   "Historic Cherry Hill is a remarkable institution, and we are
    fortunate to have such a valuable collection in our national
    cultural history cared for with such close attention and
    thoughtful planning. The awarding committee was especially
    impressed by Cherry Hill's ongoing work to refine its
    conservation plan and its collaborative relationship with other
    groups and the Albany community."

The Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Preservation and Care of
Collections has been presented annually since 1999. Previous
recipients include Colonial Williamsburg and the Museum of Fine
Arts, Boston.


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:11
                Distributed: Wednesday, October 7, 2009
                       Message Id: cdl-23-11-002
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