Annika Blake-Howland will discuss art conservation, which is the field of studying and preserving objects of cultural heritage for the future through art historical understanding, artistic practice, and scientific analysis.
In Western Europe and North America cultural heritage conservation as a professional and scientific field is relatively young, and scientific advancement in the last sixty years has caused rapid evolution in the field. Within art conservation, glass objects are considered particularly challenging due to their unique chemical, physical, and especially optical properties. This talk will trace the development of current practices in the conservation of glass from both historic and scientific perspectives, including changes to methods and the development of new materials. Additionally, this talk will also touch upon art conservation as a modern professional field and connect to current work being undertaken to revitalize the Paul Vickers Gardner Glass Center here at Alfred University.
The Bergren Forum, sponsored by the Division of Human Studies and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, runs from 12:15 to 1:10 p.m. on Thursdays in Nevins Theatre, Powell Campus Center and by zoom. Bring a brown bag lunch if you wish. Coffee and tea will be provided. For further information contact or a calendar invite with the zoom link, contact John D’Angelo at [email protected].
