The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) is made up of conservation professionals dedicated to saving our heritage by preserving our artistic and historic treasures for future generations.
http://www.conservation-us.org/
Fast Fact (from the AIC’s website 10/03/2010): “There are 1.7 billion rare and unique books, periodicals, and scrapbooks in the U.S. collections; 16% need conservation treatment or improved care and conditions” (source www.heritagehealthindex.org)
I never realized how closely the fields of art and science are related before having careers in both, and it’s by no accident that each field works in harmony when in comes to conserving historic and artistic works.
In our society of “create it fast, throw it away faster” it’s even more crucial to preserve our artistic heritage using the talents and resources of both artists and scientists. After all, these works currently on hand could be lost forever amidst worthless artifacts unless they are given the attention they need. Then to our credit future generations can learn from and be fascinated by their beauty and artistry.
Recently on PBS “Antiques Roadshow” a clay pot was brought in to be appraised by a woman whose grandmother picked it up from the side of the road, after someone had apparently considered it worthless. This pot turned out to be a Zuni Olla (Pot) ca. 1885 worth an estimated $15,000-$25,000. For more details and a video of the appraisal, visit the URL below.
Zuni Clay Pot ca. 1885 (Image via PBS Antiques Roadshow)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200604A23.html
So if you have or find or have a piece of art or artifact that you’re questioning, you’ll want to have it appraised before tossing it aside.
This is the first of a series of articles on conservation and conservation framing of photography in general, and fine art photography in particular. It’s a worthwhile and important subject, and fits nicely with the goals and vision of Autumn Hill Artworks.
Educating our customers, potential customers, and the general public of proper ways to preserve and protect photographic works of art, as well as the respected institutions that exist as resources for this knowledge, is part of our goal to create an informed network of individuals who are interested in custom framing, conservation, and conservation framing of fine art photography limited edition prints.
Conservation-grade matting is made of 100% cotton.
In part 1 of this series, we introduce one of the foremost conservation organizations, the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works http://www.conservation-us.org, otherwise known as AIC. AIC is the only national membership organization in the United States includes 3,500+ conservators, conservation enthusiasts, educators, scientists, art historians, archivists, and students in over 20 countries around the world. All members have the same goal: to preserve the material evidence of our past so we can learn from it today and appreciate it in the future.
Recognizing that many of the fine art photography images created today may someday be worthy of preserving for future generations, Autumn Hill Artworks is dedicated to acquiring and potentially sharing first-hand knowledge of preservation practices learned by active participation in respected organizations such as the AIC. Join us for more on the AIC next time…
Autumn Hill Artworks is Transformed to Feature Fine Art Photography
Autumn Hill Artworks, http://www.AutumnHillArtworks.com, once a venue for several categories of handmade fine art by New England artists, has been transformed to a New England fine art photography gallery. Among the categories of fine art photography are: Black and White Photography, Landscape Photography, Macro Photography, Nature Photography, and Still Photography.
Here’s a sample of one of the black and white photography images that are featured on the website:
Black and White Photography from Autumn Hill Artworks
Future blog posts will include information about fine art photography, printing methods, the future of handmade fine art, the beauty of New England, marketing for fine artists, and more so stay tuned!