North Carolina Preservation Consortium Annual Conference

North Carolina Preservation Consortium Annual Conference
William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
November 20, 2015

Monuments and memorials allow people to personally engage in maintaining our collective memory through organized public ceremonies and quite personal reflections. They surround many of our public buildings and the landscapes of historic sites, battlefields,cemeteries, and parks across our state. Made from many materials in various forms, preserving and protecting them can be a challenge. Some institutions are also charged with preserving offerings placed at monuments and memorials including letters, photographs, and mementoes of all sizes and shapes. Speakers will cover basic and advanced strategies and techniques for preserving monuments and memorials (structures, statues, gravestones, pillars, markers), and the often spontaneous collections of offerings.

Keynote Speakers
Jason Church is a Materials Conservator in the Materials Conservation Program at the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in Natchitoches, Louisiana. Mr. Church divides his time between conducting in-house research, organizing various training events, and teaching hands-on conservation workshops. He earned his M.F.A. in Historic
Preservation from Savannah College of Art and Design. Mr. Church will address the basic maintenance needed for stone and masonry monuments and gravestones. His presentation will begin with documentation, material identification, and cyclical maintenance. Mr. Church will also cover basic cleaning and repair methods, including graffiti protection and
removal, and when to call for a professional for assistance. Patricia Miller is a conservator with over twenty years of experience in the assessment and treatment of outdoor sculpture, monuments, historic structures, fountains, and industrial artifacts. Working for institutions, governmental agencies, and individuals, Ms. Miller specializes in the preservation of metals including bronze, zinc, lead, aluminum, nickel silver, iron, and steel. She holds a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from Columbia University and is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for conservation (AIC). Ms. Miller was recently appointed Chief Conservator for The Preservation Society of
Newport County in New York, and is an adjunct associate professor in the Historic Preservation program at Pratt Institute. Ms. Miller will address the conservation treatment of metals commonly incorporated into monuments and memorials, and in particular discuss conditions that warrant the involvement of a professional conservator. The presentation
will touch on a variety of topics such as corrosion, patina, protective coatings, cleaning, repairs, replication, preventive maintenance, and graffiti removal from metal surfaces. Laura Anderson is the Museum Curator for the National Mall and Memorial Parks in Washington, DC, a unit of the National Park Service. She holds a BA and MA in History from
San Francisco State University and a CMS from the Harvard University Extension School. Of the seven museum collections managed by the National Mall, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Collection poses the most complex curatorial challenges. The collection consists entirely of public offerings left at the Memorial, also known as The Wall. Ms. Anderson will discuss the nature of these offerings, the phenomenon of memorial tributes, their preservation and curation challenges, and issues to consider when developing a collection plan to guide institutions in making responsible long-term management decisions. 

Lightning Session Speakers
Kara Deadmon is Head of Collections and Exhibitions for the North Carolina State Capitol, a North Carolina State Historic Site in downtown Raleigh. Ms. Deadmon will discuss the historic monuments on Capitol Square and how public perceptions of - and interactions with - these types of artifacts have become changing. W. Fitzhugh Brundage is the William B. Umstead Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Brundage will discuss the Commemorative Landscapes of North Carolina, a digital archive and inventory devoted to the state's monuments and commemorative landscapes.

Debbie Ivester is the Assistant Director of the City of Asheville Parks and Recreation Department, where she manages the maintenance and repair of the city’s public art collection. The collection includes the city’s most iconic landmark, the Vance Monument, constructed in 1897 as a memorial to Asheville native and former North Carolina governor
Zebulon Vance. Ms. Ivester will provide an overview of the recent restoration of the 118 year old Vance Monument, an obelisk composed of rusticated granite blocks at a height of 75 feet.

Schedule
8:00 am Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Registration
9:00 am  Welcome
9:15 am Jason Church
10:15 am Morning Break
10:30 am Award Presentation
10:45 am Patricia Miller
11:45 am Silent Auction & Amazon Smile
12:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm Lightning Session
2:00 pm Afternoon Break
2:15 pm Laura Anderson
3:15 pm Silent Auction
3:30 pm Final Questions and Comments
4:00pm Closing Remarks

Networking
The NCPC annual conference is an excellent opportunity to meet professionals in the
preservation community from a wide range of disciplines and organizations. Take
advantage of morning and afternoon refreshment breaks, our communal lunch, and round
table discussions to meet new colleagues and visit with old friends. Share your valuable
experience and learn from others.

Conference Audience
This conference is designed for professionals, staff, and volunteers working in museums,
libraries, historic sites, archives, conservation centers, archaeological collections, and other
preservation institutions; advocates for preservation on friends boards, advancement
councils, and advisory committees; those working in organizations with a preservation
mission; members of the preservation industry; and faculty and students in conservation,
museum studies, public history, archaeology, archives, library science, and other
preservation disciplines.

Scholarships
We value the involvement of students, working professionals, and volunteers whose
institutional support is insufficient to attend this conference. NCPC offers a limited number
of conference scholarships. This scholarship covers full registration. It does not cover
travel, lodging, or other expenses. The application process is simple and consists primarily
of telling us why attendance is important for you. The scholarship is intended to promote
continuing preservation education and professional networking. Applicants must be
employed by or volunteer at a North Carolina institution with a preservation mission that
has little or no funding for professional development or a graduate student enrolled in a
preservation related discipline at a college or university in North Carolina. To apply, please
send an email to the NCPC Executive Director by October 1st.

About the North Carolina Preservation Consortium

The North Carolina Preservation Consortium (NCPC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated
to promoting the preservation of collections in libraries, museums, archives, and historic
sites; monuments, memorials, and outdoor art; archaeological sites and collections; historic
and cultural architecture; and private collections of family treasures. Learn more about
NCPC at www.ncpreservation.org
Connect with NCPC
You can use social media to follow NCPC on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
NCPC News

Friends of NCPC
Generous financial support from members, corporate sponsors, and the general public
enhance NCPC services and programs. Donations may be given in honor or memory of
someone special to you; an inspiring person, teacher, mentor, colleague, friend, or loved
one. Your financial support will help NCPC preserve heritage collections and sites for
present and future generations. Join the Friends of NCPC today or contact the NCPC
Executive Director to discuss giving and fundraising opportunities.

For additional information about this conference or NCPC contact:
Robert James
Executive Director
North Carolina Preservation Consortium (NCPC)
www.ncpreservation.org
Phone 919-412-2238
Email robertjamesncpc@gmail.com