As a first year graduate fellow in the Winterthur/University of Delaware program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) I am required to complete courses in all major areas of conservation. At Winterthur/UDel we call these classes “blocks”. Each block is approximately 2-5 weeks long and includes an introduction to historic techniques and major conservation concerns. Block instructors bring in guest lecturers who are experts in a specific topic. Each block includes some type of written report, typically documenting condition of a specific collection item, and a hands-on project.
Block subjects include:
- Preventive Conservation
- Textiles
- Paper
- Library & Archives
- Organic Objects
- Furniture
- Photographs
- Paintings
- Inorganic Objects
- Preventive Conservation II
At the conclusion of the first year of study, everyone picks a specialization that they will exclusively focus on in their second year.
It is my goal to document the progression of these blocks by blog posts.