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| Conservation Center of New England | |
|---|---|
| Name | Conservation Center of New England |
| Formation | 1979 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Headquarters | Andover, Massachusetts |
| Region served | New England |
| Leader title | Executive Director |
Conservation Center of New England
The Conservation Center of New England is a regional nonprofit conservation laboratory and cultural heritage institution based in Andover, Massachusetts. It provides treatment, preservation, and preventive conservation services for museums, libraries, archives, historic houses, and religious institutions across New England, partnering with organizations such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, New-York Historical Society, Harvard University, Smithsonian Institution, and Library of Congress. The Center engages with collections from institutions including the Peabody Essex Museum, Worcester Art Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Boston Athenaeum.
The organization was founded in 1979 amid regional efforts linked to initiatives like the New England Conservatory preservation movements and the postwar expansion of professional conservation epitomized by institutions such as the Getty Conservation Institute and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Early collaborations involved conservators trained at programs associated with Queen's University Belfast, West Dean College, Smithsonian Institution, The Courtauld Institute of Art, and Winterthur Museum. The Center's growth parallels developments at the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works and the establishment of laboratory standards promoted by the International Council of Museums and the International Council on Archives.
The Center's mission emphasizes preservation of cultural heritage for institutions like the Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plimoth Plantation, Historic New England, and collegiate archives at Tufts University and Brown University. Programs include object conservation, paper and photograph conservation, textile conservation, and preventive conservation modeled after protocols from the National Park Service and guided by standards from the American Alliance of Museums. Training programs have links to professional education at Columbia University, Yale University, and University of Delaware conservation curricula.
The Center's laboratory complex accommodates treatment of paintings, works on paper, textiles, historic furniture, and archaeological materials from collections such as the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Mystic Seaport Museum, New Bedford Whaling Museum, and regional historic house museums like The Trustees of Reservations properties. Facilities include humidity- and light-controlled treatment rooms comparable to those used at the National Gallery of Art, analytical suites employing instrumentation found in university labs at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Boston University, and storage solutions inspired by standards at the Library of Congress.
Practitioners at the Center employ techniques drawn from conservation science traditions promoted by the Getty Conservation Institute and research collaborations with laboratories at Harvard Art Museums, Wellesley College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Methods include integrated treatment plans for paints and varnishes similar to approaches at the Rijksmuseum, saline desalination for archaeological textiles as seen in projects at the British Museum, and non-invasive imaging techniques used in projects with partners such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Smithsonian Institution laboratories. Research topics have addressed deterioration mechanisms observed in materials studied by teams from Yale Peabody Museum, American Museum of Natural History, and Field Museum.
The Center maintains partnerships with regional and national organizations including the New England Museum Association, American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and academic departments at Northeastern University and University of Connecticut. Outreach includes survey and disaster response assistance coordinated with agencies like the Massachusetts Historical Commission and emergency preparedness efforts modeled after initiatives by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Collaborative projects have involved the Council of State Archivists and tribal cultural programs similar to partnerships seen with the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
Governance follows nonprofit practices common to organizations such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and regional museums, with a board comprising professionals from institutions like Wellesley College, Brandeis University, Boston Public Library, and corporate partners. Funding sources include grants from foundations reminiscent of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, project support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and contracts with museums and universities similar to arrangements at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Fundraising and endowment management reflect models used by the Getty Foundation and regional philanthropic organizations.
Public engagement consists of workshops, seminars, and internships for staff from organizations such as The Morgan Library & Museum, Library of Congress, and university museum studies programs at Boston University and University of Pennsylvania. Educational offerings mirror continuing education curricula from AIC and practice-based training seen at Winterthur Museum and Yale Center for British Art. The Center also contributes to publications and conference presentations at venues like the International Institute for Conservation and annual meetings of the American Association for State and Local History.
Category:Conservation preservation organizations