Art Museum Storage, Capacity and Conservation Improvements

The University of Kentucky Research Foundation, Art Museum with funding from ILMS will increase and stabilize storage environments for paintings and matted works on paper. The project supports the museum’s strategic plan and is the highest conservation need. Current conditions for painting storage are at capacity; the addition of 4 additional painting racks will increase capacity for 75 paintings and accommodate collections growth for 10 years. Current conditions for matted works on paper are not ideal. Existing housing is in a public gallery, in non-archival shelving system. This project will stabilize the collection by purchasing archival equipment, and moving the collection into art storage, a controlled and proper art environment. This one-year project, May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013 will allow staff time to purchase and install equipment, move collections, and notify the public of progress. The result will be increased storage, stabilization of collections, and greater awareness of conservation activities to museum audiences. The museum hopes to use the project as a model to present at a regional conference to colleagues. The public will benefit from increased gallery space, the long-term safety of the collection, and gaining a general knowledge of a conservation project from social media updates and other planned publicity. Collections will also benefit with the ease of access for scholars and students researching the collection. The successful completion of the project will ensure the continued quality care of an art collection of over 4,600 works of art, from old-master prints by Rembrandt, paintings by Gilbert Stuart to contemporary art by Chuck Close and Cindy Sherman and will allow for continued growth of collections via gifts and purchases