A student participating in a workshop

Workshops

Upcoming Workshop

Cleaning and Caring for Silver

October 19th, 10 am – 1 pm at the HMong Museum in St. Paul, MN

MACC is partnering with the HMong Museum! Join MACC conservation staff members Nicole Grabow and Olivia Vang Thanadabout to talk about caring for heritage items made of silver, such as necklaces, earrings, and antique coins. Silver cleaning techniques will be demonstrated and practiced, and examples will be shared for safely storing silver to prevent tarnishing. Participants are invited to bring their own items in to share and clean together.

Sliding fee scale: $10 / $25 / $40 Register Now

On-Demand Workshops

These one-day events can be brought directly to your institution. Contact us for more details and pricing.

Emergency Preparedness

Emergency Response: Wet Salvage

Describing What You See: Condition Reports

Art and Artifact Handling (1/2 day)

Testing for Arsenic in Collections

Museum Environments 101

Recent Past Workshops

Online: Looking Ahead with a Long-Range Preservation Plan

Nicole Grabow, Midwest Art Conservation Center

A Long-Range Preservation Plan (LRPP) will help your institution to prioritize preservation needs and develop concrete goals for the short-, medium-, and long-term. In this 3-session online course participants will draft their own LRPP and learn how to use it to achieve conservation treatment goals and to submit competitive grant proposals for state and federal funding. The course will also focus on key concepts of preventive conservation and how to assess preservation goals at your institution. This workshop includes group participation activities and a recommended 4-6 hours of independent work time outside of class.

Online: Laws, Ethics, and Exceptions: Developing Your Collections Management Policy

Rebecca Kennedy, Curae Collections

A Collections Management Policy (CMP) is a core document that governs an collecting organization’s legal and ethical decisions for collecting practices and artifact care. Writing a policy of the first time or updating a policy can be overwhelming due to the complexities of constantly changing legal and ethical requirements. Using virtual lectures, case studies, and research tools, this course guides participants through the development process of their CMP. Learn the anatomy of a collections management policy, the tools for writing one, and the processes for implementing it. The course is designed to provide adaptable skill sets for all types and sizes of cultural institutions and the instructor provides one-on-one guidance for drafts developed during the course.

Integrated Pest Management 

Patrick Kelley, President of Insects Limited, Inc.

Insects and other pests can do irreversible damage to objects of historic and artistic value. Preventing such damage is an essential element of best practice in collection care and requires the design and implementation of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) policy and plan. This workshop will introduce participants to multiples aspects of IPM: policy and procedure; preventing infestation; trapping and monitoring; remedial treatment; basic pest identification. It is designed for small to mid-sized institutions needing to establish or improve an IPM program but would be useful for anyone needing to develop or refresh basic IPM knowledge.

Online: Write (or Re-Write) Your Emergency Plan

Nicole Grabow, Director of Preventive Conservation, and Melissa Amundsen, Assistant Preventive Conservator

This online course will cover the fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness, explain the essential components of a Disaster Plan, and walk participants through the steps to develop a plan for their own organizations. Provisions for both major and minor emergencies will be discussed, as will extended closure, current COVID-19 responses, and how to address a disaster within a larger emergency. Participants will work with a disaster plan template and will customize it for their own needs and risk factors. Each participant will be required to complete an institutional risk assessment questionnaire (time estimate 2-4 hours) and work on their own institution’s plan (time estimate 4-6 hours) between the sessions. They will conclude with a draft of their new Disaster Plan to share with their institution and board.

Online: Emergency Planning for Performing Arts Organizations

Nicole Grabow, Director of Preventive Conservation, and Melissa Amundsen, Assistant Preventive Conservator

Designed specifically for Performing Arts organizations, artist groups, and venues! This 2-session course will cover the fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness, explain the essential components of an Emergency Plan, and walk participants through the steps to develop a plan for their own organizations. Provisions for both major and minor emergencies will be discussed. Participants will work with an emergency plan template and will customize it for their own needs and risk factors. Each participant will be encouraged to complete a risk assessment questionnaire (time estimate 2-4 hours) and work on their own plan (time estimate 4-6 hours) between the sessions. They will conclude with a draft of their new Emergency Plan to share with their institution and board.

Online: Writing Grants for Preservation and Conservation Projects

Colin Turner, MACC Executive Director

Prepare for federal, state, regional, and local grant application opportunities. This two-part workshop will teach the essential grant writing strategies to gain funding for preservation and conservation related projects such as: obtaining supplies and materials for the basic re-housing of collections, buying storage upgrades, getting monitoring equipment, receiving a general preservation needs assessment survey, providing staff trainings, and having conservation treatments performed on your art and artifacts.

Learn the prioritized collections care protocol to make sure appropriate projects are developed in a logical progression and with an accompanying funding strategy. Learn how to: conduct an internal review, develop a long-range conservation plan, write an effective proposal, plan and substantiate a budget, and find matching funds. Descriptions and information will be presented on federal grants available from: the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute for Museum and Library Services; grants available through state agencies in the Midwest; along with funding from private and corporate regional foundations. 

Identification and Care of Photographic Materials

This one-day, introductory workshop will provide an overview of the major photographic processes of the 19th and 20th centuries, how photographic materials deteriorate, and a 10-point strategic plan for the preservation of photographic collections including proper storage and display, surveys, conservation treatments, digitization, and advocacy. This workshop will incorporate both PowerPoint lecture and hands-on handling with study collection examples. A comprehensive binder of technical information and resources will be provided for each participant in addition to a digital copy of the PowerPoint.