A compilation of heritage conservation charters and conventions.

A compilation of important heritage conservation charters


<p>As an art lover, it's important to understand how to properly care for and preserve your beloved pieces. Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about art conservation, based on Google search questions and some curated knowledge from reputable conservation sources. The following Q&#x26;A is being constantly updated. I am open to edits and corrections as long as they come from a place of kindness :)</p>
<ul>
  <li><a href="#what-is-art-conservation">What is art conservation?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-do-i-care-for-my-art-collection">How do I care for my art collection?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-is-an-art-conservator">What is an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-is-an-art-conservationist">What is an art conservationist?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-do-i-find-an-art-conservator">How do I find an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-is-a-preventive-care-conservator">What is a preventive care conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#do-you-need-to-be-a-conservator-to-work-with-collections">Do you need to be a conservator to work with collections?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#can-all-art-be-conserved">Can all art be conserved?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#what-should-i-do-if-my-art-becomes-damaged">What should I do if my art becomes damaged?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-do-i-become-an-art-conservator">How do I become an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#do-i-need-to-learn-other-languages-to-become-an-art-conservator">Do I need to learn other languages to become an art conservator?</a></li>
  <li><a href="#how-much-does-it-cost-to-study-art-conservation">How much does it cost to study art conservation?</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>What is art conservation?</h2>
<p>Conservation is the process of preserving and restoring works of art to their original condition. This involves a range of techniques, including cleaning, repairing damage, and stabilizing the piece to prevent further deterioration. Conservators are trained professionals who specialize in this field and work to ensure that art is preserved for future generations.</p>
<p>If you want to dig deeper, the term "art" conservator is highly misleading as it will mostly apply to conservators working in the fine arts - such as with paintings and sculptures.</p>
<p>However, conservators around the world specialise in a broad range of materials, each with its own difficulties and challenges. Thus, it is not uncommon for conservators to consult each other based on the materials they find on particular objects.</p>
<p>Some of the specialisations you may find (certainly not all) are:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Stone</li>
  <li>Architectural</li>
  <li>Natural history</li>
  <li>Photograph</li>
  <li>Book and paper</li>
  <li>Textiles</li>
  <li>Contemporary art</li>
  <li>Digital media and audiovisual</li>
  <li>Plastics</li>
  <li>Ethnographic (generally related to historical and indigenous collections from around the world)</li>
  <li>Archaeological</li>
  <li>Metals</li>
  <li>Preventive</li>
  <li>Wood (even just waterlogged wood)</li>
  <li>Glass and ceramics</li>
  <li>Murals and frescoes</li>
  <li>Mosaics</li>
  <li>Furniture</li>
  <li>Industrial machinery, trains, airplanes, tanks</li>
  <li>Things as niche as clocks, globes, and model ships</li>
</ul>
<h2>How do I care for my art collection?</h2>
<p>There are several steps you can take to properly care for your art collection:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Keep art out of direct sunlight, as UV rays can fade or discolor the piece.</li>
  <li>Use LED lighting to avoid exposing your art to Infrared radiation.</li>
  <li>Avoid placing art near sources of heat, humidity, or moisture, as these can cause damage.</li>
  <li>Dust and clean your spaces regularly using a soft, dry cloth or a feather duster.</li>
  <li>Handle art carefully and gently to avoid accidental damage.</li>
  <li>If at all possible, keep your spaces clean to avoid pests. Pests such as moths, various beetles and other insects like silverfish will damage your objects, and in some cases, eat them completely.</li>
  <li>If you need to move or transport art, do so with caution and use proper protective materials such as bubble wrap or acid-free tissue paper.</li>
</ul>
<h2>What is an art conservator?</h2>
<p>An art conservator, or just a conservator, is a trained professional who specializes in the preservation and restoration of works of art. They use a range of techniques and materials to clean, repair, and stabilize art, with the goal of preserving it for future generations. Art conservators work in a variety of settings, including museums, galleries, and private conservation studios.</p>
<h2>What is an art conservationist?</h2>
<p>Beware the term "conservationist" as it is not the correct term to describe professionals who work in the care of heritage and art - and it will annoy conservators greatly.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, a "conservationist" is a person who is concerned about the environment, climate change, and pollution.</p>
<p>
  <img src="/art-conservationist-conservator.png" alt="Conservationists versus Conservators"><br><em>Conservationists and conservators are not the same career. In fact, in 2022, conservators spent a significant amount of time cleaning up after conservationists.</em>
</p>
<p>Terms for conservators will vary depending on countries and general usage. In general, correct terms for conservators are:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Conservator</li>
  <li>Conservator-restorer</li>
  <li>Restorer (Although this term is sometimes shunned in some countries as it may denote a more liberal, and often frowned-upon, approach to removing original materials.)</li>
</ul>
<h2>How do I find an art conservator?</h2>
<p>When searching for an accredited conservator, it's important to do your research and ask for recommendations. Look for conservators who have received proper training and accreditation, such as those who are members of professional organizations like the <a href="https://www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator">American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works</a> or <a href="https://www.conservationregister.com/">ICON UK</a>. You can also ask for references from previous clients and check for reviews or testimonials online.</p>
<h2>What is a preventive care conservator?</h2>
<p>There is a specific branch of conservation these days which does not focus on a type of object or material, but rather on the conditions that surround objects.</p>
<p>You may also find it as Preventive conservation, also called preventive care, collections care, preventative conservation/care.</p>
<p>Preventive care and management focuses on evaluating and monitoring the <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/agents-deterioration.html">10 agents of deterioration framework</a> as developed by the Canadian Conservation Institute.</p>
<p>The 10 agents are:</p>
<ol>
  <li>Physical forces</li>
  <li>Thieves and vandals</li>
  <li>Fire</li>
  <li>WAter</li>
  <li>Pests</li>
  <li>Pollutants</li>
  <li>Light, ultraviolet and infrared</li>
  <li>Incorrect temperature</li>
  <li>Incorrect relative humidity</li>
  <li>Dissociation</li>
</ol>
<p>It is the job of a collections care professional to evaluate the ways in which the 10 agents may be causing damage to a whole collection in order to implement protective measures that minimise damage over time.</p>
<p>In the case of preventive care, a professional will not be directly treating objects, but rather improving the conditions in which those objects live.</p>
<p>For more guidance on how to apply preventive care, check out this resource from <a href="https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/learn/conservation/collections-advice-and-guidance/">English Heritage</a></p>
<h2>Do you need to be a conservator to work with collections?</h2>
<p>Nope, you most certainly don't have to be. People who work with collections may come from a diverse background and training programs. In Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM), you may find:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Registrars and database specialists</li>
  <li>Conservators</li>
  <li>Archivists</li>
  <li>Librarians</li>
  <li>Preparators</li>
  <li>Exhibitions officers</li>
  <li>Curators</li>
  <li>Facilities management and operations</li>
  <li>Mountmakers</li>
  <li>Educators</li>
  <li>Biologists, chemists, physicists and other conservation scientists</li>
  <li>Etc.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Can all art be conserved?</h2>
<p>Not all art can be conserved, as some materials or techniques may be too fragile or unstable to be restored. In these cases, the focus may shift to preserving what remains of the piece and preventing further deterioration. However, with the right techniques and materials, many works of art can be successfully conserved and restored.</p>
<p>Some types of damage, such as fading due to light, are completely irreversible, so they once done, such damage cannot be undone even by the best practitioners.</p>
<h2>What should I do if my art becomes damaged?</h2>
<p>If your art becomes damaged, it's important to act quickly to minimize further damage. If the damage is minor, such as a small tear or scratch, you may be able to repair it yourself using conservation-grade materials.</p>
<p>This is not generally recommended and most conservators will discourage you from doing so as there are many physical and chemical reactions that you may not expect and which you will not be able to control. Many conservators in both private practice and museum jobs spend significant amount of time undoing previous treatments gone wrong. The damage is not always fixable.</p>
<p>If the damage is significant or you are unsure how to properly repair it, it's best to seek the assistance of a professional conservator who specialises in the material you have.</p>
<h2>How do I become an art conservator?</h2>
<p>For a more in-depth discussion on how to become an art conservator, please read this article <a href="https://angelicaisa.com/blog/where-to-study-art-conservation">Where to study art conservation - The ultimate guide</a>.</p>
<h2>Do I need to learn other languages to become an art conservator?</h2>
<p>Not really, no. Programs will only require either the local language of instruction, and in some cases, English as well. Other than that, you do not need to have foreign language qualifications to study conservation at post-graduate level.</p>
<h2>How much does it cost to study art conservation?</h2>
<p>In my article <a href="https://angelicaisa.com/blog/where-to-study-art-conservation">Where to study art conservation - The ultimate guide</a>, I have included a very long Excel table with over 70 programs around the world and as much information as we could get regarding pre-requisites, costs, location, etc.</p><br><br><br><br>If you liked this post, sign up for [my newsletter](http://bit.ly/3XYqzrt) so you can get the latest articles straight into your inbox.


From preventing damage to finding a reputable art conservator, here are the answers you need to keep your beloved pieces in top condition. Frequently asked questions about art conservation.

Art Conservation - Frequently Asked Questions

Get a behind-the-scenes look at Ki Culture's progress since 2019 and learn more about financial sustainability and climate change activism in the heritage industry in this exclusive article.

Behind-the-Scenes with Ki Culture: Financial Sustainability & Climate Change


<p>Fascinating journey through the world of alphabets, phonemes, graphemes, morphemes, writing systems, hieroglyphs and countless other insightful concepts that helped me progress in creating a 3D writing system. Thanks to Colin and my peer learners, I feel that I'm better connected to this beautiful universe of writing and symbols. Highly recommended to every polymath looking for new dots to connect with.</p>



<p><em>Wouldn't it be cool to invent your own alphabet? A unique form of calligraphy all your own? A script for one of the cultures in a world that you're building? Do you have a conlang that is crying out for a way to be written?</em></p>
<p>If you've ever asked yourself questions like these, <strong>Inventing Alphabets</strong> is for you. This course is a guided introduction to the practice of creating original writing systems as well as a grand tour of the anthropology, history, and linguistics of the world's writing systems.</p>
<h2>Course Goals</h2>
<p>By the end of this course, you will:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Have invented an original writing system for a language of your choosing (could be a conlang!)</li>
  <li>Understand the organizational principles which govern writing systems.</li>
  <li>Have become aware of the diversity of the world's existing writing systems.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Course Structure</h2>
<ul>
  <li>Students: <strong>10</strong></li>
  <li>Length: <strong>2hr sessions x 6 weeks</strong> (taught live over Zoom)
    <ul>
      <li>4 lecture sessions</li>
      <li>2 workshop sessions (space for Q&#x26;A and working side-by-side on your own writing systems)</li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li>Technical details: you can use whatever medium you like to create your system (either digital or using paper), as long as there's some way to show us what you've been working on! :smiley:</li>
</ul>
<h2>Syllabus</h2>
<h3>Week 1: The Origins and Development of Writing</h3>
<p>The goal of this class is to get you acquainted with how writing works and where it came from. First, we'll disentangle the ideas of language and writing: these things are distinct but related, and related in interesting ways. Then we'll explore the origins of writing. We'll look at the material, social, and economic environments in which writing first arose, and how these things influenced the shape of early writing systems. We'll end with an interactive exercise to explore the effect of writing material and technology on the visual aspects of writing systems.</p>
<h3>Week 2: The Structure of Writing Systems</h3>
<p>The goal of this class is to introduce you to the internal structure and logic of writing systems, using the Latin alphabet (the one you're reading right now) as an example. We'll look in more depth at the many ways in which writing relates to language. Then we'll introduce the different organizing principles that the writing systems of the world use which we'll be delving more deeply into in the second half of the course. We'll end with an exercise to develop an alternative alphabet for English or another language.</p>
<h3>Week 3: Workshop Session 1</h3>
<p><em>Workshop sessions are a combination of co-working, show and tell, troubleshooting, and office hours.</em></p>
<h3>Week 4: Writing Sound</h3>
<p>The goal of this class is to introduce you to the families of non-alphabetic writing systems that nevertheless represent sound: these are the <strong>abjad</strong>, <strong>abugida</strong>, and <strong>syllabary</strong>. We'll be looking in depth at three systems: the Hebrew abjad, the Devanagari abugida, and the Cherokee syllabary. The class will finish with an exercise where we try to adapt the alphabet we made last time into an abjad, abugida, or syllabary.</p>
<h3>Week 5: Writing Meaning</h3>
<p>The goal of this class is to introduce you to the family of <strong>morphographic</strong> writing systems, systems which primarily encode minimal units of meaning (i.e. <strong>morphemes</strong>) rather than sound. We'll look at the ways these systems manage the complexity of representing all the morphemes in a language, when the number of morphemes in a language has no upper limit. We will use as our examples Chinese characters, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and cuneiform. Finally, we'll end with an exercise to add some morphographic elements to one of the writing systems we've worked on in previous weeks.</p>
<h3>Week 6: Workshop Session 2</h3>
<p><em>Workshop sessions are a combination of co-working, show and tell, troubleshooting, and office hours.</em></p>
<h2>Who Should Sign Up?</h2>
<p>This course requires no linguistic training, knowledge of any languages but English, or artistic prowess. What it does require is a spirit of curiosity and play: <strong>curiosity</strong> because you'll be learning a lot about how people have written things across time and space, and <strong>play</strong> because you'll be experimenting, brainstorming, sketching and revising until you've made the writing system of your heart's desire.</p>


Inventing Alphabets

Bülent Duagi


<p>I've been taking <a href="https://twitter.com/colingorrie">@colingorrie</a>'s Meta-Skills for Language Learning course via @hyperlink_a and it's been incredibly insightful!</p>


<p>Learning a second language: Many people attempt it but few accomplish it. Despite the wide variety of books, apps, and courses promising fluency with little effort ("in only 15 minutes a day"), most language learners do not achieve their goals. But there is lots of research studying how language learning works and how to do it effectively. Unfortunately, few language learners are aware of it.</p>
<p>Let's fix that. This course is an accessible introduction to the science and practice of language learning. You'll learn:</p>
<ul>
  <li>How to select materials for language learning (and which kinds to avoid!)</li>
  <li>How to use language learning materials effectively</li>
  <li>How to manage motivation throughout the language learning process</li>
  <li>How your needs change as you progress from beginner to intermediate to advanced</li>
  <li>How to learn multiple languages at once (and whether you should!)</li>
  <li>How a little knowledge of how language works can save you a lot of time</li>
</ul>
<p>In short, this course provides you with a toolkit of knowledge, techniques, and mindsets you can use over your lifetime as a language learner.</p>
<h2>What You'll Get</h2>
<p><em>Meta-Skills for Language Learning</em> is a self-paced online course divided into 5 modules</p>
<ul>
  <li>Audio lessons with transcripts.</li>
  <li>PDF worksheets.</li>
  <li>Access to live monthly Q&#x26;A session</li>
</ul>
<h2>Structure of the Course</h2>
<h3>Module 1: Why most language learning resolutions fail</h3>
<p>In this module, you'll learn the answer to the question: <strong>Why do so many language learning resolutions fail?</strong> We'll talk about why we learn languages, and how your reason for learning a language affects how you go about learning it. We'll also highlight some unsuccessful strategies for learning languages and why they don't work. We'll discuss some assumptions people often bring to language learning and show you which are legitimate and which are false and unhelpful. Finally, I'll show you how to take an inventory of your language learning practice as it is today and use it as a starting point to build a new one.</p>
<h3>Module 2: The science of how we learn languages</h3>
<p>This module introduces the results of the last few decades of research in second language acquisition. We now know a lot about how language learning works. And it turns out that it's not much like the way most people go about learning languages. I'm going to bust language learning myths, and replace these myths with science-backed knowledge.</p>
<h3>Module 3: Spending your time and money wisely</h3>
<p>In this module we will use what we learned in the last module to review different types of language learning materials and methods: from formal classes and private tutors to conversation partners, textbooks, and apps. Along the way, you'll learn why <strong>the best apps for language learning aren't language-learning apps at all</strong>.</p>
<h3>Module 4: The language learning mindset</h3>
<p>This module introduces a factor that will make or break your language learning success: your mindset. I'll teach you practical techniques for working within the constraints of human psychology: techniques for maintaining motivation, fighting burnout, and keeping your love for language learning alive. I'll teach you <strong>the counterintuitive way you can keep your progress steady by doing less</strong>.</p>
<h3>Module 5: Creating your language learning roadmap</h3>
<p>In this final module, we'll taking what you've learned in the previous modules and apply it to your own language learning practice. We'll also discuss some special situations you may find yourself in, such as:</p>
<ul>
  <li>learning dead languages</li>
  <li>learning less-commonly taught languages, and</li>
  <li>learning multiple languages at the same time (including the age-old question <strong>how to learn Spanish and French at the same time without mixing them up?</strong>)</li>
</ul>
<p>Finally, you'll create a new language learning roadmap you can use to guide you over the coming months and years of your language learning.</p>
<h2>About Colin</h2>
<p>Colin Gorrie is a linguist and experienced language learner. He has been learning languages for 25 years and has spent a decade studying how language works. In this course, he joins his theoretical background in linguistics with his practical experience as a learner of many languages to give you the tools to get you making progress in your target language – and start having fun – once again!</p>
<h2>FAQ</h2>
<blockquote>
  <p>Is this course suitable for someone who has never learned a language before?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes, this course is perfect for someone who wants to get start their language learning journey on the right foot.</p>
<blockquote>
  <p>Is this course suitable for an experienced language learner?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>If you are an experienced polyglot with a string of language learning successes under your belt, this course will likely be too basic for you.</p>
<p>However, if you've been learning a language for a while, and you feel frustrated with your lack of progress, this course will be able to help you.</p>
<blockquote>
  <p>Do I have to be learning a commonly studied language like French or Spanish?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No, these techniques will work for any language – even dead ones! I'll show you how to adapt these techniques and apply these strategies to less-commonly taught languages as well.</p>
<blockquote>
  <p>Do I have to be available at a particular to take part?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>No, this class is completely asynchronous and self-paced.</p>

Meta-Skills for Language Learning

Fanny Luor


<p>Learning about the effectiveness of comprehensible input significantly improved my approach to learning German. Fewer boring flash cards, more interesting texts, podcasts, and videos. That insight alone was worth the price of the course.</p>


Glenn


<p>Colin is an absolute genius, a patient teacher, and a thrilling linguist.</p>
<p>He encouraged our cohort to explore unique directions and was able to facilitate everyone’s different ideas. Throughout the course, Colin brought each of our projects from a handful of lip-and-tongue noises to a complex, beautiful, and unique language. I hope to take another course with him soon!</p>



<h2>Course Goals</h2>
<p>This course is a hands-on introduction to making constructed languages (or <strong>conlangs</strong>) as a creative pursuit, taught by a linguist and experienced conlanger. The course also serves as an introduction to linguistics, but instead of learning the material in a dry, lecture style, you'll learn it all by doing. By the end of the course, you'll not only have created a language of your own, but you'll also have the ability to repeat the process and create whole worlds full of languages.</p>
<blockquote>
  <p>Colin is an absolute genius, a patient teacher, and a thrilling linguist.</p>
  <p>
    He encouraged our cohort to explore unique directions and was able to facilitate everyone’s different ideas. Throughout the course, Colin brought each of our projects from a handful of lip-and-tongue noises to a complex, beautiful, and unique language. I hope to take another course with him soon!
    —Jake
  </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Length / Commitment</h2>
<ul>
  <li>Length: 6 weeks</li>
  <li>Classes: 2-hour live workshop sessions
    <ul>
      <li>These are live sessions but are recorded for you to review if you need to miss a session.</li>
    </ul>
  </li>
  <li>Homework: Approx. 1 hour per week</li>
  <li>Also includes:
    <ul>
      <li>Course textbook written by me, Colin (~90pp)</li>
    </ul>
  </li>
</ul>
<h2>Syllabus / Schedule</h2>
<h3>Week 1: Introduction</h3>
<p>What is a language and what does it mean to construct a language? In this session you’ll learn enough of the basics of linguistics to figure out what we need to do to make our first conlang. We’ll use this knowledge to break the task into chunks and set up a logical progression which will guide the rest of the course. Finally I’ll send you away with a mission to find a spark of inspiration for your first language that will guide you throughout the process.</p>
<h3>Week 2: Sounds</h3>
<p>What gives a language its unique sound? In this session, you'll learn about the range of sounds made by the languages of the world. You'll also learn a system of classifying sounds and use that information to create a palette of sounds for your language to draw on.</p>
<h3>Week 3: From Sounds to Words</h3>
<p>In this chapter, you'll learn how to combine sounds to make words according to a blueprint that you'll develop for your language. This is where your language starts develop its unique flavour.</p>
<h3>Week 4: From Words to Sentences</h3>
<p>This session is about going from your language’s first words to your language’s first sentences. To do this, we’ll learn the different strategies languages use to package meaning into words. Then we’ll learn about the different ways languages express relationships between words. This will give us the tools to start making sentences.</p>
<h3>Weeks 5–6: A More Powerful Grammar, Parts 1 and 2</h3>
<p>In these sessions we will start to increase the expressive power of your language by introducing the many things you can do with sentences that are not so simple. You'll learn thrilling grammatical strategies for adding additional details about when, where, and why something happened. You'll marvel at the ease with which you'll be combining sentences – ok, look: it's hard to write a captivating description of grammatical topics. But trust me, we'll have fun making your language capable of doing more.</p>
<h2>Artifacts</h2>
<p>By the end of the course, you will have created a set of core reference material for a new language:</p>
<ul>
  <li>A short guide to your language, including information on spelling, pronunciation, as well as how to form words and sentences.</li>
  <li>A small dictionary for your language</li>
  <li>A translation of a short fable (&#x3C; 100 words in English)</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
  <p>
    I must say I was really curious before we started the course - and all of my expectations went completely fulfilled. I think the course is really well structured as a sort of path that guides the student through the basic steps of building a conlang. At week 0, I knew nothing about conlangs and in just two months I got to write a sample story, how exciting!
    —Sandro
  </p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Who Should Sign Up</h2>
<p>This course is for you if you:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Have a creative project you'd like to make a realistic language for (e.g. authors, game designers, worldbuilders).</li>
  <li>Want to learn to conlang as a creative pursuit.</li>
  <li>Are curious about linguistics and want to learn it in a fun and creative way.</li>
</ul>
<p>But it's probably not for you if you...</p>
<ul>
  <li>Are an experienced conlanger (this will be too basic for you).</li>
  <li>Are most interested in making a planned language for international communication (i.e. an auxlang).</li>
</ul>
<h2>Requirements</h2>
<ul>
  <li>No linguistics background is assumed.</li>
  <li>You'll need a Google account to participate in shared Google Docs/Sheets.</li>
</ul>


Language Construction Workshop

Jake Fee


<p>I've wanted to learn how to create a language but almost gave up hope until I found Colin's Language Construction Workshop. I started with nearly zero linguistics background, and in the end, I learned all the necessary foundations to create my first language. Colin is a fantastic teacher, and I want to recommend his course to anyone interested in making their first language!</p>


Ji Woo Kim

Natasha Lipman


<p>I must say I was really curious before we started the course - and all of my expectations went completely fulfilled. I think the course is really well structured as a sort of path that guides the student through the basic steps of building a conlang. At week 0, I knew nothing about conlangs and in just two months I got to write a sample story, how exciting!</p>


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