11/16/2023
We’ve got it all! All the width of this 1920s embroidered voile (fine soft sheer fabric), that is.
11/13/2023
In early October, I was delighted to participate in a scholars’ day at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA). For those outside the museum biz, a scholars’ day is a convening of curators, academics, and sometimes expert collectors, artists, and gallerists, who gather to share a deep dive on an artist or movement featured in a special exhibition.
11/9/2023
Several small copper alloy objects, pieces of jewelry and articles of adornment, are all showing signs of bronze disease.
11/2/2023
These three portraits by 18th-century British artist Thomas Gainsborough are in the paintings conservation lab to be examined for the British catalog project.
10/12/2023
In the Conservation Lab, we are working on this large ceramic jar from Dynasty I Egypt (3100–2900 BCE).
10/11/2023
As the new Curatorial Assistant for South Asian Art, Islamic Art, and Antiquities, finding “my favorite piece here at the museum is a serious task! The possibilities for finding “the one” are endless.
10/5/2023
This small round painting, attributed to the studio of the 17th century Dutch artist Frans Hals, was recently in the paintings conservation lab to have its discolored varnish removed.
10/2/2023
This piece represents a fascinating mix of histories: local Indigenous culture before white settlement, nineteenth-century American archaeology, the donor Judge Joseph Cox, and the Cincinnati Art Museum’s early years.
9/28/2023
An interesting artifact has entered the museum Archives, courtesy of Archivist/Records Manager Geoff Edwards. This glass paperweight holds a small photograph of the museum and the Cincinnati Art Academy (now located downtown).
9/22/2023
We recently acquired a work by Woomin Kim, a young Korean-born artist who lives and works in Queens, New York.
9/21/2023
There are few things more satisfying than seeing some really dramatic “before and after” photos when a conservation treatment is complete! Conservation of Elizabeth Hawes’ “flag dress” or Geographic (1940) has wrapped up, and now you can flip through a whole album of “before/after” pairs showing the transformations of many of the flags that cover the dress.
9/20/2023
When asked about his philosophy behind the Terrace Café’s new fall menu, Executive Chef Yajan (“Yaj”) Upadhyaya gave a straightforward answer.
9/14/2023
If you’ve been following our Conservation blog posts, you may have seen several updates as we carried out treatment over the past two years.
8/31/2023
In 2019 and 2020 the museum received three prints by American artist Raphael Soyer (1899–1987), the first of his prints to enter the museum’s collection.
8/24/2023
This summer, Centre College conducted an interdisciplinary research project bringing together science and art at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
8/24/2023
The forecourt display case in the Conversations Gallery is fresh! A new rotation arrived last week, and it is practically aglow with summery white freshness. How does a 150-year-old child’s dress look this crisp and breezy?
8/23/2023
It’s hard to miss the monumental 3-D capital “A” welcoming visitors to CAM’s campus from Art Museum Drive. Painted a bright red—like the museum’s brand color—some suggest the giant steel beam structure stands for “Art.” But the artist’s intent was not so driven by marketing concerns!
8/17/2023
Last month we took our Magic Mirror to Ethicon Endo-Surgery for analysis to learn more about this ancient bronze object and the seemingly magical way it can project the image of the Amida Buddha under certain lighting conditions.
8/15/2023
In 1871, the Royal Historical Museum in Dresden (the present-day Green Vault) commissioned German photographer Franz Hanfstaengl to document the objects in its collection. Among the 160 photographs produced, lively prints of five found their way to the Cincinnati Art Museum.
8/10/2023
We’ve had this painting by American Impressionist Theodore Robinson (1852–1896) listed for varnish removal for a while. That’s because curators and conservators know that Impressionist artists rarely varnished their paintings.
8/3/2023
Over a couple of weeks, I examined, cleaned, and rehoused a series of sixteenth-century prints by Léonard Gaultier (circa 1561–circa 1630).
7/27/2023
How would you like to travel in a custom “sleeping bag”? These three dresses designed by Ann Lowe (American, 1898–1981) are headed to the Winterthur Museum in Delaware for the exhibition Ann Lowe: American Couturier, snuggled in soft surrounds for a safe and comfortable trip.
7/26/2023
When we think of spaces where modern art is exhibited, the minimalist aesthetic of white-walled galleries often comes to mind. But in Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds, CAM’s exhibition designers imagined—and created—a much different kind of experience.
7/5/2023
Another work recently conserved for the British catalog project, The Approaching Storm by English artist Thomas Barker (1769–1847), presented a challenge.
6/30/2023
In 2005 the museum received a gift of Japanese art that includes ceramics, paintings, and prints. Now that our Curator of Prints Kristin Spangenberg has finished researching the 35 prints in this gift, I am reviewing their needs before moving them to their permanent storage locations.
6/21/2023
What is one of the best things about being a textile conservator? To me, it’s that I sometimes have the chance to “converse” with my fashion design heroes through their work.
6/20/2023
The museum’s Green Team recently took a field trip to learn more about recycling opportunities in our region. With our individual recyclables in tow, we visited Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub (CRRH) and were wowed by this organization.
6/8/2023
When I read the curatorial file for this painting, I discovered a remarkably expansive biography, not just of the painting itself, but also of the sitter and the artist. What is most interesting to me, though, is the sitter’s story.
6/1/2023
Enjoy these works in the museum’s collection by artists who identify as LGBTQ+ or address themes of LGBTQ+ representation and experience.