CURRICULUM VITAE
Education
West Dean College of Arts and Conservation (Ceramics and Glass), United Kingdom 2020
Master of Arts in Conservation Studies
The University of Texas at Austin 1998
Bachelor of Arts in Art History
Master of Arts in Conservation Studies
The University of Texas at Austin 1998
Bachelor of Arts in Art History
Qualifications
Professional Associate - American Institute for Conservation 2005
Objects Conservation Apprenticeship (5 years) 2000 - 2005
Objects Conservation Apprenticeship (5 years) 2000 - 2005
Internships
Colonial Williamsburg - Williamsburg, Virginia 2019
Objects Conservation Lab Intern
Baird/Rief Conservation - Georgetown, California 2006
Objects Conservation Intern
Elisabet Ney Museum - Austin, Texas 1998
Museum Intern
Meadows Museum at Centenary College - Shreveport, Louisiana 1996
Museum Intern
Objects Conservation Lab Intern
Baird/Rief Conservation - Georgetown, California 2006
Objects Conservation Intern
Elisabet Ney Museum - Austin, Texas 1998
Museum Intern
Meadows Museum at Centenary College - Shreveport, Louisiana 1996
Museum Intern
Professional Experience
Beaux Arts Conservation – Shreveport, Louisiana 2020 – Present
Conservator/Owner
Responsible for all aspects of operation including the examination, documentation, and treatment of artifacts.
Palace of Nestor Excavations, The University of Cincinnati - Pylos, Greece 2021
Acting Head of Conservation
Responsible for all activities conducted within the laboratory including the examination, documentation, and treatment of artifacts found at the dig site as well as the management of three interns.
Foothills Art Conservation – Evergreen, Colorado 2019 – 2020
Conservator/Owner
Responsible for all aspects of operation including the examination, documentation, and treatment of artifacts.
City of Denver – Denver, Colorado 2019 – 2020
Curator
Responsible for the management of all City of Denver collections including the Buffalo Bill Museum, the CCC Camp at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and the Denver Mountain Parks Archives. Major responsibilities included: the writing and implementation of an Emergency Preparedness Plan, Integrated Pest Management Policy, and Collections Management Policy, registration of acquisitions, and all aspects of collections management.
Frazier History Museum - Louisville, Kentucky 2017 – 2018
Collections Manager
Responsible for registration and care of all artifacts within the 100,000 sf Smithsonian Affiliate Museum, including items in the permanent collection as well as items on loan. Major duties included: the management of curatorial staff and interns, the development and implementation of written policies and procedures for the movement, handling, and environmental controls for the collection, performed assessments and treatments on artifacts as needed, installed exhibits, generated and processed Contracts of Loan, Deed of Gift forms, maintained insurance coverage of the collection, arranged and supervised domestic and international shipping for major exhibitions, set the agenda and presented at quarterly Collections Committee meetings.
Farmers Branch Historical Park - Farmers Branch, Texas 2008 – 2017
Curator
Responsible for acquisitions, policy, exhibitions, budgets, donor relations, and collections care and management for a site with 15 historic structures and 5,000+ artifacts. Major duties included: assessment of the collection for conservation needs and performed treatments as necessary, directed maintenance and preservation work on historic buildings by contractors and/or municipal staff, trained and managed volunteers and interns, gave tours to museum visitors, Interacted regularly with City Council, City Management, Board and Friends’ group, participated in community outreach initiatives by presenting programs at Rotary Club, Woman’s Club, National Night Out, antiques groups, and local schools and historical societies. Major projects included: large-scale foundation repairs for a structure on the National Register of Historic Places, period-appropriate roof replacement on 19th and 20th century buildings, and discovery of the original colors of a 19th century MKT Depot. Major accomplishments included: compilation, design, publication of Farmers Branch: A History in Pictures , acted as Programs Chair for the 2012 Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) Annual Meeting, acted as Project Manager for the building of a 1927 General Store and was responsible for the research and design of historic building methods and locating period appropriate replicas for the store inventory to complete the exhibits, and streamlined the accession filing system, updated existing collections policy and emergency preparedness plans, added new protocols for processing donations, installed a facility-wide datalogging system to track temperature and humidity, wrote a grant for IMLS and was awarded the IMLS Bookshelf.
Maria Valentina Sheets Conservation - Dallas, Texas 2007 – 2017
Conservator
Evaluated, documented, and executed treatments for decorative objects in a wide range of materials, including glass, ceramics, wood, and composition materials. Major projects included: the cleaning and repair of a bi-plane model for the Perot Foundation, the conservation of a Native American cradleboard, participation in an "Angels Project" for the treatment of plaster sculptures by John Collier that were burned in a 2005 museum fire, and the treatment of two outdoor sculptures.
Factum Arte - Madrid, Spain 2007
Conservator
Assisted in the production, assembly, and installation of a life-size reproduction of Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding Feast at Cana in San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy. For a video overview of the Veronese Project from Factum Arte, please see: vimeo.com/7313651
Major duties included the filling and inpainting of seams in the canvas, training and supervising interns, and final touch-ups of the canvas once installed in the refectory. Other projects included the inspection and assembly of components for Hexagon Mirror Dish, 2007 for artist Anish Kapoor and the varnishing of signed prints by artist Mark Quinn.
The Biblical Arts Center (Museum of Biblical Art) - Dallas, Texas 2006 – 2007
Conservator/Registrar
Responsible for the organization and inventory of the collection after a 2005 fire destroyed the main building. Major duties included: the creation of an inventory database, the environmental monitoring of artifacts being housed in temporary storage, writing condition reports for damaged items, and performing treatments on soot-covered artifacts.
Art Restorations, Inc. - Dallas, Texas 2000 – 2005
Conservator
Responsible for the evaluation, photodocumentation, and treatment of decorative objects. Major duties included: consulted with clients, prepared treatment proposals and estimates for objects, designed/implemented marketing strategies for business growth, trained new apprentices in the Decorative Objects department, acted as Safety Director from 2002-2005, authored company-wide safety program, maintained safety program, provided safety orientation for new employees and all employees on an annual basis, including interpretation and enforcement of safety rules as outlined by OSHA. Completed a five year apprenticeship and was awarded Professional Associate status from the American Institute of Conservation in 2005 on the first attempt.
Conservator/Owner
Responsible for all aspects of operation including the examination, documentation, and treatment of artifacts.
Palace of Nestor Excavations, The University of Cincinnati - Pylos, Greece 2021
Acting Head of Conservation
Responsible for all activities conducted within the laboratory including the examination, documentation, and treatment of artifacts found at the dig site as well as the management of three interns.
Foothills Art Conservation – Evergreen, Colorado 2019 – 2020
Conservator/Owner
Responsible for all aspects of operation including the examination, documentation, and treatment of artifacts.
City of Denver – Denver, Colorado 2019 – 2020
Curator
Responsible for the management of all City of Denver collections including the Buffalo Bill Museum, the CCC Camp at Red Rocks Amphitheater, and the Denver Mountain Parks Archives. Major responsibilities included: the writing and implementation of an Emergency Preparedness Plan, Integrated Pest Management Policy, and Collections Management Policy, registration of acquisitions, and all aspects of collections management.
Frazier History Museum - Louisville, Kentucky 2017 – 2018
Collections Manager
Responsible for registration and care of all artifacts within the 100,000 sf Smithsonian Affiliate Museum, including items in the permanent collection as well as items on loan. Major duties included: the management of curatorial staff and interns, the development and implementation of written policies and procedures for the movement, handling, and environmental controls for the collection, performed assessments and treatments on artifacts as needed, installed exhibits, generated and processed Contracts of Loan, Deed of Gift forms, maintained insurance coverage of the collection, arranged and supervised domestic and international shipping for major exhibitions, set the agenda and presented at quarterly Collections Committee meetings.
Farmers Branch Historical Park - Farmers Branch, Texas 2008 – 2017
Curator
Responsible for acquisitions, policy, exhibitions, budgets, donor relations, and collections care and management for a site with 15 historic structures and 5,000+ artifacts. Major duties included: assessment of the collection for conservation needs and performed treatments as necessary, directed maintenance and preservation work on historic buildings by contractors and/or municipal staff, trained and managed volunteers and interns, gave tours to museum visitors, Interacted regularly with City Council, City Management, Board and Friends’ group, participated in community outreach initiatives by presenting programs at Rotary Club, Woman’s Club, National Night Out, antiques groups, and local schools and historical societies. Major projects included: large-scale foundation repairs for a structure on the National Register of Historic Places, period-appropriate roof replacement on 19th and 20th century buildings, and discovery of the original colors of a 19th century MKT Depot. Major accomplishments included: compilation, design, publication of Farmers Branch: A History in Pictures , acted as Programs Chair for the 2012 Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums (ALHFAM) Annual Meeting, acted as Project Manager for the building of a 1927 General Store and was responsible for the research and design of historic building methods and locating period appropriate replicas for the store inventory to complete the exhibits, and streamlined the accession filing system, updated existing collections policy and emergency preparedness plans, added new protocols for processing donations, installed a facility-wide datalogging system to track temperature and humidity, wrote a grant for IMLS and was awarded the IMLS Bookshelf.
Maria Valentina Sheets Conservation - Dallas, Texas 2007 – 2017
Conservator
Evaluated, documented, and executed treatments for decorative objects in a wide range of materials, including glass, ceramics, wood, and composition materials. Major projects included: the cleaning and repair of a bi-plane model for the Perot Foundation, the conservation of a Native American cradleboard, participation in an "Angels Project" for the treatment of plaster sculptures by John Collier that were burned in a 2005 museum fire, and the treatment of two outdoor sculptures.
Factum Arte - Madrid, Spain 2007
Conservator
Assisted in the production, assembly, and installation of a life-size reproduction of Paolo Veronese’s The Wedding Feast at Cana in San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice, Italy. For a video overview of the Veronese Project from Factum Arte, please see: vimeo.com/7313651
Major duties included the filling and inpainting of seams in the canvas, training and supervising interns, and final touch-ups of the canvas once installed in the refectory. Other projects included the inspection and assembly of components for Hexagon Mirror Dish, 2007 for artist Anish Kapoor and the varnishing of signed prints by artist Mark Quinn.
The Biblical Arts Center (Museum of Biblical Art) - Dallas, Texas 2006 – 2007
Conservator/Registrar
Responsible for the organization and inventory of the collection after a 2005 fire destroyed the main building. Major duties included: the creation of an inventory database, the environmental monitoring of artifacts being housed in temporary storage, writing condition reports for damaged items, and performing treatments on soot-covered artifacts.
Art Restorations, Inc. - Dallas, Texas 2000 – 2005
Conservator
Responsible for the evaluation, photodocumentation, and treatment of decorative objects. Major duties included: consulted with clients, prepared treatment proposals and estimates for objects, designed/implemented marketing strategies for business growth, trained new apprentices in the Decorative Objects department, acted as Safety Director from 2002-2005, authored company-wide safety program, maintained safety program, provided safety orientation for new employees and all employees on an annual basis, including interpretation and enforcement of safety rules as outlined by OSHA. Completed a five year apprenticeship and was awarded Professional Associate status from the American Institute of Conservation in 2005 on the first attempt.
Publications
"An Investigation into the Use of UV-C Light in the Eradication of Conidia on Calcium Sulphate Plaster Substrates"
Master of Arts Thesis, West Dean College of Arts and Conservation, UK 2019
"Hantavirus, Lacerations, and Lockjaw, Oh My!: Safety in the Living History World" 2015
Proceedings of the 2015 Conference and Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA
Farmers Branch: A History in Pictures 2012
"Caring for Collections with a Small Budget, Little Time and Limited Staffing: The Safe Handling and Storage of Objects" 2010
Proceedings of the 2010 Conference and Annual Meeting, Worcester, Massachusetts
Presentations
"Caring for Your Own Art and Antiques" 2008 - Present
Museum of East Texas
Shreveport Genealogical Society
Lagniappe Historical Society
Farmers Branch Woman’s Club
Farmers Branch Antiques Club
Peters Colony Historical Society
Northwood Antiques Club
The Collectors Antique Club
PEO International – North Dallas Chapter
Dallas Medical Center – Lunch and Learn
"Hantavirus, Lacerations, and Lockjaw, Oh My!: Safety in the Living History World" 2015
ALHFAM Conference and Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA
“The Wedding Feast at Cana: Facsimiles and Religious Symbolism’’ 2015
Christ United Methodist Church, Farmers Branch, TX
“Conservation 101 Workshop’’ (Full Day) 2013
Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums
Tri-Regional Conference, Nevada City, MT
“Curators vs. Conservators: What Curators Don’t Know and Conservators May Not Tell Them”
Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums 2012
Southeast Regional Conference, McConnells, South Carolina
“Caring for Collections with a Small Budget, Little Time and Limited Staffing” 2010
Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums
Annual Conference, Worcester, Massachusetts
“What is Conservation?” Lecture and Demonstration 2009
Farmers Branch Antiques Club, Farmers Branch, Texas
Museum of East Texas
Shreveport Genealogical Society
Lagniappe Historical Society
Farmers Branch Woman’s Club
Farmers Branch Antiques Club
Peters Colony Historical Society
Northwood Antiques Club
The Collectors Antique Club
PEO International – North Dallas Chapter
Dallas Medical Center – Lunch and Learn
"Hantavirus, Lacerations, and Lockjaw, Oh My!: Safety in the Living History World" 2015
ALHFAM Conference and Annual Meeting, Williamsburg, VA
“The Wedding Feast at Cana: Facsimiles and Religious Symbolism’’ 2015
Christ United Methodist Church, Farmers Branch, TX
“Conservation 101 Workshop’’ (Full Day) 2013
Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums
Tri-Regional Conference, Nevada City, MT
“Curators vs. Conservators: What Curators Don’t Know and Conservators May Not Tell Them”
Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums 2012
Southeast Regional Conference, McConnells, South Carolina
“Caring for Collections with a Small Budget, Little Time and Limited Staffing” 2010
Association for Living History, Farm and Agriculture Museums
Annual Conference, Worcester, Massachusetts
“What is Conservation?” Lecture and Demonstration 2009
Farmers Branch Antiques Club, Farmers Branch, Texas
Professional Affiliations
American Institute for Conservation (AIC), Professional Member
International Institute for Conservation (IIC), Member
International Council of Museums (ICOM), Member
American Alliance of Museums (AAM), Member
Association for Living History Farm and Agriculture Museums (ALHFAM), Member
Louisiana Association of Museums (LAM)
International Institute for Conservation (IIC), Member
International Council of Museums (ICOM), Member
American Alliance of Museums (AAM), Member
Association for Living History Farm and Agriculture Museums (ALHFAM), Member
Louisiana Association of Museums (LAM)
Client List can be given upon request.