Western Region Field Service Program (WRFSP)

FAIN: PE-50104-13

Balboa Art Conservation Center (San Diego, CA 92163-1755)
Janet E. Ruggles (Project Director: July 2012 to April 2017)

A regional preservation field service program that provides preservation surveys, workshops, technical consultations, and educational materials to museums and historical organizations in California, Arizona, Oregon, and Washington.

Funding is requested for the WRFSP, which serves over 2,700 museums and historical organizations in the Western region (CA, AZ, OR, and WA)with collections of humanities value. Established in 2001 with NEH funding as the first and only field service program in the region designed to serve material culture holdings, the WRFSP was awarded four consecutive NEH grants and in 2012 supplemental funding. Since inception, WRFSP has exceeded stated objectives. Funding for 2013-15 will enable BACC to continue to expand services to meet needs while due to increased cost efficiencies, repositioning to grow project income, and diversification of contributed support, BACC will markedly reduce reliance on NEH funding. Principal program objectives for improving preservation of humanities resources are: workshops on preservation practices with a strategic balance of face-to-face and web-based formats; subsidized surveys with 3, new time and cost efficient types; consultations and technical assistance.