Preservation Planning at the Richard M. Ross Art Museum
FAIN: PG-263571-19
Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH 43015-2333)
Erin Fletcher (Project Director: May 2018 to March 2022)
A preservation assessment by a local consultant
of the Ross Art Museum’s collection of 3,000 objects, which consists mainly of
works on paper from important 20th century American photographers,
such as Alfred Stieglitz, Dorothy Norman, and Edward Weston, as well as prints
from 19th and 20th century artists, such as Francisco de
Goya, Joan Miró, Honoré Daumier, George Bellows, Alberto Giacometti, Édouard
Manet, and Robert Rauschenberg. The
collection also includes works by Native American artists, contemporary
Japanese prints, and Chicano art, and is used as a teaching resource as well as
in exhibitions.
The aim of this project is to conduct a preservation assessment on the Richard M. Ross Museum’s collection of works on paper, which is a resource of Ohio Wesleyan University. The museum engages Humanities disciplines on campus such as English, History, Modern Foreign Languages, Black World Studies, and Women and Gender Studies through exhibition development, collection visits, and object-based learning opportunities. In 2016, the museum underwent a director transition. In conjunction with the Museum Advisory Board, the director is currently developing a strategic plan for 2019-2021. One of the main goals of this plan is to improve use and preservation of the collection. The museum currently faces a number of preservation challenges and opportunities to professionalize its practices. This assessment, and the subsequent report, will help the museum prioritize steps, develop a preservation plan, and set actionable fundraising goals.