Building Collections & Conservation Program Infrastructure and Professional Capacity, Phase II
FAIN: PG-271815-20
National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial (Chicago, IL 60625-3619)
Kaoru Watanabe (Project Director: January 2020 to present)
The purchase of archival shelving and preservation supplies to rehouse a collection of paintings, ceramics, sculptures, photographs, instruments, textiles, and domestic materials that demonstrate life for Cambodians under the Khmer Rouge, as refugees, and in their newfound homes in the United States. Funds would also support the services of a collections manager and a conservator, who would serve as a consultant. The collections are used in exhibitions, classes, public programing and performances, and by researchers. Museum staff would also receive on-site training from the consulting conservator, as well as online training in preservation basics from the Northeast Document Conservation Center.
The proposed project aims to build the collections and preservation infrastructure and staff capacity at the National Cambodian Heritage Museum & Killing Fields Memorial (NCHM) for 18 months starting in September 2020. Specifically, we will purchase and install archival shelving, purchase archival supplies for proper housing of the collections, and build the museum staff capacity through the on-the-job training and NEDCC webinar. The project is Phase II of the development of the Collections and Conservation Program at NCHM. During the past three months, Andrew Leith (Conservation and Collections Program Manager, Chicago Cultural Alliance [CCA]) conducted the collections inventory and assessment, provided on-the-job training to the museum staff and intern, and began cataloging. The proposed project will be built upon the working relationship that we have established with CCA and upon the collections and conservation strategic planning that we developed with CCA.
Associated Products
Cambodians in Chicago (Exhibition)Title: Cambodians in Chicago
Curator: Eleanor Lay
Curator: Melody Sok
Curator: Phoebe Lincoln
Curator: Denny Chhuong
Abstract: The objectives of the proposed project did not include a production of an exhibition. This is a secondary outcome of the collections and conservation project.
While conducting an inventory of our collections in the storage and library/archives, Eleanor and three other interns recognized the importance of sharing the photographs that had been taken and stored by the Cambodian Association of Illinois and the museum since the early 1980s. They developed a small photography-based portable exhibit, “Cambodians in Chicago," which explores the stories and experiences of Cambodians in Chicago, Illinois between the late 1980s and the 2000s. These photographs were selected from more than 13 photo albums documenting the community events, programs, and community members' daily life. The exhibit was first introduced to the community during the Day of Remembrance on April 17, 2022 and has been presented at NCHM, and at various community events.
The exhibition also demonstrates and addresses the importance of the Collections and Conservation program, knowledge, and expertises at the museum to develop, plan, and execute an exhibition.
Year: 2022
Primary URL:
http://drive.google.com/file/d/1HJYG9FpDKIjIC4a3EVrLrIjjhe7AcVrW/view?usp=sharingPrimary URL Description: At 2’52” in this video, Eleanor Lay explains the Cambodians in Chicago project.