Preservation Assessment for Ceramics, Lithics, and Basketry Care

FAIN: PG-280829-21

Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL 60115-2828)
Christy DeLair (Project Director: January 2021 to October 2022)

A general preservation assessment of collections at the Pick Museum of Anthropology and the Department of Anthropology, with a focus on its ceramics, lithics, and basketry collection. Founded in 1964, the Pick Museum of Anthropology houses a permanent collection that includes approximately 12,000 ethnological objects and more than 10,000 archaeological artifacts. The department’s archaeology collections include mostly local archaeological material connected to settler-colonial communities and a separate teaching collection of Mesoamerican and Native North American ceramics and lithics. The proposed project would be the first step in a long-term plan to improve the overall management and storage of, and access to, the ceramic, lithic, and basketry collections. The assessment activities would result in a plan for improving the care of these collections, while also identifying specific storage improvements.

A preservation assessment of the Pick Museum of Anthropology and Anthropology Department collections of ceramics, basketry, and lithics for the purpose of identifying storage furniture and supplies to improve care and access. Collections include cultural heritage materials primarily from the Americas, Southeast Asia, and Oceania which are used for teaching, public programming, academic research, and training future museum workers. Funding will be used to hire a consultant to assess collection needs in four small collection rooms and make recommendations encompassing both general environmental conditions and individual object needs. The goal of the project is to develop a plan for properly storing and managing these collections and identifying necessary storage furniture and supplies. This assessment is connected to larger institutional initiatives to address colonial legacies of museum collecting and implement more ethical and culturally appropriate collections care.