The Long Island Museum: Preservation Assessment of the Collection

FAIN: PG-50847-10

Long Island Museum of American Art, History, and Carriages (Stony Brook, NY 11790-1931)
William Ayres (Project Director: May 2009 to October 2011)

Hiring a consultant to conduct a general preservation assessment of the collections of the museum. The 50,000 artifacts are subdivided into three categories: art including 19th- and 20th-century paintings; historic costumes and textiles, household artifacts, and waterfowl decoys; and a collection of horse-drawn vehicles and carriage- and harness-making tools.

The Long Island Museum will contract Spicer Art Conservation, LLC, for Conservator Gwen Spicer to conduct a general preservation assessment of the museum's collection (with the exception of archival materials). The conservator will spend several days on-site visiting collection storage areas and exhibition space and meeting with museum staff to review and discuss environmental conditions and monitoring methods. The Conservator will then draft a conservation assessment report, which will include suggestions for improvements and upgrades to collections storage and exhibit space, housekeeping maintenance and Integrated Pest Management. Museum staff will utilize the report to draft a long-range preservation plan for the collection. The resulting plan will be implemented over five years. Going forward, we believe this will ensure Long Island Museum's world-class collections are cared for by current best-practice standards.