Butler Institute of American Art Permanent Collection Preservation Survey: Works on Paper

FAIN: PG-52395-15

Butler Institute of American Art (Youngstown, OH 44502-1213)
Louis A. Zona (Project Director: May 2014 to September 2016)

A preservation assessment of the Butler Institute of American Art’s works on paper, which include pieces by artists such as Winslow Homer, Albert Bierstadt, Mary Cassatt, Edward Hopper, Ben Shahn, Jacob Lawrence, Jasper Johns, Chuck Close, and Thomas Hart Benton.  The collection also includes photographs and lithographs documenting the industrial history of the Northeast.  Artworks are presented to the public through exhibitions and loans, a searchable online database, and are available to university professors and scholars for research and for use in classes for subjects such as art history, the history of printmaking, and the history of labor and industry.  Museum staff would also receive training on how to properly assess the condition of the art works in order to prioritize conservation needs.

The focus of the project is BIAA’s collection of 9,400 works on paper comprised of prints, drawings, paintings, and photographs. The collection provides a comprehensive historical survey of American printmaking; documents the societal and economic conditions quintessential of the Rust Belt and the ethnographic and social life of Native Americans; and includes several artists' collections. It is an integral part of the historical survey of the museum's permanent collection; is utilized by a variety of organizations for exhibition, and educational use by universities, colleges and scholars. BIAA requests support from the NEH to partner with ICA Art Conservation to conduct an on-site survey for the development of preservation goals including recommendations for the improvement of the museum’s current storage and staff training to properly prioritize objects for future surveys and treatment and will ensure that the museum is effective in reaching its preservation goals.