Intermuseum Conservation Association

The Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA) is a non-profit regional art conservation laboratory located in Cleveland, OH. It was the first non-profit conservation laboratory in the United States. The ICA currently offers conservation and preservation treatments for paintings, murals, works on paper, documents, objects of all media, outdoor sculpture, monuments, and textiles. It employs over 20 conservators and staff. [ ICA website [http://www.ica-artconservation.org/about/history.htm History Section] . Accessed 2007-07-28 ]

History

The ICA was founded in 1952 on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, OH. Six directors of major Midwestern museums wanted to create a professional art conservation laboratory. Richard Buck from the Harvard Art Department was the first director of the ICA and served for 20 years. [ ICA website [http://www.ica-artconservation.org/about/history.htm History Section] . Accessed 2007-07-28 ] In 2003, the ICA left Oberlin and moved to its current location on the Detroit Shoreway in Cleveland. The new building was once the headquarters of the Vitrolite Company, manufacturers of a popular opaque glass used in 1920s-1950s interior and exterior design. The Vitrolite Building is on the National Register of Historical Places. The ICA is currently restoring the last surviving Vitrolite glass-decorated showroom in the country, for use as an educational and public meeting space. [ [http://www.fmscleveland.com/abington/grants.cfm Abington Foundation Grant to for restoration] . Accessed 2007-08-01 ]

ervices

The ICA has departments for architectural, object, textile, paper, and painting conservation. Beyond conserving and restoring pieces of art, the ICA offers materials analysis, disaster response services, fine art storage, insurance claim assistance, custom mounting and framing, and educational programs. [ Regional Alliance for Preservation [http://www.rap-arcc.org/index.php?page=members&members_req=5 Description of members] . Accessed 2007-08-01]

AMIEN

Created in 2006 by the ICA, the Art Materials Information and Education Network offers unbiased information about materials used by artists to ensure safety and quality. AMIEN provides forums, workshops and other information on material research. [Albano, Albert and Gottsegen, Mark. "AMIEN: The Art Materials Information and Education Network." Just Paint Jan 2007: 7, 12.] [ Amien Website [http://www.amien.org] . Accessed 2007-07-29 ]

elected List of Member Institutions

*Akron Art Museum
*Albright-Knox Art Gallery
*Allen Memorial Art Museum
*Berea Moving & Storage Company
*Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Archives
*Cleveland Clinic Foundation
*Cleveland Museum of Art
*Cleveland Public Library
*Cranbrook Art Museum
* [http://dept.kent.edu/museum/ Kent State University Museum]
*Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage
*Progressive [http://art.progressive.com/ Art Collection]
*Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
*Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens [ ICA website [http://www.ica-artconservation.org/membership/membership.htm|Membership List] . Accessed 2007-08-01 ]

elected examples of ICA projects

*Saul Steinberg’s mural of Cincinnati [Cornwell, Lisa. "Museum to display artist's 1940s view of Cincinnati." [NE Ohio] News-Herald 17 June 2007 ]
*Carnegie Museum of Art’s Hall of Architecture
*Indiana State Museum’s 92 County Walk [ Indiana State Museum [http://www.in.gov/ism/Newsroom/NewsReleaseArchive/92icons.aspx Press Release on Renovation] . Accessed 2007-08-01 ]
*RagGonNon “Journeys” Quilt by Aminah Brenda Lyn Robinson at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
*Model Ship from Allen County Museum
*Joan Miró Mural from Cincinnati Art Museum [ Washington Post [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/16/AR2007061600611.html?tid=informbox Article on Cincinnati Renovations] . Accessed 2007-08-01 ]
*Playhouse Square’s State Theater mural by James Daugherty [Von Glahn, Michael. "Polishing Gems: Playhouse Square Center and Local Conservators Return James Daugherty's State Theater Murals to Their Original Splendor." Cleveland Magazine Oct 2003: 84-87.]
*William Sommer's and Ora Coltman's murals in the Cleveland Public Library [Cleveland Public Library, [http://www.cpl.org/dominance.asp Dominance of the City] . Accessed 2007-08-01.]
*Restoring and conserving multiple murals from the Federal Art Project in the region. [ Chatman, Angela. "Saving Art from the Wrecking Ball: Effort Aims to Preserve Murals and Other Local Pieces in Valleyview Homes." Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 24 Dec 2004: B1, B10. ] [ Kline, Benjamin. "Mural from Old Dunbar Installed." Dayton Daily News 10 July 2004: B1. ] [ Tinsley, Jesse. "Bedford Cheers Return of Beloved Mural." Plain Dealer [Cleveland] 20 Aug 2003: B3. ]
*Stored a large portion of the Akron Art Museum’s collection during its renovation, doing conservation work on the sculpture “The Inverted Q” [ Shinn, Dorothy. "Query: where's 'Q'?" Beacon Journal [Akron] 12 Dec 2003: E1, E6. ] [ Tunstall, Arnold. "Akron Art Museum Paintings Get an 'Extreme Makeover." Akron Art Museum: Exhibitions and Events Dec 2004-Feb 2005: 4. ]

References

External links

* [http://www.ica-artconservation.org/ ICA website]
* [http://www.amien.org/ AMIEN website]
* [http://www.preservecollections.org/ Regional Alliance for Preservation]