Northern States Conservation Center is pleased to announce a new course on 
Museum Artifacts launching in April 2006.

MS213: Museum Artifacts: How they were made and how they deteriorate
Instructor: Helen Alten
Dates: April 17 through May 19, 2006
Price: $395
Location:  www.museumclasses.org

Description:
Collection care depends on understanding the materials and processes used 
to construct objects in your collection.  Each object is unique. However, 
items made of the same material share similar characteristics. In this 
course students will examine two objects that represent all of the 
materials found in our museums. With an in-depth analysis of these two 
objects, and their components, we will explore all possible objects found 
in any museum.  The two objects, an Aleut Hunting Hat and an Art Deco 
Fireplace, incorporate the organic and inorganic material used to create 
every object a museum might collect.  How will this information relate to 
your collection?  For example, looking at the Aleut Hunting Hat base, we 
will explore the structure of wood, why it bends, swells, splits, blanches 
and provides food for insects.  In forums and chats we will discuss how the 
wood items in your museum are similar or dissimilar to the Aleut Hunting 
Hat.  Each component of the two objects will be examined in this detail.

Course Outline
1.      Introduction
2.      Part I: Aleut Hunting Hat and Associated Costume - an organic object
3.      The hat base: wood
4.      Sidebars and Talismen: bone, ivory, plastic
5.      Trailing Decoration: Fur, Hair, feathers
6.      Trailing Decoration: Grasses, roots, twigs, basketry
7.      Ties and Decoration:  Skin, leather, sinew
8.      Coloration: Paints and pigments and adhesives
9.      Decoration: Textiles
10. Part II: Art Deco Fireplace and Accoutrements - an inorganic object
11. Mantle: Stone
12. Tile Surround: Ceramic
13. Mirror: Glass
14. Fire screen: Metal
15. Adhesives: Cements and mortar
17.Conclusion

Logistics
Participants in Museum Artifacts work at their own pace through 17 sections 
and interact through online forums and chats. Instructor Helen Alten will 
be available at scheduled times for email support. Materials include online 
readings and lecture notes, slide shows, quizzes and links to relevant web 
sites. The course is limited to 20 participants.

Museum Artifacts runs for four weeks. An average of 10 hours per week will 
be required of course participants to successfully complete Museum 
Artifacts. Please sign up at www.museumclasses.org and pay at 
http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html.  If you have trouble with 
either, please contact Helen Alten at [log in to unmask]

The Instructor:
Helen Alten, Conservator and owner of Northern States Conservation Center, 
St. Paul, MN has been a Field Education Director, Conservator, and trainer 
since 1986. Ms. Alten received her conservation degree in Archaeological 
Conservation and Materials Science, Institute of Archaeology, University of 
London in 1986. She began working with people from small, rural, and tribal 
museums while the state conservator for Montana and Alaska. Helen currently 
conducts conservation treatments and operates a conservation center in St. 
Paul, MN

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