Smithsonian Creates Conservation-Based Exhibition

Beginning Fall 2000, museum visitors can experience a conservation-based exhibition created by the conservators and scientists of the Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE).  

 SANTOS: Substance & Soul is the culmination of several years' scholarship, conservation, technical studies, and public outreach by SCMRE.  The exhibition is a bilingual national traveling show that interprets the artistic and cultural character manifested in the creation and use of santos.

Exhibition curator Jia-sun Tsang, SCMRE Paintings Conservator, describes santos as, "Painted wood carvings of saints, reflecting one of the oldest living traditions of religious devotion practiced by Hispanic Americans. Santo making has flourished in the United States from the 16th century to the present." 

The exhibition will integrate materials science research with the study of santos creation and use, and will present an interpretation of these cultural icons through their examination by chemical analysis, X-ray imaging, microscopy, and other technical studies typical to conservation.

SANTOS: Substance & Soul features artifacts from New Mexico and Puerto Rico, but will also include santos from Central and South America, and the Phillippines, to celebrate a living cultural heritage reflecting both traditional and contemporary materials and techniques in santo making.

Bilingual text panels with graphic illustrations and photographs will complement 40 objects from the National Museum of American History, the de Saisset Museum, the Albuquerque Museum, the Museo de Arte de Ponce, the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, and the Millicent Rogers Museum of Northern New Mexico. 
                                                	

In addition, proposed interactive bilingual computer displays will allow exhibit viewers and Internet browsers to view further information on preservation and santo materials, including paint, gold leaf, and wood; the techniques of creating and conserving santos; technical and analytical research; microscopic images; historical research and context; religious and devotional meanings; and much more.

SANTOS: Substance & Soul will be augmented by educational programs, demonstrations by santeros (santo makers) from Puerto Rico and New Mexico, and will feature presentations and lectures on the technical and scientific techniques used for characterization and preservation.

SANTOS: Substance & Soul premiers at the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries' West Gallery,  before going to the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, and finally the Museo de Arte de Ponce, Puerto Rico.  

The exhibit is also sponsored by the Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives (SCLI). 

Tour Schedule:

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Arts and Industries Building, September 17, 2000 - March 31, 2001

National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, June 22, 2001 - November 4, 2001

Museo de Arte de Ponce, Ponce, Puerto Rico, December 14, 2001 - March 3, 2002 

SCMRE is a specialized research facility dedicated to the technical study and preservation of museum artifacts and their component materials. SCMRE assists museums in the United States and abroad with issues of preservation and conservation of artistic and historic objects.  Research is performed in the areas of material technology, art and cultural history, and preservation. SCMRE offers educational programming in the same areas of interest to growing and diverse audiences, including professionals in the cultural disciplines, and to the general public.

For more information please check out the SCMRE Santos site at http://www.si.edu/scmre/santos.html

========================================================Important Subscriber Information:

The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).

If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).