The Department of Art Conservation has a long history of public outreach. Most recently, our ten, first-year fellows and some second-year fellows, pre-program interns and faculty members worked with Professor Debra Hess Norris to examine, stabilize, clean, flatten, and rehouse fire-damaged photographic prints miraculously recovered from a tragic Christmas Day fire in Ohio. This project was transformative, exemplifying our genuine commitment to the preservation of cultural heritage and to using our skills and knowledge to help others.
The project engendered strong community support for UD and Winterthur and pride in the field of art conservation worldwide; one leader in our profession coined this "conservation's finest hour;" the local fire chief wrote a note of heartfelt thanks on behalf of those who responded and their devastated community. Our students and faculty are committed to meaningful work that advances our profession and contributes to the growth of conservation research and practice at Winterthur and the University of Delaware as well as nationally and internationally.
Our work is focused on engaging members of the public and scholarly audiences alike. The work of our dedicated students and faculty has been featured on social media platforms from Columbia to the Congo, on local television and radio stations, and in Associated Press outlets nationwide.
Faculty members give regular interviews for journalists nationally and locally and have appeared on public radio and television, from WHYY in Philadelphia to BBC, to promote awareness about conservation. They have advised on the development of the Lunder Conservation Center at the Smithsonian Museum of American Art, have been featured in UD's alumni, global, and research magazines, and are invited speakers to public audiences across the state of Delaware and beyond.
They have assisted with community conservation projects in Newark, Smyrna, and Wilmington Delaware, developed educational summer camps at Winterthur and with the Salvation Army that connect art and science, and offered hands-on activities for at-risk youth across Wilmington.
