Carlos Museum receives grant from the Women of Emory Impact Circle

Carlos Museum receives an inaugural grant from the Women of Emory Impact Circle

Thanks to a grant from the Women of Emory Impact Circle, a philanthropic group of Emory-affiliated women which includes alumnae, faculty, staff, and parents, the Carlos Museum will host "In the Museum Conservation Lab, A STEAM Workshop for Teens," a new program beginning this academic year. The Impact Fund supports university projects advancing the cause of women and girls, and the Carlos Museum is delighted to be among the first recipients of this grant in its inaugural year.

The Carlos workshops will introduce the field of art conservation through a gallery tour, a visit to the Parsons Conservation Laboratory, and hands-on activities. Workshops will be available to organizations that support the academic development of young women, especially those within underserved communities. The grant will fund all transportation costs, allowing time for groups to explore campus after the workshop.

Museum docents will lead gallery tours, highlighting examples of conservation treatment, preventive care, and materials research. In the conservation lab, participants will meet professional conservators and see objects currently undergoing treatment. The hands-on activities that will be a part of the program were developed with Atlanta-area STEAM teachers. The grant includes compensation for current or recent undergraduates who are aspiring conservators to supervise these activities.

Art conservation is an unusual field that unites the arts and sciences to preserve tangible, cultural heritage. Few students encounter the profession before graduating high school, and many do not even imagine combining interests in applied arts and sciences. A primary goal of the new program is to provide young women with this exposure and insight, instilling personal motivation toward higher education, especially in science and cultural heritage studies. Z

left In the Museum Conservation Lab: A STEAM Workshop for Teens” was piloted in February 2020 with a middle-school club from Bartow County, sponsored by their local American Association of University Women(AAUW) Chapter. The Women of Emory Impact Circle grant will bring this opportunity to more young women in the extended metro area.

Photo by M. Cottongim