It's Never Too Late to Look Ahead

By Stephen Loughman, Preparator

As we finish up a very successful 2011 season at Fenimore Art Museum my focus now turns to all the exciting exhibits coming up in 2012. As featured in one of my posts early this year, it really begins to sink in that the New Year is coming up when we begin to talk about wall colors for next year. It’s always a lot of fun to find the perfect combinations.

We start with a small color swatch, if a color passes the initial test, I make a larger paint swatch on cardboard that will give us a better idea of what the color will look like on the wall. Just the first of many steps that we take to getting a finished exhibit on the walls for everyone to enjoy!

One Stitch at a Time

By Stephen Loughman, Preparator

The gems of our quilt collection are currently on display in our exhibition Unfolding Stories: Culture and Tradition in American Quilts. Many of our quilts have previously been on display and were consequently already prepared for installation. However, one of our more important quilts, Trade and Commerce, had just returned from conservation (made possible with a grant from the Greater Hudson Heritage Network) and needed to be prepared for exhibition. All of our quilts have new acid-free fabric attached to the back of the quilt to protect it while on display, and to which we can affix hanging mechanisms. Our quilts in Unfolding Stories are hung with Velcro, which is attached at the top of this backing fabric so that there is no harm to the quilt from the Velcro.

Trade and Commerce also hangs on a very large slant, 8 feet by 9 feet to be exact, in order to reduce the pull of gravity on its fragile threads. The slant was built in two sections since I needed to be able to move it from my office on the 3rd floor of Fenimore down the stairs to the Clark Gallery. Once downstairs the two sections were attached and the whole slant was covered in felt fabric. The felt gives “tooth,” providing yet another layer of gravity resistance. The quilt looks fantastic in its new home, and I think its safe to say that visitors to the museum have been thrilled to see our masterpiece quilt on display once again!

Haida Totem Pole, One Year Later

By Stephen Loughman, Preparator

When Fenimore Art Museum received its magnificent Haida Totem Pole last year, one of the first questions that many asked was, "What will it look like next year?"

This morning I snapped a few photos of what the Totem Pole looks like today. The very top of the pole has turned to a pale, weathered look, and as you work your way down the piece it changes from light to dark. This color change highlights all the detail work that went into the carving of the pole - features such as the beaver’s tail and the eyes of each character. Nature has really made the work come alive, and the Totem Pole has become a piece of art that is changing from day to day, which is very cool indeed.

Shine a Light, Part 2

By Steve Loughman, Preparator


In May, I told you about lighting the galleries in preparation for our exhibition openings of A Window Into Edward Hopper and Prendergast to Pollock: American Modernism from the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The process doesn't end there. One of my favorite parts of working at Fenimore Art Museum is being able to walk around the galleries first thing in the morning. It’s quite a different atmosphere when it’s just me and the art.  Every day I do my rounds in the galleries at least twice a day. Before we open for the day I like to make sure that all our lights are working, labels still look good, and the overall appearance of the galleries is ready for the day's visitors. Checking all the lights is quite the task in itself. To give you an idea we have about 100 lights on the 1^st floor of the Fenimore Art Museum, and we have about the same in the Clark Gallery, where you can currently see Frida Kahlo: Through the Lens of Nickolas Muray!  

Shine a Light

By Steve Loughman, Preparator

As we finished our May installations I was thinking about how important lighting is to all of the shows that we put on here at Fenimore Art Museum. While lighting Prendergast to Pollock: American Modernism from the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute which has just opened here at the museum, many people stopped to watch me up in the lift since the gallery was open to the public as we were finishing.

And here are before and after pictures of the lighting in our other new exhibit, A Window Into Edward Hopper, which really shows of how much of a change the right lighting brings to a show.

Experimenting, with the Preparator

By Stephen Loughman, Preparator

One of my favorite parts of working in the Exhibitions Department of the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum is when I get to experiment. Last year it was coming up with a way to keep our Totem Pole covered for a month before its grand unveiling. This year, I was given a stack of plates (purchased – not from the collections!) and told to figure out a way to make them stay on the walls of The Farmers’ Museum for our upcoming New York’s Good Eats! Our Fabulous Foods exhibition opening on May 28. After a trip to the hardware store, I began testing different epoxies, glues, gels and other adhesives trying to find a winner. I was looking for an option that could withhold the weight of the plate while also being able to withstand the climate fluctuations of the Main Barn gallery. Everyone will be happy to know that no plates were harmed (yet) in the making of this exhibit!

And for my first act...

By: Stephen Loughman, Preparator

As previous blogs have mentioned, during this time of year there is great change here at the Fenimore Art Museum. Right after New Years we start dismantling the previous year’s exhibitions and for awhile our walls are bare as they get painted and patched up. It’s a very odd time to be working in the museum because it feels so empty! Yet once everyone in their offices starts to hear me with my hammer and drill the excitement that our walls will no longer be bare seems to get everyone excited for the upcoming year. Here is a sneak peak of the progress so far.

The first exhibit that was hung this year was a group of paintings from our own collection that depict scenes of Otsego Lake, which is literally in our backyard.

This exhibit also includes one of our recent acquisitions from last year’s exhibition, Watermark: Michele Harvey and Glimmerglass. The painting depicts a local landmark, Fairy Spring.

A Splash of Color for the New Year

By Stephen Loughman, Preparator

With the New Year comes a lot of change here at Fenimore Art Museum, one of which is fresh new paint for all the new shows happening this year. Unlike painting a room in your home we need BIG color samples. This helps us get an idea of how various colors will look under our gallery lighting. It is a lot of fun looking at how different colors work in different spaces, and maybe even getting a few color ideas for our own homes!

Hmmm, these seem too small for us.

Lots of new colors for the new year.

Yes, these will do just fine.

Hanging Smith & Telfer photos at the Otesaga Resort Hotel

By Michelle Murdock, Curator of Exhibitions

One of the many pleasures of working in a tight-knit community is having the opportunity to work with our friends at local businesses and organizations. Recently, Preparator Steve Loughman and I were asked to hang photographs at the Otesaga Resort Hotel, just down the road from the Fenimore Art Museum here in Cooperstown, New York. The photographs are of the Hotel, taken in the first three decades of the 20th century, and were reprinted from Fenimore's Smith & Telfer photography collection. Here are some pictures from our day.

The Hotel's designer had specific instructions for installation.

It was a fun and challenging installation, hanging horizontal frames on vertical wallpaper. Precision was definitely the word of the day!

They turned out great and it was nice to be able to provide our services to our friends at the Hotel.

It's a Bird, it's a plane, it's the new guy!

By Stephen Loughman, Prepartor

As you may have seen from a few previous posts, it seems I have become the go-to guy for all things up in the air. And no different was this on May 29^th for the grand unveiling of the much-anticipated Haida Totem Pole. It was a moment of great excitement and relief when the covering for the pole fluttered to the ground when the cue was given.

When I was told back in April that I would be in charge of coming up with a way to cover a thirty foot totem pole, I really had no idea where to start. So the rest of the curatorial staff and I racked our brains and came up with the idea of using nylon rip stop and sewing three pieces together. We chose nylon because we knew it would slide off easily during the unveiling and it would allow air to circulate and let the pole “breathe” while installed for three weeks. After brushing up on my sewing skills, I was able to come up with a giant type of windsock. On the day we installed the pole, I hopped aboard a cherry picker and dropped the cover over the pole. It was tied with rope at the top. Then, we installed bungee cords every few feet down the length of the pole to keep the covering secure. Once covered, every morning I would go out to make sure the covering was secure. Secrecy was the main goal as we wanted to keep our Totem Pole undercover until the official unveiling.

We were all thankful that the pole remained under wraps, which I think created a very exciting atmosphere. It was a little nerve racking as I was traveling up the back of the pole in our Genie lift to get into position for the unveiling. Yet with a one good cut from my knife the pole saw daylight for the first time since going up. Mission accomplished!

Trains, Taxis and Trucks

By Stephen Loughman, Preparator

As Preparator, I often get asked to run the longer distance errands. I was recently asked if I would be interested in being a courier for the day. A courier travels with artwork as it comes from one institution to another to make sure everything goes smoothly. In this case I was traveling with artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (below). So early in the morning I took to the train down from Albany to Penn Station. Once in the heart of Manhattan I took a cab over to the Met. My hope was to beat the truck there so that I could have a few moments to check out the museum, but once there I was whisked away to the work areas underground. It was a bustle of activity, people scurrying around in every direction. I met my truck drivers for the day and hopped in the passenger side of the box truck. Getting out of Manhattan was somewhat of a challenge, kind of nerve racking for someone who is not used to traffic, even on my short drive into work every morning. Once we escaped Manhattan, it was smooth sailing up the Thruway towards Albany. We all settled in for a three and a half hour drive stopping only to grab a quick bite to eat. I caught up on some reading, but was glad to reach the museum and get out and stretch! The artwork was brought in, and my truck driving friends were off to their next stop. All in all it was about a ten-hour day of travel. But it will be all worth it when we open the doors for John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Praise of Women here at the end of May.

Two Girls with Parasols, oil on canvas. Lent by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond, 1950 (50.130.13)

Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau), 1883-4, Oil on canvas. Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. Francis Ormond and Miss Emily Sargent, 1931 (31.43.3)

Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau), 1883-4, Oil on canvas. Lent by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, Charles and Anita Blatt Gift, John Wilmerding Gift and Rogers Fund, 1970 (1970.47)

Installing the Haida Totem Pole

By Eva Fognell, Curator of the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian Art

After storing our totem pole and admiring it in the confined space of a trailer (here and here), we recently enjoyed the big day when we would finally be able to see the pole the way it is meant to be admired – standing tall.

The pole was first taken out of its trailer and then driven on a flatbed truck onto our front lawn. Tobi Voigt, our Manager of Statewide Programs, took a few great shots of the pole from above as it passed underneath her office window.

With a crane and a bucket truck the pole was carefully placed. It looks magnificent! No one on our staff has had any experience with raising totem poles but the event went smoothly with no problems.

Stephen Loughman, our Preparator, had a chance to take a ride into the sky in the bucket truck while figuring out how to get the cover over the pole. It will be covered by fabric until its unveiling on May 29^th.

Come and join us on May 29^th at 1:00 pm for an afternoon of celebration. The Rainbow Creek Dancers will perform and Reg Davidson, the carver of the pole, is part of the dance troupe. After their performance on our front lawn, scholar and artist Steve Brown will give a talk in the auditorium on Totem Pole carving styles of the Northwest Coast.

Bird's Eye View

By: Stephen Loughman, Preparator

While working on the lighting for the new exhibit, Empire Waists, Bustles and Lace: A Century of New York Fashion, I took the opportunity to snap a few “eye in the sky” photos. Lighting an exhibition is one of the very last steps before an opening, and can be a bit nerve wracking. Because of the height of the ceiling in the Great Hall here at the Fenimore, the only real way to access the lights is by using a Genie lift. Even though it can be a bit scary at times, it is a crucial step in mounting exhibitions, and a lot of fun, too.

On the Road Again

By: Chris Rossi, Associate Curator of Exhibitions

The last year has been devoted, in one way or another, in preparing our exhibition, Art of the American Indians: The Thaw Collection, to hit the road. (First stop, Cleveland Museum of Art.) This is no small task. Getting close to 150 objects chosen, conserved, cataloged, mount-ready, insured, packed and ready to transport is a Herculean feat.

Now we are down to the wire. Large wooden crates are packed and ready to go on the truck. We have 3 bins and 3 boxes of painstakingly made mounts, all meticulously wrapped and ready to go. Each mount is documented with a how-to description of what to do with the oddly shaped piece of brass or Plexiglas meant to support masks, rattles, textiles and the like.

In addition to the mounts, we have to pack tools. We took this collection to Paris back in the mid-winter of 2000. We ran into many travel problems, mostly having to do with taking objects created from natural materials such as feathers and hide through customs. But back in those pre-9/11 days it was easy and acceptable to saunter onto an airplane with a ratchet wrench and X-acto knife in your carry-on bag. Now all tools need to be shipped ahead with the artwork. I find myself continually adding stuff to my little red toolbox, as if I were going to do an installation on the moon! My coworkers remind me that they do have hardware stores in Cleveland, not to mention a topnotch exhibit department at the museum itself.

What’s in the Toolbox: Picture hangers and nails, nuts and bolts, acrylic paints, a saw, mylar tape, muslin twill tape, brass rods, shrink tubing, acrylic felt, 10 lb. Test fishing line, needle nose pliers, hammer, tape measure, small level, X-acto knife, metal ruler, file, needle and thread, museum wax, pencil.

We have a week to go–plenty of time to add more must-haves to the toolbox before the truck pulls away from the loading dock! Which reminds me, I should add a handful of lag bolts for the house post mounts…

Mount Up!

By: Stephen Loughman, Preparator

This is the first post for Stephen Loughman; he is the new Preparator for the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers' Museum. He joins us from SUNY Plattsburgh where he previously worked at the SUNY Plattsburgh Art Museum. He is very excited to be here, and show everyone what exactly a Preparator does here at the museum!

As we are gearing up and focusing more and more on the Thaw traveling exhibition, it is important to remember that it isn’t just the art work traveling to the Cleveland Museum of Art. For the past two weeks or so I have been working on preparing the mounts, for which many of the Thaw pieces need in order to be displayed on, for travel. Three large boxes of mounts to be exact! Each box was divided into little cubbies that the mounts will call home as they travel about the country. Many of the mounts themselves needed to be sanded and painted before travel. Once painted the layout of the boxes was configured taking into consideration the size and durability of certain mounts compared to others. I taped and hot glued a system of dividers and shelves so that each mount had its own place within the box making sure thus that the box could withhold the changing of venues and the wear and tear that goes along with such a process. The mounts themselves were then bubble-wrapped, labeled, inventoried and boxed, ready for Cleveland and beyond!