CCAHA is continuing procedures put in place in response to COVID-19 to offer safe, socially-distanced pick-up and drop-off of objects for ​conservation treatment. We also offer virtual consultations via Zoom. For more information or to schedule a new appointment, email our Client Services Administrator Edie Tanis Brenna or call (215) 545-0613 x 303. The entire CCAHA staff is available by email to answer your questions and discuss new and ongoing projects.
Applications Now Open for NEH Assessments

CCAHA is pleased to announce that, thanks to renewed and expanded grant funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), we are able to offer a limited number of subsidized assessments. These assessments, valued at over $5,000 each, will be offered for a significantly discounted cost to qualifying institutions. Applications are now open for assessments in three categories: Preservation Needs Assessments/Preservation Plans, Risk Assessments/Emergency Plans, and Digital Preservation Assessments.

These opportunities are available for collecting institutions nationwide, as well as a collaborative assessment model providing peer-to-peer connections in regions served by CCAHA’s Regional Heritage Stewardship Program (Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi as well as Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia). Applications are due Tuesday, June 15, 2021.

Treatment FOCUS: Knox & Mason Family Silhouettes

Katharine Lehman contacted CCAHA for help treating a fragile collection of late-nineteenth-century silhouette portraits she inherited. Katharine’s great-grandmother was Kate Mason Knox, and the silhouettes represent a group of friends and family who gathered in the Knox's parlor in their small community west of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. In the latest installment of our FOCUS newsletter, learn how a CCAHA paper conservation fellow helped revive this mysterious family heirloom.

Funding Opportunities: NEH & PHMC

The Humanities Collections and Reference Resources program offers funding to plan and implement exciting digitization and cataloging projects in order to make the intellectual content of your collections more widely accessible. Projects can include treatment of fragile material provided this work leads to increased access. 

Applications due: July 15, 2021

The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) and the Pennsylvania State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) are pleased to announce that applications are open for the Historical & Archival Records Care (HARC) grant program. Funding is available to historical records repositories, including (but not limited to): historical societies; libraries; universities; local governments; and school districts for collections care, including surveying; inventorying; preserving; arranging; and describing historical records significant to Pennsylvania, as well as for records reformatting and equipment.
   
Applications due: August 2, 2021


Thinking about applying for a project involving CCAHA? We are here to help you prepare your application materials. Email Lee Price, Director of Development, to get started.
Upcoming Programs
CCAHA is committed to providing universal access to our programs.
Visit our Accessibility page for more information.
WEBINAR
Identifying Endangered Media Formats
Date: Wednesday, June 30
Time: 11:00 AM ET
Presenter: Julia Novakovic, Archivist, Strong National Museum of Play

Endangered media formats such as floppy disks, u-matic tapes, and data tapes pose difficult preservation questions for collecting institutions. These increasingly obsolete media formats are sometimes pushed to the side when organizing and preserving archival collections, simply because we often don't know what to do with them. Join Julia Novakovic, Archivist at The Strong National Museum of Play, as she shares her experience with identifying and caring for endangered media formats. This webinar will also address topics such as developing surveys for media collections, finding reference information on these formats, and determining next steps for what you might want to do once you have these numbers.

DHPSNY is a five-year initiative providing free planning and education services to New York State's collecting institutions. The program is overseen by the New York State Education Department's Office of Cultural Education, with services administered by CCAHA.
WEBINAR
Environmental Monitoring: Getting Started
Date: Tuesday, July 6
Time: 1:00 PM ET
Presenter: Chloe Houseman, Paper Conservator, CCAHA

What should you think about when establishing an environmental monitoring plan? What is a datalogger, and how do you select the right one? What are the basic tools needed to implement an environmental monitoring plan? Join Chloe Houseman, Paper Conservator at the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts, as she explores the importance of managing the environment in collections spaces and offers guidance on how to do so.

DHPSNY is a five-year initiative providing free planning and education services to New York State's collecting institutions. The program is overseen by the New York State Education Department's Office of Cultural Education, with services administered by CCAHA.
WEBINAR
Understanding and Managing Liability Insurance Needs for Historical Societies and Museums
Date: Tuesday, July 15
Time: 10:00 AM ET
Presenter: Andrew Marietta, Vice-president of Regional Development, New York Council of Nonprofits

When it comes to insurance, organizations have a focus on protecting themselves against financial loss from exposure to certain risks. Understanding how best to manage organizational risks and do so with limited resources is the challenge every organization faces. Join us for this overview on the role of insurance, the various types and considerations for risk management and protecting your organization.

DHPSNY is a five-year initiative providing free planning and education services to New York State's collecting institutions. The program is overseen by the New York State Education Department's Office of Cultural Education, with services administered by CCAHA.
WEBINAR
Have You Hurd? A Conservation Journey
Date: Thursday, July 15
Time: 2:00 PM ET
Presenter: Joanna Hurd, Mellon Paper Conservation Fellow, CCAHA

As the CCAHA Mellon Paper Conservation Fellow, Joanna Hurd contributes to a busy regional center in paper conservation treatment, housing, and preservation services. In this webinar, Joanna will share her experiences leading up to this fellowship, as well as some of her current work. Joanna also serves on the CCAHA Equity and Inclusion Committee and will touch on the intersection of advocacy and art conservation.

Presented by the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts with generous grant support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the William Penn Foundation, Independence Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Founded in 1977, the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is a one-stop shop for every conservation and preservation need. CCAHA specializes in the treatment of works on paper, photographs, and books, as well as state-of-the-art digital imaging services. CCAHA’s preservation services staff present education programs and conduct preservation assessments nationwide. CCAHA also offers conservation fellowships, fundraising support, disaster assistance, and more.
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