The Adopt Art program, which aims to support the preservation and conservation of objects in the UWM Art Collection, allows anyone to contribute to the care of these objects! Proper storage, cleaning, and conservation of artwork requires specific archival materials and professional attention. Become an active contributor to the longevity of this significant collection by underwriting the cost of the necessary preservation or conservation project of a selected work of art.
Interested in contributing today? Check out the projects and objects available for adoption below.
Conservation Fund for Upcoming Exhibitions:
Funding Goal: $9000
UWM Art Collection staff maintain a list of conservation priorities based on a number of factors, including degree of damage, object stability, and, most time-sensitive, exhibition planning. Because these needs are changing, we designed the Conservation Fund to accept donations that support ongoing conservation efforts for objects set to be included in upcoming exhibitions. Your donation to this fund will support conservation and cleaning projects such as those described below.
Conservation of Death of the Virgin, an oil on canvas painting attributed to Francesco Fernandi from the early 18th c.
This painting, set for inclusion in graduate student Nicole Ranney’s thesis exhibition Saintly: Christian Women in Early Modern Europe, has significant areas of concern that require attention. The painting itself exhibits cracking, lifting, and losses to the paint layer where the gesso may have overdried. Additionally, the frame is in poor condition: the frame’s bottom right corner is missing and there are numerous areas of loss. For both the painting and the frame, there appears to have been previous conservation done that will need to be addressed and remediated as well. Preliminary estimates have been provided by Restoration Division, whose conservators would work on this project. Underwriting the costs for this painting to be conserved would directly contribute to graduate student work in the Department of Art History.
19th-Century Marriage Certificate
Support the cleaning and conservation of an early 19th-century Pennsylvania Dutch ink and watercolor marriage certificate often termed a Fraktur in reference to the Fraktur script used. The object has developed a small growth of mold on its support structure: probably the result of excessive moisture, poor air circulation, and improper handling in earlier periods of the object’s history. The object is set to be included in the spring 2024 exhibition What the Folk?, an exhibition co-curated by Professor Kay Wells and Academic Curator Leigh Mahlik with contributions by students in her American Folk Art course.
Object Numbering Workshop
Support a workshop for hands-on training for Mathis Gallery staff in numbering objects in the UWM Art Collection: a skill crucial for organizing a large and growing collection. The on-site tutorial will include basics in mixing Paraloids 67 and 72—two essential materials used as reversible barrier coats to protect both the object and the object number–and numbering a set of UWMAC pieces on different materials. The workshop will directly contribute to experiential learning for Mathis Art Gallery interns.
Preservation Boxes for Object Storage:
Three Chinese Jade Sculptures
Preservation Needs: These Chinese jade sculptures need a multipurpose archival storage box with a set of 2 internal trays will allow for them to be securely stored together.
Total: $75 (standard box $50 + internal trays $25)
Two 18th Century True Cross Reliquaries
Preservation Needs: Each of these reliquaries needs a custom archival storage box to ensure they are securely stored.
Total: $100 (2 custom storage boxes at $50/each)
16th-century French Madonna and Child sculpture
Preservation Needs: This French sculpture needs a custom archival storage box with an internal tray that will allow for it to be securely stored and easily removed from the box for display and analysis.
Total: $150 (custom storage box $75 + internal tray $50 + mount support structure $25)
Preservation Materials for Vertical Painting Storage:
Preservation Needs: The vertical storage racks for framed paintings in our collection need archival boards separating each work, which will protect the face of each painting and the edges of each frame. The boards will allow for each work to be protected and easily removed from storage racks for display and analysis.
Total: $400
Additional Donor Benefits:
- Your name and contribution will be associated with the object in the online catalog, and your support will be recognized when the work is exhibited. (Your donation may, however, remain anonymous if you wish)
- During the preservation or conservation project, you will have the opportunity to view and learn more about the object
- Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law
Do you have another object or preservation project you would like to contribute to? Please reach out to us at mathisartgallery@uwm.edu for more information!