A summer of ceramics

​As an undergraduate Art Conservation student, the prospect of working in a real museum environment was incredibly exciting, and through the connections provided by the Art Conservation Department, particularly Professor Owczarek, three of my peers and I were able to spend January of 2023 working as interns at the Penn Museum. This was my first foray into the world of preventative conservation, mount making, collections care, and working in a museum environment. While initially intimidating, I will always look back on this experience as a defining part of my Freshman year. 

My peers and I were tasked with the vital job of continuing a previous project; rehousing Pachacamac ceramics. These ceramics were from Max Uhle's 1896 excavation at Pachacamac, Peru, with more than a thousand objects being involved in the initial project. Pachacamac was an incredibly historically dense area that yielded a plethora of objects covering many, many years of history, and these ceramics were stored safely, or so it seemed, in the basement storage of the Americas section of the Penn Museum. More recently, a burst pipe led to the destruction of many of the preexisting mounts and severely damaged some of the ceramics, as some were unfired. The initial project tackled the brunt of the damage, but there were still over 300 ceramics that needed to be given proper housing.

​Working with our supervisors Lynn Grant (Head Conservator) and William Wierzbowski (Keeper of the American Collection), my peers and I used blueboard, hot glue, ethafoam, Volara, Olfa blades, and our wits to create customized housing for around 200 of the remaining ceramics. We first started with a blueboard tray, just large enough to fit the object so as to conserve shelf space. From there, we each carved and glued custom pieces to fit each object and ensure that the ceramics could not be jostled loose, and that they were easier to access. Each object was bagged in order to prevent them from getting wet, should another pipe burst, and then be replaced onto its corresponding shelf. 

Creating and customizing these mounts provided an incredibly hands-on way for me to learn about mount making, and to improve both my object handling and craftsmanship skills. Adapting and making a new plan for each ceramic impressed the necessity of flexibility and precision when dealing with objects. Most importantly, the internship truly exposed me to the importance of proper storage and housing of objects. In any institution, regardless of prestige, there are going to be issues that come with storage and housing. This could be in the way of climate control, pests, water damage, or a plethora of other environmental factors. Damages that can be accrued by these factors can often be greatly reduced if objects have proper housing, such as acid free boxes and waterproof bagging. 

Objects deserve the best care and protection conservators can provide. My internship at the Penn Museum reinforced the necessity of preventative conservation in ensuring the survival of cultural heritage. This experience has not only deepened my understanding of museum work but has also allowed me to build and refine skills I will continue to use later in life. The experiences from this internship have almost certainly shaped my future as an Art Conservation student and hopefully one day, a fully-fledged conservator. ​

— Leilani Anupol, University of Delaware Art Conservation Honors College Class of 2026​