HenFunder: Vicki Cassman Undergraduate Award in Art Conservation

​This fundraiser aims to establish an award in honor of Dr. Vicki Cassman (1957-2020), a cherished mentor to Art Conservation students.

​In cooperation with the University of Delaware and the Department of Art Conservation, Vicki Cassman's past and present students are raising funds to support undergradation students in art conservation. Excerpted from the HenFunder page established for this effort: 

About Dr. Vicki Cassman

Dr. Vicki Cassman (1957-2020) was a deeply cherished and irreplaceable mentor in the lives of many students and art conservation professionals at the University of Delaware and throughout the world. Over the course of her 12 years as Director of Undergraduate Studies in Art Conservation at the University of Delaware (2006-2018), Vicki generously mentored and supported innumerable students, helping them discover their passion for preserving the world’s cultural heritage and transforming their lives in the process.

The field of art conservation allows us to connect closely with objects and artifacts that tell powerful stories—stories about people. We share Vicki’s story with you today and, in doing so, honor her many achievements. Textile conservator, celebrated scholar, and devoted professor, Vicki crafted formative educational experiences for her students both inside and outside the classroom. Her joyful, creative spirit fostered unique collaborations and lasting relationships that reached across campus and far beyond it. She was a trailblazer in the field, always working towards greater diversity, inclusion, and global outreach. Vicki received many honors for her work and scholarship, but she most often referenced the University Award for Excellence in Mentoring as her most treasured and meaningful achievement. Her name is now engraved in a paver in UD Mentors’ Circle, a lasting tribute to her longstanding commitment to and passion for teaching. Her passing is an irreplaceable loss to our community. 

In reflection on Vicki’s lifelong dedication to mentorship, her impact on our lives, and her impact on the art conservation profession more broadly, Vicki’s past and present students, in cooperation with the Department of Art Conservation, aim to give back and preserve her legacy by raising gifts and donations to support a cause Vicki cherished deeply—the education and training of undergraduate students. Funds raised for the Department of Art Conservation in memory of Vicki Cassman will be used to support a motivated undergraduate student who demonstrates a clear sense of passion and purpose for the conservation field and utilizes problem-based learning and creative thinking to identify/develop a project or professional development experience that supplements their conservation education in a unique and compelling way.

Your Support

We need your support to make this happen and would be grateful for any amount you would be willing to contribute in Vicki’s honor. In securing these contributions, we hope to continue her mission and commemorate her life.

Please consider donating. If you, a family member, or friend have been touched by Vicki’s kindness, please consider donating. If you would like to support young professionals taking their first steps in the art conservation field, please consider donating. If you are a supporter of cultural institutions and the conservation field, please consider donating.

We thank you in advance for your generosity, and we hope that together we can keep Vicki’s legacy alive.

The dedicated HenFunder page will remain open until June 30, 2021. On that page you can donate, track the fundraiser progress, and learn more about Dr. Cassman and her impact on the field.

In a recent issue of the Blue Hen Bulletin, members of the UD community shared first-hand accounts of how so many lives were changed by Dr. Cassman, AS86M.​