Week Three

During the third week of the internship I continued my curatorial work and maintenance of the PastPerfect database. I restored the Maiden of the Roman Campagna which simply needed a refinishing as it had no significant damage or calcium deposits like the previous statues I worked on. In addition to the statue I also started working on text panels for the upcoming Maslenitsa celebration we'll be having at the museum. Maslenitsa is an Eastern Slavic tradition which is celebrated before the Great Lent and I'll be responsible for producing panels that inform the public about the holiday as well as hosting the Bliny (pancake) decorating station. The celebration seems promising and I'm sure everyone here will work hard to make sure our guests have a great time.

Week Two

During the second week of my internship I continued the previous work I was introduced to. I began work on updating the PastPerfect catalog to include objects on the site which hadn't been included on the catalog, including the two Limestone sculptures made by Walter Arnold as well as the terra cotta sculpture by De LaRobia near the chapel. Additionally I also updated some of the status of the pieces I have been working with with regard to their condition and any additional information which could prove useful to future catalog viewers.

In terms of curator work, I cleaned and waxed the Underwater Garden column on the right side of the apartment as it had some calcium deposits which needed tending to. The piece looks much nicer now with its new wax coat and should be fine for about another year, still I will keep an eye on it for any future marks. In addition to the Underwater Garden, the statue of St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio, sculpted by Ruth Sherwood, has received a cleaning and wax treatment. The piece was generally in good condition, however there were certain spots and calcium deposits which needed treatment.

Week One

The Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens has so far presented itself as a compelling place to work. In this first week of my internship I've become acquainted with the individuals who run the museum on the front and back end, and have also become familiar with the narrative of Polasek's life as well as his work.

Polasek's work reflects his Czech-American heritage and religious devotion while also maintaining a sense of classical representation. Even for someone who has very little artistic background, like myself, there is plenty of depth to be appreciated in his work and as such I'm excited to be working closely with some of his sculptures.

So far I've learned how to navigate PastPerfect, the cataloging system the museum uses for its possessions, and also have been taught by Rachel Frisby, the curator, how to properly restore and maintain bronze sculptures. I worked with the Emily Fountain at the entrance square of the museum and was taught how to properly wash, wax and maintain delicate sculptures such as Emily.