Philadelphia Museum of Art

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will create a descriptive materials terminology guide for works of art on paper. Museums do not currently use a common standardized description of the materials and techniques used to create works of art on paper, which are often the largest portion of an art museum’s collection. A specific and clear nomenclature can facilitate communication and understanding between conservators, curators, educators, and researchers, as well as the general public. The museum will convene a working group of conservators and curators from peer museums for a two-day workshop to examine current materials terminology and the ways in which media descriptions are created and used in museum collection databases and interpretive materials. A discussion session and presentation of the workshop results will be held at the American institute for Conservation (AIC) annual meeting in 2012 and the resulting guide will be made available to the public through an online publication.