Museum services

I have worked with the TATE at the St Ives gallery for a number of temporary exhibitions. The first exhibition was in April 2017 following an 18 month refurbishment.

The Studio and the Sea. ’That Continuous Thing: Artists and the Ceramics Studio 1920-Today’ included over 80 works from more than 50 artists from Europe , Japan and North America.
​
Many object were on loan from other museums, such as the Victorian and Albert Museum, The Crafts Study Centre in Farnham, The Bernhard Leech Pottery Museum and The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam as well as objects owned by TATE.

I also needed to repair an item on loan that was damaged in transit before returning to to the host museum and offer advice on changes to the packing case used to return it, in order to avoid further damage.

I was privileged to handle important ceramics from potters such as Bernard Leach and some of his contemporaries (c1930s) such as Shoji Hamada, Michael Cardew, Katherine Pleydell- Bouverie and William Staite Murray 
I also handled ceramics from the Californian ‘clay revolution’ of the 1950’s and 60’s by artists such as Peter Voulkos, Ken Price, Rudy Autio an Ron Nagle. 

Unpacking and condition checking ceramics

​The second exhibition I was involved in was a very exciting time, as the new gallery in the extension at TATE St Ives was opened for the first time with works from Rebecca Warren. This exhibition included large bronze sculptures, works made of unfired clay and other mixed media wall hangings.

Helen with Rebecca Warren

​The latest exhibition I participated at TATE as a freelance conservator was the Virginia Woolf exhibition in February 2018 . The exhibition consisted of a range of mixed media and I was involved in photographing, completing condition reports, filing data and offering conservation advice about aspects of the display and appropriate lighting, temperature and humidity.

Virginian Woolf’s teapot

I am happy to consider any freelance work in museums or offer condition reports and preventative conservation advice for any collections in private hands. 

---