Collection Care

Collection Care: An Illustrated Handbook for the Care and Handling of Cultural Objects provides a solid overview of basic collection care procedures and policies.

The topics covered address the decision making criteria and risk assessment solutions involved in the best practices for handling art and artifacts. Technical subjects will cover proven techniques, materials, equipment and address problem solving assessment and current solutions. The comprehensive overview of staff responsibilities, relationships, and training will bring the book to a conclusion of addressing the unison of all professionals responsible for proper handling and caring for collections.

Highlights include:
This book provides both visual and narrative descriptions of current best practices for caring for collection objects. Emphasis is placed on risk assessment in the decision-making process with proven, accepted technical methods and materials. Detailed coverage of technical methods and methodologies for principles of proper handling, transport, and storage or two and three dimensional objects.Chapters will cover the institutional structure for managing, hiring, training both full and part time staff responsible for safely handling and caring of collection objects.100 photographs, figures, and charts provide overall directions for collection care, preventive maintenance, and proper handling of objects.

Brent Powell has worked in the museum industry for thirty years within the
United States and Australia. He has created handling manuals for the Nelson-Atkins Museum
of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, and developed ongoing training and educational programs
for many institutions including the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and the
National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia.

Powell has conducted and spoken at numerous workshops and sessions on handling art
and artifacts throughout the United States at the American Alliance of Museums Annual
Meetings, Webinars, regional museum conferences, conservation courses, and private
programs for colleges, private collectors, and commercial fine art handling companies. In
Australia he has conducted workshops for the Australian Registrars Committee, Regional
Victoria; in Malaysia at the University of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur; and for the M+ Museum,
University of Hong Kong, in Hong Kong, China. Powell is principal of his private company,
Museum Collection Care. He is currently manager and training coordinator at Crozier Fine Arts in New York , NY. He has a Master of Fine Art in painting from the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona.