The Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery at Scripps College has received a two-year conservation grant of $108,676 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency. The funds will be used to restore 10 important Chinese paintings in the Williamson Gallery’s permanent collection.
The Williamson Gallery houses more than 100 Chinese paintings primarily from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (16th- and 19th-centuries). The collection, given to the College by William Bacon Pettus, is the second largest collection of Chinese paintings in Los Angeles available for public viewing. The conservation project will enable the paintings to be used as teaching resources at the College and will make the works available for public exhibition.
“With funds from this grant, 10 Chinese paintings, heretofore unexhibitable because of poor condition, will be cleaned and remounted, so that they can be enjoyed by students and the public,” said Mary MacNaughton, director of the Williamson Gallery.
Professor Bruce Coats, who utilizes the collection as a resource for art history and humanities seminars at Scripps, will be a key consultant for the project. Coats has written numerous publications and curated several exhibitions on the history of Asian art.
The paintings selected for conservation will be restored by the highly respected conservation studio of Hisaji Sekichi in Kyoto, Japan. In addition to the painting restoration, a portion of the grant will support an exhibition of the works that will include an examination of the traditional methods of conserving Asian art as practiced in Japan.
“The Conservation Project Support awards help museums develop comprehensive strategies for the care of their collections, safeguarding pieces of our nation’s story, now and for future generations,” said Anne-Imelda M. Radice, PhD, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The IMLS Conservation Project Support awards help museums identify conservation needs and priorities and perform activities to ensure the safekeeping of their collections. The grants are awarded through competitive peer review and require, at least, a 100 percent match by the applicant. Of the 172 grant applications received by IMLS, 65 grants totaling more than $4 million were awarded.
The Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery is located at Eleventh Street and Columbia Avenue in Claremont. Admission is free. Visiting hours are Wednesdays through Sundays, from 1 until 5 p.m. For more information, please contact the Williamson Gallery at (909) 607-3397.
About The Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 15,000 museums. Its mission is to grow and sustain a “Nation of Learners” because life-long learning is essential to a democratic society and individual success. Through its grant making, convenings, research and publications, the Institute empowers museums and libraries nationwide to provide leadership and services to enhance learning in families and communities, sustain cultural heritage, build twenty-first-century skills, and increase civic participation. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: http://www.imls.gov.