University of Delaware Art Conservation Programs

✨Purple never goes out of style. ✨Congratulations to undergraduate art conservation alumnus Philip de Paola on his amazing recreation of George Washington's inaugural suit for Morristown National Historical Park! De Paola studied the suit as part of his master’s qualifying work at the Fashion Institute of Technology, drafted the pattern, and hand-sewed it from custom-woven silk from Whitchurch Silk Mill.
Bravo, Philip!!! History has its eyes on you!👏🇺🇸🧵✨

✨💙🎓Caps off to the newest graduates of the University of Delaware Art Conservation program! 🎓💙✨

Over the past few years, these students have examined and documented objects from all over the world. They have treated everything from 1920s dresses to taxidermy ducks to paintings and everything in between! We are so proud of everything they’ve accomplished.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! We can’t wait to see where your curiosity, creativity, and care take you next. 🧵🏺🖼️📚

Once a Blue Hen, always a Blue Hen. 💙💛

Caitlyn Fong is a third-year graduate intern at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). During this year-long placement, Caitlyn is supporting community and researcher visits, and preparing items for their return to communities. She is also treating and documenting items for exhibitions, and assisting with collections maintenance tasks.

For an upcoming exhibition of Indigenous miniatures from across the Americas, Caitlyn is an active member of the exhibition team alongside Conservator Beth Holford. She has been researching, treating, and working with Mountmaker Shelly Uhlir on a wide range of materials. Some of her favorites so far have included bead-sized mini Pomo baskets, and a musk oxen mask made of walrus ivory and feathers. These miniatures have been created with the utmost care and reflect a high degree of skill that is evident under the microscope.

Caitlyn also recently participated in the Always Becoming sculpture project, working with artist Nora Naranjo-Morse and her family on the revitalization of the sculpture family for NMAI’s participation in the Smithsonian’s 250th programming.

Images:
[1] Caitlyn holding a wooden miniature chair made with mortise and tenon joints, with a woven seat. (Doll’s chair, 144064.000, Nahua, Mexico)

[2] Discussing mounting options with Mountmaker Shelly Uhlir for a model stove woven out of rye sea grass. (Stove model, 019261.000, Yupik, Alaska)

[3] Caitlyn and Conservator Caitlin Mahoney dusting a Tlingit totem pole at NMAI-DC. (Kaats (depicting the story of a man who lived with a bear family), 263856.000, Nathan Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Dorica Jackson, Tlingit, Alaska)

[4] Dusting and assisting with the crystal mitigation project at NMAI-NY. (My Love, Miss Liberty, 255563.000, Rosalie Paniyak, Cup'ik, Alaska)

[5] Reshelving items after a researcher visit.

[6] Caitlyn, Head of Conservation Kelly McHugh, and artist Benito Steen adding lines to the newly mud-plastered walls of Always Becoming (265840.000, Nora Naranjo-Morse, K'apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo)).

Caitlyn Fong is a third-year graduate intern at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). During this year-long placement, Caitlyn is supporting community and researcher visits, and preparing items for their return to communities. She is also treating and documenting items for exhibitions, and assisting with collections maintenance tasks.

For an upcoming exhibition of Indigenous miniatures from across the Americas, Caitlyn is an active member of the exhibition team alongside Conservator Beth Holford. She has been researching, treating, and working with Mountmaker Shelly Uhlir on a wide range of materials. Some of her favorites so far have included bead-sized mini Pomo baskets, and a musk oxen mask made of walrus ivory and feathers. These miniatures have been created with the utmost care and reflect a high degree of skill that is evident under the microscope.

Caitlyn also recently participated in the Always Becoming sculpture project, working with artist Nora Naranjo-Morse and her family on the revitalization of the sculpture family for NMAI’s participation in the Smithsonian’s 250th programming.

Swipe through to explore Caitlyn's work! 🪑🖌️💎🌿🧱

Images:
[1] Caitlyn holding a wooden miniature chair made with mortise and tenon joints, with a woven seat. (Doll’s chair, 144064.000, Nahua, Mexico)

[2] Discussing mounting options with Mountmaker Shelly Uhlir for a model stove woven out of rye sea grass. (Stove model, 019261.000, Yupik, Alaska)

[3] Caitlyn and Conservator Caitlin Mahoney dusting a Tlingit totem pole at NMAI-DC. (Kaats (depicting the story of a man who lived with a bear family), 263856.000, Nathan Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Dorica Jackson, Tlingit, Alaska)

[4] Dusting and assisting with the crystal mitigation project at NMAI-NY. (My Love, Miss Liberty, 255563.000, Rosalie Paniyak, Cup'ik, Alaska)

[5] Reshelving items after a researcher visit.

[6] Caitlyn, Head of Conservation Kelly McHugh, and artist Benito Steen adding lines to the newly mud-plastered walls of Always Becoming (265840.000, Nora Naranjo-Morse, K'apovi (Santa Clara Pueblo)).

Have you ever wondered exactly what happens during the second year of the WUDPAC graduate program? Wonder no longer: current third-year Leah Palmer has created a YouTube vlog giving us a behind-the-scenes look into a week in her second-year self's life!

Come along as she completes treatments, research projects, seminars, and more!

🎥Link in bio!

___________

Our second-year students are hard at work finishing up their last semester at Winterthur ✨

Soon they will spread across the globe completing their summer internships and then moving around the country to complete their third-year graduate internships. 🥳

Image 1: Sarah Lavin, objects major, and Voices in Contemporary Art (VoCA) fellow
Image 2: Anna-Colette Haynes, objects major, preventive minor
Image 3: Luke Kelly, library and archives major, paper minor
Image 4: Allejandra Chavez, textile major, preventive minor
Image 5: Emma Reuther, paper major, photo minor
Image 6: Sydney Collins, objects major, and Voices in Contemporary Art (VoCA) fellow
Image 7: Sarah Purnell, paper major, photo minor
Image 8: Michaela Lott, photo major, paper minor
Image 9: Elizabeth Glander, paintings major

📸: Evan Krape

Announcing "Of Sound & Silence, Celebration of Arvo Pärt's artistic legacy," a collaborative, multidisciplinary performance experience featuring music, visual art, and poetry. Performed by Faculty and Students of the School of Music, Departments of Art and Design, Art Conservation, and Theater and Dance, University of Delaware.

Happy Holidays! ❄️

The WUDPAC Class of 2028 wrapped up their first semester at Winterthur, so here’s a few fun moments from the past couple of months! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to everyone!