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| Julia Clark, Curator of Collections |
Work in the Wellman Archaeology Lab is as busy as ever during the
winter months! Star volunteers like Jean Rohrer and Donna Murphy work
on washing, sorting and cataloging the artifacts collected during the
Abbe's archaeological field school. Every now and then they discover
some little treasure or anomaly that was missed in the field, and I hear
an "Oh, cool!" from the other side of the room.
Meanwhile,
Jane Clifton, who you may encounter in the Abbe Museum Shop when we are
open, is tackling several projects in the Lab. She spent part of
December sorting through exhibition records, copying the most important
documents onto archival paper, and sorting into archival file folders
and boxes- making the necessary transition from the museum's working
files to the archives. During January, Jane is copying more than a
decade of archaeological field school records onto archival paper and
re-filing them in archival folder, important steps towards the long term
preservation not only of collections, but of the very important records
that go with them. Both archival projects are funded by grants from the
Maine State Archives.
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Today we found Julia laying out measurements
for an exhibit that will open at the Abbe next winter. |
Many of my tasks during these winter
months revolve around catching up from last year and getting prepared
for next year. I just finished my annual wrap-up of new acquisitions,
compiling a list and checking it against the necessary paperwork. I want
to make sure I have all the correct documentation, such as the Deed of
Gift which officially transfers ownership to the museum. I will spend
some time entering data on the past year's acquisitions into our
collections management software, PastPerfect. This is also a good time
to check in with researchers who are working with Abbe collections or
archives, making sure they have what they need and providing it if they
do not. I will also be working on upcoming exhibits- finalizing budgets
and working with Cinnamon to secure funding; working with guest curators
to create content; working with Maine Indian Education to create the
2012 Waponahki Student Art Show- all fun and rewarding.
