Kris Cnossen (WUDPAC Class of 2022)

Project: One Tool to Rule Them All—How a Suction Plate Will Transform My Private Practice

Treatment of water-damaged textiles can rely heavily on Agarose—a material that is becoming increasingly costly and environmentally unsustainable. A suction plate provides the same level of control needed for safe wet cleaning while reducing tidelines, improving drying, and greatly decreasing reliance on Agarose. Support from the Professional Venture Fund will enable Midwest Textile Conservation, LLC to purchase this essential equipment, expand their treatment options, better serve clients with limited resources and make their practice more sustainable.

Maddie Cooper (WUDPAC Class of 2021)

Project: Remote Risk Assessment for the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA)

M.C. Conservation will complete a remote climate-risk assessment for the Washington State Arts Commission’s public art collection, one of the largest and most geographically dispersed in the country. Using a refined GIS-based methodology developed through a previous NEH project, the assessment will identify artworks most vulnerable to natural hazards such as wildfire, flooding, and earthquakes. The results will provide ArtsWA with actionable priorities to strengthen emergency preparedness and long-term preservation across the statewide collection.

Simona Cristanetti (WUDPAC Class of 2003)

Project: Preserving Arlington’s Stumbling Stones

Arlington, Virginia’s Stumbling Stones attest to where enslaved persons once lived. The position of these markers—embedded in sidewalks—poses a particular challenge for their preservation: in addition to the expected weathering from being outdoors, these markers are subject to greater build-up of dirt, abrasion from foot traffic, and chemical attack from de-icing and/or lawn treatment products. This project aims to provide an initial treatment (clean and apply a protective coating) of all existing Stumbling Stones, a maintenance plan, and training so that community members can contribute to the preservation of the markers.

Sydney Beall Nikolaus (WUDPAC Class of 2016)

Project: Enhancing Studio Safety and Treatment Capabilities with a Museum-Grade HEPA Filtration System

Nikolaus Fine Art Conservation LLC will acquire a museum-grade Nilfisk GM80 HEPA vacuum for its shared studio in Branford, Connecticut. This equipment will significantly strengthen the studio’s ability to conduct complex treatments—particularly those involving hazardous particulates—while ensuring the highest standards of health, safety, and collections care. The acquisition will also support broader opportunities for collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and community engagement within the regional conservation field.

João Petisca (Preservation Studies Doctoral Program, 2019)

Project: Investigation of Three Chinese Kuancai Screens in Portuguese Collections

This study examines the materials and construction of three related kuancai screens from the collections of the Museu Medeiros e Almeida and Jorge Welsh Works of Art in Lisbon that are distinguished by their reduced height and European figural imagery. Building on initial collaborative analysis in the Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory at Winterthur Museum that identified the lacquer species and ground and pigment materials, this project will use Professional Venture Fund support to conduct nondestructive radiographic imaging to deepen understanding of their construction—an approach rarely applied to this type of lacquered screen.

Caroline Roberts (WUDPAC Class of 2011)

Project: Investigation of Hidden Images and Inscriptions on Limestone Funerary Stelae from Kom Abu Billou (Terenouthis), Egypt

Carrie Roberts, Conservator at the University of Michigan’s Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, is studying ancient pigments on limestone grave markers (stelae) from Terenouthis, Egypt, excavated by a University of Michigan–led team in 1935. Her research has revealed painted images and inscriptions visible only under ultraviolet light that have not previously been observed or published. This award  will support expanded imaging of related stelae in other collections to identify additional hidden imagery and better understand the deterioration processes that led to their disappearance.

Cynthia Schwarz (WUDPAC Class of 2009)

Project: Taking Care of Health and Safety at Take Care Conservation

Take Care Conservation is a new painting conservation practice in Branford, Connecticut, sharing a studio with Nikolaus Conservation—both founded by WUDPAC alumni. In the year since opening, the shared studio has outgrown their basic health and safety supplies. This funding will support essential upgrades, including a larger, modern flammables cabinet and replacement filters for the fume extraction system, ensuring a safer and more compliant working environment.

Jessica Silverman (WUDPAC Class of 2008)

Project: Cultural Diplomacy Training with the Global Leadership Institute (GLI) 

Jessica Silverman, Director of Conservation at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) in Philadelphia, has been selected as one of 15 professionals to participate in the World Affairs Council (WAC) Global Leadership Institute. This two-part program focuses on cultural diplomacy through expert-led instruction, guest speakers, and diplomats, strengthening  understanding of cross-cultural communication and leadership in the cultural heritage field.

Kate Wight (WUDPAC Class of 2009)

Project: Foam Conservation Research at the Brooklyn Museum

The deterioration of artworks made from foam is a critical area of research at the Brooklyn Museum, where attention is currently focused on a chair crafted from proprietary plastics in the 1970s: Capitello. Building on recent advances in foam conservation, Kate Wight Tyler and team are developing novel, customizable foams from common conservation-grade consolidants. The findings will be presented by Isabel Schneider in a paper and presentation, recently accepted as an abstract for the AIC 2026 conference, and Kate will lead a seminar/workshop on the conservation of foam including consolidation, UV absorbents, and fills made using the “double syringe” technique – forthcoming Summer 2026.