All the new display cases in the Bloch Building are keeping the Museum’s preparation and conservations staff quite busy.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the new cases allow for increased visual access to the works of art. While the cases are fabulous, they have created some challenges on how to best display the art. The goal is that visitors see the art, not what’s holding it in place.
If you thought the art was just placed on the walls with some nails and a hammer, you would be surprised to see some of the creativity that goes into fabricating a good mount. Many pieces have very specific needs and require a lot of ingenuity, skill and collaboration between members of the Museum staff.
Currently, the African collection is getting prepared to move into the new building. Most of the mounts need to be redone so that they are more discrete and work with the structure of the new cases.