The Institute of Fine Arts is delighted to announce, thanks to a generous anonymous donation, the formation of a new visiting professorship in conservation and technical studies, beginning fall 2012.  The Judith Praska Distinguished Visiting Professor in Conservation is named in honor of the donor’s grandmother.  Inspired by the Kirk Varnedoe Memorial Professorship, this visiting position will be awarded to a prominent conservator or scientist who can bring to our program new areas for research and teaching.  The Praska Professor will be invited for a semester to the Institute of Fine Arts to teach in his or her area of specialty, particularly in courses designed for both conservation and art history students.  The Professor will also give one public lecture on his or her research at the IFA.  The professorship will run for four years through spring 2016.

For 2012-2013, the Conservation Center would like to invite two distinguished individuals to be awarded the professorship, one in the fall semester and one in the spring:

Fall 2012 Judith Praska Distinguished Visiting Professor: Christine Frohnert
Christine Frohnert, Conservator of Contemporary Art, Modern Materials and Media, Bek & Frohnert LLC

Spring 2013 Judith Praska Distinguished Visiting Professor: Carol Mancusi-Ungaro
Carol Mancusi-Ungaro, Associate Director of Conservation and Research, Whitney Museum of American Art and Founding Director of the Center for Technical Study of Modern Art at the Harvard Art Museums