In 2023, AICCM celebrated individuals and groups contributing to the conservation profession in Australia across eight award categories, and announced the 2023 ADFAS Mid-career Scholars. On Wednesday 15 November at the Welcome event of the AICCM 50+/-50 National Conference 2023, the AICCM President Alice Cannon presented the awards and announced the scholars.
Thank you to all who joined us for our first in-person awards presentation for three years, and for those who nominated a person or project for the awards. Congratulations to our 2023 winners! Below you can find out more about their achievements.
We are indebted to ArtsNational (previously known as the Association of Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Societies ADFAS), which supports AICCM and Australian conservators. The aims of ArtsNational are to promote aesthetic education and the study of decorative and fine arts, and to advance the preservation of our cultural and artistic heritage. Patricia Robertson was the Founding Chair and a current patron of ArtsNational, who recognised that conservation is a significantly under-funded area of the arts.
Announced at the awards night were the two 2023 mid-career scholarships. These scholarships are generously supported by the ADFAS (ArtsNational) Armidale branch and the Patricia Robertson Fund.
ADFAS (ArtsNational) Patricia Robertson Fund mid-career scholarship: Celia Cramer
Celia has received the scholarship to attend the 2023 Infrared & Raman Users Group 15th International Conference and Workshop in Japan. She will present her conservation research where she has developed an analytical method for the non-destructive chemical analysis of objects made from skin such as leather goods, ethnographic objects and natural history specimens using near infrared spectroscopy. At the conference she will learn from other delegates, draw attention to her research and promote Australian conservation research.
Celia Cramer, ADFAS Mid-Career Scholar.
ADFAS (ArtsNational) Armidale Mid-Career Conservator Scholarship: Harpreet Tanday
Harpreet has received the scholarship to attend the three-day workshop ‘Hydrogel for Conservation’ taught by Mathew Cushman in Italy and run by Cesmar7 (Centro per lo Studio dei Materiali per il Restauro). She will gain theoretical and practical knowledge on hydrogel materials used for cleaning treatments. This will then be applied to Australian mural paintings and painted surfaces to ensure best national and international practice.
Harpreet Tanday, ADFAS Armidale Mid-Career Scholar, undertaking an assessment of a mural painting with portable microscopy. Image courtesy of H Tanday, Delta Conservation.
ADFAS (ArtsNational) also supports two AICCM student awards, for an outstanding student at each of the conservation training programs: the University of Melbourne and the University of Canberra.
AICCM Student Conservator of the Year (University of Canberra) – supported by ArtsNational: Vera Olbrycht
AICCM Student Conservator of the Year (University of Melbourne) – supported by ADFAS Mornington Peninsula: Jo Lupgens
Find out more about the 2023 AICCM Student Conservators of the Year here
The AICCM Medal: Cheryl Jackson
Cheryl Jackson, Conservator of Photographic and Paper Materials
The AICCM Medal: Christine Ianna
The AICCM Medal: Ian MacLeod
Photograph by David Dare Parker for The Guardian
The AICCM Medal: Robyn Sloggett
Find out more about the four 2023 AICCM Medal recipients here
AICCM Conservator of the Year: Samantha Hamilton
Samantha Hamilton, AICCM Conservator of the Year. Image credit: Mark Gambino.
Find out more about Samantha Hamilton here
Outstanding Service to the Profession: Trish Stokes
Find out more about Trish Stokes’ achievements here
The Colin Pearson Outstanding Research in the Field of Material Conservation Award: MaryJo Lelyveld
Find out more about MaryJo Lelyveld’s research here
Outstanding Conservation Volunteer Award: Eric Deshon
Museum Volunteer Eric Deshon polishes the brightwork on the engine – Image by Nick Flood
Outstanding Conservation Volunteer Award: Peter Baldridge
Museum Volunteer Peter Baldridge topping up the engine’s oil reservoirs – Image by Nick Flood
Find out more about Eric Deshon and Peter Baldridge here
Outstanding Conservation Treatment of the Year – Uncle Jimmy Clements (O’Sullivan Conservation: Eoin O Suilleabhain, Emily Bramich, Katherine Rosenthal and Hannah Newman)
O’Sullivan Conservation team in workshop.
Find out more about the Uncle Jimmy Clements Conservation Project here
Outstanding Conservation Project of the Year – 2022 Flood Recovery Project (Grimwade Conservation Services: Libby Melzer, Katy Glen, Noni Zachri, Penny Tripp, Peter Mitchelson, Cushla Hill, Vanessa Kowalski, Ellie Urrutia Bernard, Christine Mizzi, Beatrice Dahllof, Bridget Fejes, Hannah Lamond-Hallett, Hayley Nolle, Hilary Kwan, Jess Argall, Emma Dacey and Julia Sylvester)
Noni Zachri and Peter Mitchelson_at Seymour – Image courtesy of Grimwade Conservation Services, The University of Melbourne
Principal Conservator Katy Glen – Image courtesy of Grimwade Conservation Services, The University of Melbourne
Find out more about the 2022 Flood Recovery Project here
Nominations for the 2024 awards will open in May 2024.
Please see the AICCM Awards page for further information
Please direct queries to the AICCM Membership Officer Lucilla Ronai