As a high school student, Sheila Payaqui went to her first art museum—and it changed her future.
“It opened up a whole new world to me, and it showed me that there are so many career options out there,” said Payaqui, who found her fit working in conservation, a behind-the-scenes function that blends art and science.
Payaqui and her conservation colleagues may create similar life-changing moments on July 15, when VMFA hosts 20 middle- and high-school students from eastern Henrico County.
The youths are coming for Hacktastic, a four-hour workshop that will give them hands-on experience in using modern science and the latest technology to preserve and conserve artwork. Heritage: Innovation in Art and Culture—An Exploration in Conservation and Preservation will show teens, ages 13 to 16, how applied technology is used in art, with a focus on objects in the African collection.
An outreach program of the Innovation Education Project, a local nonprofit organization, Hacktastic collaborates with host sites to model how innovation can help a community progress. The goal is to augment traditional educational experiences with a more integrative approach of creativity, research, skill development, and presentation. The program trains students to think big and bold, bringing together immersive learning experiences and toolsets based on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Math).
“We want to spark inquiry in youths and help them use that as a starting point for discovery.”
said Vida Williams, innovator in residence at the Virginia Commonwealth University’s da Vinci Center, which advances innovation and entrepreneurship through cross-disciplinary collaboration. “Our hope is to expose students to industry in a way that they see innovative career options.”
At Hacktastic, students will work with state-of-the-art research tools—including X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet light, and infrared equipment—in VMFA’s Susan and David Goode Center for Advanced Study in Art Conservation. Using objects set aside to be used for research and works from the African collection, students will learn how to identify original materials, determine the age of art pieces, and follow art conservation standards and methodologies.
“How we interpret an object depends on how much we know about it, such as how it was made and what it’s made of,” said Payaqui, noting how technology has transformed the work of conservators. “Scientific research is about asking questions and even questioning your findings. The answers aren’t always straightforward.”
Hacktastic activities will help participants learn how technology allows conservators to get insights and clues that add to what they observe. For example, X-rays might allow conservators to see an object’s inner structure. Lessons also will focus on smart applications of technology, such as the prudent use of ultraviolet light that can damage artwork in excessive volumes.
“Participants will learn about the value of research—and its limitations,” said Payaqui, VMFA Senior Conservator. “Research doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s really all about partnerships among conservators and curators.”
Some of the students are already interested in careers in art or engineering. “We can help them understand that the way the world and industry work today is more integrated than myopic,” Williams said. “They can pull from one side of their brains and then the other side to come up with the most creative solution.”
VMFA is hosting Hacktastic with support from a $1.5 million grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for conservation initiatives for African art. Now in its second year, the project involves museum conservators and curators working together using the latest technology to learn more about these works and share knowledge with their colleagues around the world. The grant provides funding to acquire cutting-edge equipment, to hire conservation associates, and to provide education and outreach.
Helping to teach Hacktastic sessions are VMFA’s two Mellon conservators, Casey Mallinckrodt and Kate Gabrielli, as well as Jean Marie Tucker, Mellon summer intern. During the program, participants also will receive a tour of the African Gallery by one of the art collection’s curators. Williams noted that VMFA offers “gems of resources” with its conservation studio, but even more importantly with its conservation team. “These are some of the most fascinating people in Richmond. They have a wealth of knowledge and experience that most people never have access to,” she said, “and never for these youths in their traditional educational environments.”
Paula Saylor-Robinson, VMFA Director of Audience Development and Community Engagement, introduced Hacktastic to the museum’s conservation team. “This program supports VMFA’s ongoing effort to create exceptional experiences of art and culture for diverse groups of visitors,” she noted.