Bio
Amber Kerr received her BA from Virginia Commonwealth University and her MS from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. She is Head of Conservation and Senior Paintings Conservator for the Smithsonian American Art Museum where she works in view of the public at the Lunder Conservation Center, an innovative floor-to-ceiling glass walled facility that provides museum visitors the opportunity to view conservators at work and promotes outreach and education to the general public through lectures, tours, publications and social media platforms.
As a paintings conservator, Amber has authored articles for the American (AIC) and International Institutes of Conservation (IIC), and the Internation Council of Museums Conservation Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC) on subjects related to public scholarship and outreach, and has co-authored numerous research publications, including a chapters in the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts exhibition catalog, Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit and the Yale University Press exhibition catalog, Alma W. Thomas: Everying Is Beautiful. Amber participated in the University of Delaware’s first Public Engagement and Material Culture Institute program, and has taught Public Scholarship Workshops for graduate students at the University of Delaware College of Arts and Sciences to share her knowledge and success in communicating with the public. In 2012 she was a recipient of the UD College of Arts & Sciences Alumni Achievement Award for her work in outreach, education, and advocacy. She is dedicated to increasing public awareness for art conservation and promoting professional outreach in her field by actively volunteering her time as a Director of Communications for the International Institute of Conservation’s (IIC), and previous positions as a board member on the Society of Winterthur Fellows, Vice President of IIC, social media coordinator IIC, elected member on the IIC Council, Secretary and Board member of the Washington Conservation Guild, Founding member and Officer of Training and Education for the American Institute of Conservation (AIC) Emerging Conservator and Professionals Network (ECPN), and served as a co-chair for the Conservation Training and Education specialty group of the International Council of Museums-Committee (ICOM-CC) for Conservation. [View Curriculum Vitae- kerr_cv.pdf] |
MembershipsAmerican Association of Museums (AAM) –Member 2005-present
American Institute for Conservation (AIC) - Professional Associate 1998, 1999, 2001-present Association of Historians of American Art (AHAA) – Member 2012- present Emerging Conservation Professionals Network (ECPN) – Member 2008-present, Advisory Board member and AIC representative for certification 2008-2009; Training and Education Committee Chair 2009-2012. International Council of Museums – Conservation Community (ICOM-CC) – Member 2006-present, Education and Training Committee coordinating assistant 2014-2018 The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC) – Fellow 2005-present; Director of Communications/Vice President (elected 2018); Programing Chair for "Point of the Matter" Dialogues; Council Member 2012-2018; Student Poster Committee Chair 2010 - 2018; Facebook/Twitter Administrator 2010-present; IIC-SECC Conference Advisor, Presenter and Moderator 2011 and 2013. International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art (INCCA) – Member 2006-present Rescue Public Murals - Advisory Committee Member 2006- 2012 Society of Winterthur Fellows (SOWF) – Member 2008-present; Board member 2014-present. Smithsonian Institute Scholarly Press (SISP) – Peer reviewer for publications on conservation research (2011-present), Publications committee member for SI scholarly research (2012-present). Virginia Conservation Association (VCA) - Member 1998-2002, Publication Chair 1998-1999 Voices in Contemporary Art (VOCA) – Member 2014-present Washington Conservation Guild –Member 2006-present, Recording Secretary 2008-2009, Director 2009- 2012 |
AwardsGetty Funding - Travel and workshop attendance to the Masterclass The Dutch Method Unfolded, Univeristy of Amsterdam, Netherlands (June 2022)
IIC Maney Publication Travel Award – Awarded funding for travel and expenses related to the Student Poster Session publication and award presentation at the 2014 IIC Congress in Hong Kong (September 2014) Smithsonian Opportunities Fund – Awarded funding for travel, expenses, and research to attend IIC Vienna Conference: The Decorative: Conservation and the Applied Arts (September 2012) University of Delaware's College of Arts and Sciences Alumni Achievement Award - Presented May 2014. Samuel H. Kress Foundation Fellowship – Awarded funding for one-year research fellowship at Smithsonian American Art Museum/Lunder Conservation Center (September 2009-August 2010) International Institute for Conservation (IIC) Brommelle Memorial Fund – Awarded funding for travel and expenses to attend the IIC London Conference: Conservation and Access (September 15-19, 2008) Lunder Conservation Fellowship – Awarded first Lunder Fellowship in conservation funded by private donor (August 2008-August 2009) National Endowment for Humanities and University of Delaware Grant – Awarded stipend for participation in the Public Engagement and Martial Culture Institute at the University of Delaware (June, 2008) Leo & Karen Gutmann Grant – Funding to attend Modular Cleaning workshop, co-sponsored by FAIC and the Chicago Conservation Center (March 22-24, 2008). Society of Winterthur Fellows Professional Development Fund - Funding to attend Modular Cleaning Workshop, co-sponsored by FAIC and the Chicago Conservation Center (March 22-24, 2008). WUDPAC Professional Development Fund - Funding to attend Modular Cleaning workshop, co-sponsored by FAIC and the Chicago Conservation Center (March 22-24, 2008). Edward F. and Elizabeth Goodman Rosenberg Grant – Awarded funding for travel and expenses to attend Art, Conservation, and Authenticities: Material, Concept, Context, by University of Glasgow and ICON Scotland (September 12-14, 2007) Annette Kade Grant – Awarded funding for travel and research during summer internship in France and Germany (June 2007-August 2008) Graduated summa cum laude (2000) – BFA, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA National Dean’s List (2000) - Nominated by Dean for the School of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Phi Kappa Phi (1999, 2000) - Nominated by Dean for the School of the Arts, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA. Dean’s Scholarship (1999, 2000) – Awarded for scholastic achievement, Virginia Commonwealth University. Outstanding Research Paper by an Undergraduate Major (1999) – Certificate of achievement and monetary award bestowed by faculty selection committee, Art History Department, VCU, Richmond, VA. |
Publications"The Three Ps in a Sustainable Practice: Persistence, Patience, and Perseverance" - Kerr, A. and B. Dajnowski. 2023. In Working Towards a Sustainable Past. ICOM-CC 20th Triennial Conference Preprints, Valencia, 18–22 September 2023, ed. J. Bridgland. Paris: International Council of Museums. 1210_802_kerr_paper.pdf
“Composing Color: The Materials and Techniques of Alma Woodsey Thomas” –Nikolaus, S., Kerr, A. L., Manthey, G., & Ho, M. (2021). in Alma W. Thomas - Everything is beautiful (pp. 93–107). essay, The Columbus Museum. alma_w._thomas_composing_color.pdf “Using Science to Uncover Secrets of Alma Thomas Conservators at SAAM discover new aspects of the influential artist’s work” – Head Conservator, Amber Kerr and LCC Researcher, Sydney Nikolaus, July 8, 2021 https://americanart.si.edu/blog/alma-thomas-conservation "Kerr, A. (2021). Forward to the Breakout Sessions. Rushfield, Rebecca (2021): Stemming the Tide: Global Strategies for Sustaining Cultural Heritage through Climate Change. Open Monographs. Book. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.14750727 Baade, B., Kerr, A., deGhetaldi, K., & Petersen, C. (2019). "The spiritual from the material: exploring the tempera recipes of African-American artist Henry Ossawa Tanner in his later visionary paintings." In Tempera painting 1800 - 1950: Experiment and innovation from the nazarene (pp. 135–144). essay, ARCHETYPE PUBLICATIONS LT. "Conserving the Self-Taught Artists Collections at the Smithsonian American Art Museum." Tiarna Doherty, Helen Ingalls, Amber Kerr, Catherine Maynor, and Leslie Umberger. IIC Studies in Conservation Supppliment 2, 2016: Vol. 61. "Partially hydrolyzed poly(vinyl acetate)-boraxbased gel-like materials for conservation of art: Characterization and applications” Lora Vihrova Angelova, Barbara H. Berrie, Kristen de Ghetaldi, Amber Kerr,Richard G. Weiss "Deconstructing the Stratigraphy of Color and Design in the Artistic Works of Henry Ossawa Tanner" , coauthored with Kristin de Ghetaldi, ICOM-CC 2014 Tri-Annual Conference Preprints, September 2014 https://www.academia.edu/14365674/Deconstructing_the_stratigraphy_of_color_and_design_in_the_artistic_works_of_Henry_Ossawa_Tanner "Revealing Homer in A Visit from the Old Mistress” Eye Level, Smithsonian American Art Museum blog. November 8, 2012. Available online at: http://eyelevel.si.edu/2012/11/revealing-homer-in-a-visit-from-the-old-mistress.html “Preparing for Its Close-up: Flowers by William H. Johnson” Eye Level, Smithsonian American Art Museum blog. April 22, 2012. Available online at: http://eyelevel.si.edu/2012/04/preparing-for-its-close-up-flowers-by-william-h-johnson.html “The Conservation treatment of Lois Mailou Jones’ painting Moon Mosque” Eye Level, Smithsonian American Art Museum blog. May 2012. Available online at: http://eyelevel.si.edu/2012/05/behind-the-scenes-preparing-an-artwork-for-exhibition.html “Behind the Scenes: Preparing an Artwork for Exhibition” Eye Level, Smithsonian American Art Museum blog. May 24, 2012. Available online at: http://eyelevel.si.edu/2012/05/behind-the-scenes-preparing-an-artwork-for-exhibition.html “Examining the Materials and Painting Methods of Henry Ossawa Tanner” Eye Level, Smithsonian American Art Museum blog. May 16, 2011. Available online at: http://eyelevel.si.edu/2011/05/henryossawatanner.html "In Pursuit of the Ideal Effect." Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit”. Coauthored with Baade, Brian, and Jennifer Giaccia. Ed. Anna O. Marley. 1st ed.University of California Press, 2011. Print. https://www.academia.edu/14365264/Pursuit_of_the_Ideal_Effect_The_Materials_and_Techniques_of_Henry_Ossawa_Tanner "Looking Out and Looking In: A Perspective on Public Outreach." AIC News. 36. no. 3 (2011): 1-4. https://www.academia.edu/14365037/Looking_Out_and_Looking_In_A_Perspective_on_Public_Outreach “Outdoor Public Murals: Materials, Advocacy and Conservation,” ANAGPIC 2007 Student Papers Presented at the 2007 Annual Student Conference hosted by the Harvard University Art Museums Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies. April 2007, Cambridge, MA. Available online at: http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~anagpic/studentpapers2007.htm |