Dr. Julia Risser, director of the American Museum of Asmat Art at the University of St. Thomas, has received a $6,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Risser applied for NEH's Preservation Assistance Grant for Smaller Institutions for her project, "Climate Monitoring and Climate Improvement for Short-Term and Long-Term Preservation Needs," last spring.
The grant supports the purchase of environmental monitoring equipment for the museum, including data loggers, a hygrothermograph and an ultraviolet light meter. It also supports the purchase of supplies for improving environmental conditions in storage, as well as training in environmental monitoring; emergency preparedness, response and recovery; and storage solutions.
Risser said the equipment and training will contribute to best museum practices and the maintenance of the most appropriate environment for objects in the collection. UST graduate art history students soon will be able to learn how to use high-tech environmental monitoring equipment and analyze the data it produces.
