CURRICULUM VITAE
EDUCATION:
2009 Master of Art Conservation, (MAC)
Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario
2001 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography
Pratt Institute for Fine Arts, Brooklyn New York
EXPERIENCE:
Employment -
2019-present Conservator, Indiana State Library
Indianapolis, IN
2012-2016 Paper Conservator and Lab Safety Officer, Hamilton Library, Preservation Dept.
University of Hawaii at Manoa; Honolulu, HI
2017 Contract Paper Conservator
Intermuseum Conservation Association, Cleveland, Ohio
2017 Contract Paper Conservator
Alaska State Museum, Juneau, Alaska
2012-2016 Staff Paper Conservator
University of Hawaii Hamilton Library Preservation Lab, Honolulu, Hawaii
2009- Present Owner and Operator
Irwin Paper Conservation
2011 Contract Book Conservator
The Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts
2011 Contract Paper Conservator
The Aleutiiq Museum, Kodiak, Alaska
2011 Contract Paper Conservator
The Baranov Museum, Kodiak, Alaska
2011 Contract Paper Conservator
The Pratt Museum, Homer, Alaska
2010 – 2011 Contract Paper Conservator
Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, Anchorage, Alaska
2010 Contract Paper Conservator
Dorothy Page Museum, Wasilla, Alaska
2010 Contract Paper Conservator
Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center, Kenai, Alaska
2010 Contract Paper Conservator
Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, Anchorage, Alaska
2010 Contract Paper Conservator
Anchorage Museum at the Rasmuson Center, Anchorage, Alaska
2010 Contract Paper Conservator
Eagle Historical Society and Museum, Eagle, Alaska
2010 Contract Paper Conservator
Clausen Memorial Museum, Petersburg, Alaska
2010 Contract Paper Conservator
Valdez Museum and Historical Archive, Valdez, Alaska
2003 – 2006 Owner and Operator
The Otowi Photography Showroom and Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2002 Studio Manager
Santa Fe Photographic Workshops©, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Internships-
2009 – 2011 Book and Paper Conservation Internship
John’s Hopkins University Sheridan Library’s Preservation Department,
Baltimore, ML
2008 Photographic Conservation Intern
The Better Image© Photographic Conservation Practice
Milford, New Jersey
2006 – 2007 Book Conservation Intern
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Maxwell Anthropology Museum
The Clark Field Archive and Anthropology Library
2002 Recipient of Paul Strand Archive Internship
Aperture Foundation©, Millerton, New York
1999 – 2001 Studio Photographic Intern
American Museum of Natural History, Photography Department,
Manhattan, New York
PUBLICATIONS:
Seth Irwin, 2020, Three Tips for Commercially Available Mobile-Bases for Large and Heavy Equipment for Paper Conservation Labs, American Institute for Conservation, Book and Paper Specialty Group 2020 Annual
Seth Irwin, 2016, A Clear Suction, An Easy and Cost Effective Method for Making a Transparent Suction Platen, American Institute for Conservation, Book and Paper Specialty Group 2016 Annual
Seth Irwin, 2016, The Adaption of the Video Slider into a 'Microscope Bridge' as a Practical Alternative for Using a Stereomicroscope to Examine and Treat Oversize Paper Artifacts, American Institute for Conservation, Book and Paper Specialty Group 2016 Annual
Seth Irwin, 2012, Paper Conservation in the Far North: A Project Summary from Alaska, E-Conservation Magazine, Issue 25
Seth Irwin, 2011, A Comparison of the Use of Sodium Metabisulfite and Sodium Dithionite for Removing Rust Stains from Paper, American Institute for Conservation, Book and Paper Specialty Group 2011 Annual
Seth Irwin, Randy Silverman, 2009, Fire and Ice Revisited: A Comparison of Two Soot Removal Techniques for Books, International Preservation News, Number 49 International Federation of Library Associations 2010 Publication Co Authored with Randy Silverman, Preservation Librarian Marriot Library University of Utah
PUBLIC LECTURES:
2015 Western Association of Art Conservators 2017 Annual Conference
University of Utah Marriott Library
Salt Lake City, Utah
'Looking Good at 150: The Treatment of the Alaska Treaty of Cession Documents for the Alaska Sesquicentennial'
2017 American Institute for Conservation 2017 Annual Meeting
Chicago, Illinois
Conservators in Private Practice Specialty Group
'A Close Look! An Introduction and Overview to Buying a Stereomicroscope for Conservators'
2016 American Institute for Conservation 2016 Annual Conference
Montreal, Canada
Book and Paper Specialty Group
'The Adaption of the Video Slider into a ‘Microscope Bridge’ as a Practical Alternative for
Using a Stereomicroscope to Examine and Treat Oversize Paper Artifacts'
2016 American Institute for Conservation 2016 Annual Conference
Montreal, Canada
Book and Paper Specialty Group
'A Clear Suction. An Easy and Cost Effective Method for Making a Transparent Suction Platen'
2015 Western Association of Art Conservators 2015 Annual Conference
Pacific Grove, California
'A Close Look: An Introduction and Overview to Buying a Stereomicroscope for Conservators'
2011 Western Association of Art Conservators 2011 Annual Conference
Austin, Texas
“A Comparison of the Use of Sodium Metabisulfite and Sodium Dithionite for Removing
Rust Stains from Paper”
2011 Western Association of Art Conservators 2011 Annual Conference
Austin, Texas
'Alaska, An Unexplored Paper History. The Examination, Training, and Treatment
of the Paper Collections of Twelve of Alaska's Historical Institutions.'
2011 American Institute for Conservation 2011 Annual Conference
Philadelphia, PA
Book and Paper Specialty Group
“A Comparison of the Use of Sodium Metabisulfite and Sodium Dithionite for Removing
Rust Stains from Paper”
2011 The Pratt Museum
Homer, Alaska
"The Structure, Identification, and Degradation of Photographic Print Materials”
2011 The Pratt Museum
Homer, Alaska
“Basic Handling of Paper Artifacts”
2010 Anchorage Museum at the Rasmuson Center
Anchorage, Alaska
“Basic Handling of Paper Artifacts”
2010 2010 Museum's Alaska Conference
Fairbanks, Alaska
“Paper Conservation in Alaska”
2009 2009 Western Association of Art Conservators Annual Conference
Juneau, Alaska
“A Comparison of Two Soot Removal Techniques”
2009 American Institute for Conservation Annual Conference
Los Angeles, CA
Book and Paper Group; Library Conservation Care Collections Discussion Group
“A Comparison of Two Soot Removal Techniques”
2009 The Association of North American Graduate Programs in Conservation
Buffalo, NY
“A Comparison of Two Soot Removal Techniques”
2009 Canadian Conservation Institute
Ottawa, Canada
“A Comparison of Two Soot Removal Techniques”
2009 The Alternative Process Symposium for Photo-Arts
Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“The Structure, Identification, and Degradation of Photographic Print Materials”
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
2011 The Pratt Museum, Homer, Alaska
Community workshop in making paper portfolio cases and dry cleaning of paper artifacts
2010 Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, Anchorage Alaska
Community workshop in picture framing techniques
2010 Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum, Anchorage Alaska
Museum’s Alaska Association sponsored workshop in methods of tear repair and surface
cleaning
2010 Anchorage Museum at the Rasmuson Center, Anchorage, Alaska
Public workshop in methods of flattening paper and methods of safely removing tape from
paper
2010 Museum of the North, Fairbanks, Alaska (2010 Museum's Alaska Conference)
Museum’s Alaska Association conference workshop in methods of repairing tears and
conducting surface cleaning of paper.
2010 Kenai Visitor and Cultural Center, Kenai, Alaska
Public workshop in basic handling of paper, tear repair, surface cleaning, and the construction
of clamshell boxes