Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Title of entry: Impact in Perpetuity

About this entry: The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum houses one of the finest collections of contemporary art among American universities. Carefully acquired over decades, the quality of the collection calls for utmost responsibility in stewardship. This requirement predicates the present entry, a proposal to endow a conservator at the museum. We were fortunate to know our target benefactor well, and recognizing his deep knowledge of the collection, we approached him as an expert. We developed a case for endowment by examining the conservation of a single Kemper work, a self-portrait of Ludwig Meidner, which revealed a second painting on its verso. As shared, the Meidner example offered scholars new research insight into the painter's stylistic development and a vivid glimpse into the past, while conserving the work for present and future audiences. This single example made a powerful argument for the robust opportunities of conservation. More potently, the proposal underscored the potential of the donor's gift to mirror the act of conservation itself. An endowed position helps to uncover the past of varied works and extends the life of the collection in perpetuity. The proposal — in copy and in design — captured this rich potential of conservation and spoke to our audience of one directly, as a collector himself. It recognized in him, a love of art, an avid curiosity, and a commitment to the broader community wherein the collection lives. Satisfying all three qualities and pending an April conversation, the conservator at the Kemper is on track to be endowed.