Stanford Students Scrub Rodin’s Gates of Hell
(Stanford University recently sent us this article by Robin Wander from Stanford News) Somebody has got to keep the Gates of Hell safe from the elements. Meet the students on Stanford's outdoor sculpture preservation crew. They conduct preventative maintenance on Rodin's Gates of Hell and 100 other outdoor sculptures across campus. In other words, they get lots of hands-on-the-art experience because they have permission to touch. Given the nature of their work, which combines art and science, it's no surprise that the crew, led by Elizabeth Saetta, is an extension of the Cantor Arts Center's Art+Science Learning Lab, run by Susan Roberts-Manganelli. Saetta points out in a post on the Cantor blog Cross-Sections that conservation of art, including outdoor sculpture, involves specific training in not only art, but also chemistry and materials science. Past technicians have in fact included students studying art history, chemistry and materials science, as well as bio-engineering, philosophy, English, mathematics and studio art. The crew trains with Saetta by learning...