2013 Art Handler Training Program (AHTP)

Bronx council on the arts/joan mitchell foundation
legacy call project (BCA/JMF)


2013 Art Handler Training Program

BCA’s Art Handler Certificate Program offers participants an opportunity to learn new skills and/or enhance existing skill-sets and to equip them with the technical skills to design and develop innovative operational protocols for risk management, logistics and loss prevention. Workshops are structured as 1- or 2-day sessions that cover topics such as re-framing, stretching and rolling of canvases, installation, mounting and hanging of artworks. The Art Handler Training Certificate Program serves as an introduction to conservation practices (sculpture, woodwork, glass / ceramics, tapestry and canvas, paperwork mounting and matting, tools and hardware of the trade. BCA’s art handling curriculum is dynamic and designed to capitalize on strengths that each individual brings into the program. The program has evolved over the years to include art history, business marketing and professional development. BCA’s Art Handler Training Program is the only program in New York City which combines theory and hands-on application. All students participate in 150-hour training and 50 internship hours with partnering organizations, museums, auction houses and arts organizations throughout the tri-state area. For more information, please sign up here. If you are an organization interested in hosting a BCA Art Handler Trainee Intern, call 718-931-9500 x35.





BCA/JMF Legacy CALL Project



BCA and the JMF Legacy CALL Project Creating a Living Legacy (CALL) is a program of the Joan Mitchell Foundation that provides support to visual artists in creating, through organizing and inventorying, comprehensive documentation of their artworks and careers. The Bronx Council on the Arts is one of four nationally funded organizations partnering with the Joan Mitchell Foundation along with Artist Trust, DiverseWorks, and Space One Eleven who are beginning their programs locally. We developed a program to serve our constituent-base, use the CALL resources, and increase awareness of the importance of documenting the artwork and careers of individual artists

Highlights The program connects elder visual artists (CALL Artists) with trained Legacy Specialists to document the important works of art created during the course of the artists career. The program teaches artists how to assess collections, develop and inventory a personalized archiving system, and guide artists to set realistic goals for inventorying a body of work in a systematic way. The first round of BCA CALL Artists are Xenobia Bailey, Hortense Kassoy and Olga Kitt Meet the above-mentioned artists by clicking their link. The JMF Foundation has developed a specialized portfolio of tools to support our efforts: The JMF CALL Database was created as a method of keeping accurate records; A workbook that leads artists through the basics of creating their own comprehensive organizational system in their studios and archives; The CALL Resource Blog allows a forum for sharing information, resources and troubleshooting. CALL Artist Studio Assessment, a self- assessment for visual artists which helps them to identify their state of affairs, artwork documentation and emergency preparedness. Estate Planning resources.

The BCA Art Handler Training Program (AHTP) and the BCA Legacy CALL Project completed the first phase of the project in early 2013. BCA provided targeted training and education to 15 art handlers and teaching artists called Legacy Specialists. This workforce training initiative enables Legacy Specialist trainees to:

Participate in hands-on sessions taught by professionals from the collection management field.
Learn about notable professional organizations that are focused on preserving cultural legacies and how to access their resources.
Share unique perspectives, insights and strategies through public presentations and forums.

The Legacy CALL Project is an outgrowth of BCA’s well known AHTP and serves the creative workforce by creating programmatic career pathways and trainee professional tools and skills.

For more information, please sign up here.