Rhonda Wozniak has been involved in conservation for twenty years, combining both academic training and extensive experience in institutional and private studio settings world-wide.

EDUCATION

Photo courtesy of Buffalo State College Art Conservation Department

Rhonda Wozniak received her Master of Arts and Certificate of Advanced Studies in Conservation from the internationally recognized art conservation training program at the State University of New York, College at Buffalo. Her third year of studies was devoted to specialization in marine archaeological objects at the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle, Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the University of Colorado at Denver.

GENERAL OBJECTS CONSERVATION

Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

For nine years before establishing her private conservation practice, Rhonda Wozniak worked at the Carnegie Museum of Art Conservation Department, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As the Museum Objects Conservator, she was responsible for contemporary, decorative, and fine art objects, architectural models, and historic architectural casts. This included conservation treatments, preparation of objects for loan and related transport, storage, and exhibit. Rhonda was involved with a plethora of the museum’s exhibits. Some of the blockbusters include: Aluminum by Design: from Jewelry to Jets; Light! The Industrial Age 1750-1900; Fierce Friends, Artists and Animals, 1750-1900; and the 1999 and 2004 Carnegie International exhibitions of contemporary art.

Photo courtesy of Carnegie Museum of Art

Prior to assuming her post as CMA Objects Conservator, Rhonda Wozniak acted for two years as Special Project Conservator/Project Director during treatment of the art deco masterpiece, "Chariot of Aurora."  This is a gilded urushi bas-relief mural (18x 26 ft) by French artists Jean Dupas and Jean Dunand from the French ocean liner, Normandie.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Anthropology Conservation Laboratory, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

In the Anthropology Conservation Laboratory at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Rhonda examined and treated beaded Iroquois tourist items in preparation for installation in the Native American Hall, and prepared Egyptian metal artifacts for Egypt Hall.

LP3 Conservation Laboratories, Semur-en-Auxois, France 

As a private contractor in objects conservation, Rhonda Wozniak worked in France with the treasures of Troyes Cathedral, such as medieval gold, silver, enamel, and ivory. She also treated linoleum flooring from the Maison de Louis Pasteur.

MARINE ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 

LP3 Conservation Laboratories, Semur-en-Auxois, France

Rhonda Wozniak worked for two years as Objects Conservator of RMS Titanic artifacts at LP3 Conservation Laboratories in Semur-en-Auxois, France. She was responsible for conservation of the vast array of materials recovered from the debris field around the wreck of RMS Titanic. Objects she treated include a vast array of materials, from small personal items to larger ship components. Her efforts involved: pre-treatment inventories; preparation of condition reports and treatment proposals; post-excavation, exhibit, and long-term stabilization treatments of metal, leather, textile, wood, paper, ceramic, glass, stone, and synthetic objects. She also organized, prepared, packed, and couriered objects for the premier major exhibition of RMS Titanic artifacts, "The Wreck of the Titanic," at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich,England.

Titanic Expedition 1994, North Atlantic Ocean.

 In 1994, Rhonda Wozniak acted as On-site Conservator during the expedition, which recovered over 700 artifacts and two tons of coal. Larger artifacts included such items as a crane arm to one of the ship’s thirty-two davits used to lower lifeboats, and a set of the ship’s bollards. Smaller items included a ruby-eyed fox tie pin and synthetic ivory hand mirrors. As the expedition conservator, she was responsible for pre-expedition planning and packing supplies; operations of the on-board conservation laboratory including stabilization, documentation, and preparation for shipment of all excavated materials; organization of the shipping container; and presentation and handling of artifacts for inspection and film documentation. She appears in the National Geographic documentary, Explorers of the Titanic, filmed during the 1994 expedition.

Photo courtesy of Western Australian Maritime Museum

Western Australian Maritime Museum, Department of Materials Conservation, Fremantle, Australia

Rhonda Wozniak's advanced internship specializing in marine archaeological objects was under the tutelage of renowned metals conservator Dr. Ian MacLeod at the Western Australian Maritime Museum, Department of Materials Conservation, Fremantle, Western Australia. Through training with the museum’s unique staff of professional divers, marine archaeologists, conservators, and scientists, she gained exceptional experience in the preservation of shipwreck materials. Treatments she was involved with include: excavation of artifacts from marine concretions; extraction of chlorides from artifact materials; removal of iron stains from ceramics; chelation of corrosion products from textiles; PEG impregnation and freeze-drying of waterlogged wood; chemical reduction of corrosion products on iron, bronze, silver, and lead artifacts. Her area of research focused on corrosion of tin alloys in a marine environment. 

Photo courtesy of Western Australian Maritime Museum

Rhonda Wozniak participated in expeditions to the unidentified Faure Island wreck site and the French whaler, Perseverant (1841) survivors’ camp, Shark Bay, Western Australia; and the Omeo barque (1858) wreck site, Cockburn Sound, Western Australia.  Her on-site conservation work included: sampling sea water for pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen content; measuring pH and corrosion potentials in situ for artifact profiles; drafting conservation reports for wreck inspection records; videorecording land-site profiles; maintaining expedition daybooks; and post-excavation stabilization of excavated materials for transport.

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Photo courtesy of Denver Art Museum

Denver Art Museum, Conservation Laboratory, Denver, Colorado, USA 

As a Graduate Intern, Rhonda Wozniak treated New World and Asiatic artifacts; tested materials for exhibit cases; and designed silica gel buffering/ultraviolet light filtering systems during an extensive museum renovation project.  Area of research: conservation, analysis, and historical studies of a life-size bulto from colonial Mexico.

Bishop Museum, Pacific Regional Conservation Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

As a Program Intern, Rhonda Wozniak participated in stabilization treatments and rehousing of kahili. Area of research: Polynesian featherwork.

Denver Art Museum, Department of Registrar, Denver, Colorado, USA

As a member of the Collection Survey Team, Rhonda Wozniak compiled data to assess conservation and storage needs of the museum.

Denver Museum of Natural History, Department of Anthropology, Denver, Colorado, USA

As Project Coordinator, Rhonda Wozniak organized, prepared for, and executed pest eradication of the extensive Native American textile collection.

Rocky Mountain Regional Conservation Center, Denver, Colorado, USA

As a Pre-Program Aide, Rhonda Wozniak acquired experience in all departments: Art on Paper and Historical Documents; Archaeological, Ethnographic and Fine Art Objects; Paintings; and Textiles. Her additional post as Objects Technician included treatment of Anasazi period artifacts from Mesa Verde, Colorado. 

PUBLICATIONS AND PRESENTATIONS

•Staff Art Handling seminars conducted as Objects Conservator at the Carnegie Museum of Art (1998 - April 2006). 

•Silver Polishing Lecture and Demonstration in conjunction with exhibit. "Tarnished: The Decline of Family Formality" (2005).

•"Conservation of the Chariot of Aurora" presentation for the Carnegie Art Museum Women's Committee (1998). 

•R. Wozniak, "A Place for Miracles," Journal of Titanic International, Inc., Voyage 22 (March 1996).

•R. Wozniak, "Conservation of Artifacts from the RMS Titanic," Lecture for Professionalism in Conservation, State University of New York, College at Buffalo (March 1995).

•I.D. MacLeod and R. Wozniak, "Corrosion and Conservation of Tin and Pewter from Sea Water," Conservation and Metals, James & James (1996). Presented by Dr. Ian MacLeod at ICOM-CC Metals Working Group Conference, Semur-en-Auxois, France, (September 1995).

•I.D. MacLeod and R. Wozniak, ‘Corrosion and Conservation of Lead in Sea Water.’ Presented by Dr. Ian MacLeod at ICOM-CC Metals Working Group Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, (September 1996).

•S. Pennec and R. Wozniak, ‘La Conservation-Restauration de Deux Linoléums de la Maison Pasteur.’  Presented by Stéphane Pennec at ICOM-CC Modern Materials Working Group Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland, (September 1996).  

PROFESSIONAL DEVELPOMENT