
Cultural Resource Management
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Contact Details
Summary
Museum professional with wide-ranging experience as a museum administrator, project manager, collections lead, registrar, and researcher collaborating with cultural institutions and contract curators to manage tasks including exhibition planning, design and installation. Collections management experience includes donor relations, records management, documentation and database management, preventative conservation and storage.
Specialties: Material Culture; Decorative Arts; Artifact Curation; Preservation Studies; Curatorial Research; Project Development/Management
Education
1999| Cambridge University-Egyptology
2002-2006| Clark University- Art History & Archaeology
2006-2007| Harvard Extension School Museum Studies-transferred
2007-2011| formally Corcoran College of Art + Design/ George Washington University Decorative Arts & Design History
2012- Georgetown Continuing Education| New Media Strategy for Government Use
2015| Bucks County Community College- Historic Preservation
2017| Purchase College- ASA Intensive Personal Property Appraisal & Connoisseurship
Experience
Amanda Asmus joined Artex Fine Art as an Art Handler in October 2015. She works closely with Private Collectors, Gallery Collection Managers, Senior Curators and Engineers on Special Projects, including research, estimates, inventory management, inspection/condition assessments, and material analysis and handling/transportation.
Before joining Artex, she worked as a preservationist and a Decorative Arts and Digital Humanities generalist in Philadelphia, PA, working closely with regional park planners and visitor experience place making leaders. The majority of her work included facility assessment, geographic information surveys, on-site documentation and interpretation. At the Barnes Foundation she assisted with Visitor Experience and institutional memory research of Barnes Philosophy and Violette De Mazia Informed Perception Art Theory. She was awarded an EPA grant (2014) to study LEED v4 and BPI New Construction for energy efficiency and disaster planning, for her project-specific historical and archival goals- accomplishments.
Amanda holds a BA in both Art History and Archaeology from Clark University (2006). She graduated with distinction for her Masters in 19th century studies and Material Culture, Furniture and Interior Design studies in her Decorative Arts terminal degree program. Amanda interned at National Trust for Historic Preservation and National Park Service properties, she worked closely with curators and focused on period room installations, antiquities, and historic preservation.
Material Handler
Artex Fine Art Services – Hyattsville, MD
September 2015 to Present
Installing/de-installing art works and antiques in galleries, museums, art fairs, and private homes. Assists with as needed collections with a variety of conditions, values, and handling requirements. Specialist house removals, packing and reinstating. Based on special assignments, works with master plans, feasibility projects to complete final proposals. Insures the safe housing, Errors and Omissions Insurance, creating storage mounts, packing, and documenting object’s movement. Recommends improvements in schematics and equipment needs. Reviews and augments documentation using paper, automated and institutional records management systems. (Oracle, Adobe, FileMaker Pro, AutoDesk Revit, and SharePoint)
Freelance Historian & LEED GA
July 2015 to Ongoing
Technical consulting on repairs, restoring interiors, window replacement, and foundation stabilization as subcontractor and CRM’s deems necessary. Offers technical drafting, reviewing the existing building history and renovations. Provides quick research on historic designation Section 106/110, Phase IA, and HABS/HAER research. (15 hour USPAP and CITES) compliant Freelance contents appraiser for fair market value and insurance value.
SalesForce Representative and Visitor Services Ambassador
Barnes Foundation
April 2014 to July 2015
Worked directly with Education and Visitor Service staff, acted as contact for daily procedures, interacting with 350+ visitors daily, instrumental in task force talks. Created membership contracts, purchase orders, and corresponded with guests to resolve any issues and assure client satisfaction. Met with staff and De Mazia students to view facilities and conducted gallery discussions including separate University presentations for temporary exhibits and living artists.
Special Projects Office Manager and GIS Specialist
Washington College
February 2013 to January 2014
Utilized knowledge of mapping, social networks, digital strategies to retrieve asset and grant information for department, research, and investor funding. Worked with the Office Manager, and the Crime Mapping and C.V. Starr History Center leadership to manage project teams to increase program visibility. Provided public relations reviewing current marketing and PR strategies and offered unique solutions. Results yielded 6 concept user centered multimedia projects supporting a 1.3 M STEM lab. Led interactive design teams that addressed virtual preservation strategies for training, demos and wayfinding. Assets associated with electronic records were modeled in (CAD; 3DS Max, XML, and Shapefiles) within cloud based technology.
Facilities Manager and Technical Writer
National Parks Service – Washington, DC
February 2012 to April 2013
Contracted on temporary basis through Pathways to provide technical advisement and increased efficiency for the Federal Assets Management software. Involved with full life cycle utilization of the program created instructional monitoring of government content flow Post- BAH lean process audit. Assigned tradesmen, verified labor and equipment data, and consolidated required data for 15 park locations. Prepared weekly facilities and maintenance reports that identified discrepancies to supervisors. Acted as in-house (SharePoint) administrator to Cultural Resources and Public Relations divisions, beta tester during migration to Google release. Recommended possible additions, features, and user friendly additions. Based on an immediate need detail, provided support on transaction government MOU, MOA, and General Agreements.
Research and Digital Asset Management Associate
Smithsonian Institution – Washington, DC
January 2009 to December 2012
Supported Curatorial staff and Innovation lead, contributed to public programming offered through Behind the Scenes programs, presented in-service practicum’s and docent interactive workshops on museum collections focused on mobilizing divisions. Maintained all legacy files for oral history archive and traveled to film locations to interview participants. Within the newly created Mobile Division, researched and authored wiki pages and micro blogs for content pages highlighting partnerships, mobile apps, grant programs, and exhibits. While a fellow, edited publications, assembled research literature and reports for work study projects. With supervisory assistance created an improved facility standards training program for graduate students. Continued to stay involved and expanded contact with multi-discipline researchers to execute custom timelines, budget, proposals, and travel assistance for Challenge Grant funding.
Auction & Gallery Assistant
Private Mid Century Modern Gallery, Boston, MA
September 2002- August 2007
Researched, evaluated, described, conditioned, and photographed single owner collections for themed auctions, including twice yearly Mid Century Modern and Continental Collections. Wrote catalog entries for decorative arts merchandise. Systematized packing and shipping for rare book auctions. Prepared pre-auction property listings for decorative arts, rare book, and collector series consignors.
Assisted with intake of consigned merchandise. Used RFC auction management software to manage inventory and client information. Processed absentee and phone bids. Imported online bids and invoiced successful bidders; collected payments. Reconciled consignor statements, applied fees and expenses. Provided answers and information to new buyers and sellers; scheduled evaluation appointments & merchandise pick-ups. Performed basic administrative duties including phone answering, filing, faxing, greeting customer.
RELATED EXPERIENCE AND KEY OUTPUT FOR INDEPENDENT WORK
NASM Feasibility Plan Move Contract, Preparation of collection protection in place multiple phase move
Patent Model Collection Move Contract, Preparation of collection move from private home to museum
Scheduled Water Damage Museum quality European Porcelain collection, photographed and inventoried collection
Speed Museum Reinstallation after renovation, reinstalled contemporary painting, photography, sculpture
Bible Museum, Washington DC, active construction site worked with Head Registrar and Engineer on installing in galleries, also assisted with mounts making and welding on exhibition displays
Strategic Tourism Trail Plan, City of Baltimore, Preparation of environmental design plan as part of a Crime Prevention Initiative through Windsor Hill Park Improvements
Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Apprenticeship, Gettysburg PA, Gorlach House, brick and timber stabilization, repointing brick, replacing summer beams, and removal of outbuildings and old French storm drain systems demolition
Eckley Mining Camp, Historical Research for Historic Structures and Tenant properties rehabs, Determination of Eligibility, repaired old sash windows and siding
Energy Coordinating Agency, Building Energy Analyst, “house as a system theory” Mold Remediation, CO Testing, and Weatherization
Saving Places Phase 1A Feasibility Study on The National and Elfreth’s Alley, Community Archaeology and Research, completed renovations 2017
Historic Greenbelt Planning Study, Greenbelt Maryland, Evaluation, includes monthly inventory cycle counts and planning for museum and exhibit expansion
Ivy land Railroad Needs Assessment in Publicly owned Historic Building, Field Survey and Report Preparation
History of Fairmount Parks WPA Projects, State of Pennsylvania Regional Parks and Planning Architectural drawing archive work
Pluckemin Artillery Cantonment, Jacobus Vandeever House and Friends, Historical Research on Archaeology, Exhibit Planning, Transcript Development and 3D model programming and individual assets for museum facility proposal plan
Washington’s World, Mount Vernon, Text Development and historic mapping document migration program for Washington’s letters and the Anniversary of Washington’s Atlas, a toponomy of Washington’s Army traveled places
Campbell Foundation GIS survey on Chesapeake Bay Storm Water research, zip code and survey instruments
Reclaiming Water Anacostia Community Museum survey of congregation, field survey and report preparation
Corcoran Gallery of Art, Label writing and visitor engagement research with Harris Schtell, published white paper Smithsonian Mobile App Division, ITunesU Top 10 Downloaded App Clara Barton Historic Site, National Park Service, Historical Research
Woodrow Wilson House, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Historical Research, object cleaning, and drafted Housekeeping manual following standards
Alexandria Black History Museum, Historic Research and Database entry
Sumpter Priddy II Inc, Historic Research and Bibliography
Sturgeon House, Fairfield PA, Historic Research and Designation
Baldwin Reynolds House, Meadville, PA, Historic Research and First Person Interpreter and Tour Guide
Skills
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Past Perfect
- The Museum System
- Mimsy XG
- Auction Flex
- Internet Bidding Platforms
- Domestic & International Shipping
- Digital Photography and Programming
- Publishing (formatting, editing and printing catalogs/journals)
- Able to life 50 +, use ladders, operate lifts, set dollys, drive heavy machinery (scissor, sculpture, boom lifts and straight trucks)
Specialties
- Appraiser, Art Handling, Assets Management, Collections Management, Database management, Facilities Care
Groups & Associations
- Appraiser, Art Handling, Assets Management, Collections Management, Database management, Facilities Care
Spoken Languages
- Basic French, German (Limited Working Proficiency)