User:Mmarley3/sandbox

A mountmaker designs, fabricates, installs, and documents stable structures, or mounts, that support objects while on display or in storage. Mountmakers may either work privately or within a cultural institution (museums, libraries, archives, botanical gardens, etc.), where they are typically part of the conservation, collections, or exhibition department. The key objective of a mountmaker is to ensure that their mounts support and provide stability to the object without hindering the view of the object or damaging it in anyway. Conservation of the object, therefore, is a key goal of a mountmaker and is achieved through the design and materials of the mount.

Responsibilities & duties
The primary responsibility of a mountmaker is to design, fabricate, and install a structure (called mounts, brackets, or armatures) that safely provides form and stability to an object while on exhibit or in storage. Providing form and stability alleviates stress placed on the object, “thereby preventing distortions, creasing, and eventual structural damage.” Additionally, a successful mount will keep objects from moving in the event that the case is bumped or an earthquake. Mounts also allow visitors to view and interpret an object in new and unobtrusive ways; however, the object should be the subject of the viewer's attention, not the mount. So another key aspect of a successful mount is that it allows as much visual access to an object as possible.

There are two basic types of mounts: (1) custom made and fit and (2) generic, stock forms. Custom made mounts are designed and fabricated by a mountmaker to the exact specifications of the object; thus, a mountmaker with at least a basic knowledge of hand-tools is needed. Generic mounts, on the other hand, require only rough measurements of the object so a mountmaker is not necessary. The type and design of each custom mount is determined by the shape of the object, how it will be used (exhibit, storage, etc.), the budget, and the skill of the mountmaker. In terms of use, mountmakers typically confer with curators, designers, and/or art directors to ensure that their vision for the display is fulfilled.

Mountmakers also work “closely with conservators to learn the strengths and weaknesses of the object and to find safe fabrication materials." Common conservation-approved materials are metals, plastics, felt, acid-free buffered tissue paper, and foams such as steel, aluminum, polyethylene foam, and Plexiglas.  After considering which material is best suited for an object, mountmakers then fabricate a mount to the specification of the object using hand-held tools and general shop equipment.  Typical tools used by mountmakers include welders, torches, saws, buffers, and grinders.

Education & Training
Individuals seeking to become a mountmaker must have experience in design, fabricating objects, and a familiarity handling objects. Museums and other cultural institutions may also require a B.A., B.F.A., or a B.S. in fine arts, studio art, conservation, design, or industrial arts. Experience handling objects, effective communication skills, and the ability to work both alone and on a team are also highly desired. Continuing education courses, workshops, and symposiums in mountmaking are available through various cultural institutions, such as the Northern States Conservation Center, the Corcoran College of Art and Design, the Canadian Conservation Institute, and the Field Museum.