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ByMarilynMcMahonNewsPressStaffWriter LIFESection
LocalArtConservatorRestoresPaintingsinSantaBarbaraandAroundtheWorld
ThecallcameonaTuesday.CouldScottM.HaskinsflytoLondontoofferhisexpertopiniononwhetheramuralshouldbesavedinabuildingthatwasabouttobedemolished?I
left Santa Barbara thenext day,met with the construction people
inLondononThursday,had themural removed
bySaturday,anddemolitioninthebuildingbeganonMonday,saidMr.Haskins.Themural,whichis6feettalland20feetwideoncanvas,isnowrolledupinaverticalcolumnattheFineArtConservationLaboratories,whereMr.Haskinsisdirectorand
chiefconservator.FACLspecializesinconservationofeaselpaintings,murals,worksofartonpaperandperiodframes.Themuralwasoriginallydone
for the1964WorldsFairinNewYorkCity,andafterwarditendedup
inLondon.Thereissomeflaking,andafterIstabilizeit,cleanthefrontandback,andvarnishit,IllprepareitformountinginanewbuildinginRexburg,Idaho,saidMr.Haskinsduringaninterviewattheunassumingfacilityonaone-blockstreetnearSantaBarbaraHighSchool.
ScottHaskinsisanartconservatorwhoworksonprojectsinhisSantaBarbaralaboratoryandaroundtheworld.Above,amuralonLosAngelesfreewaygetsascrubbingfromMr.Haskins.Attop,Mr.HaskinsvarnishesapaintingatBiolaUniversityinLaMirada.Atright,athisheadquartersinSantaBarbara.
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Projectssuchastheseareallinadaysworkforthesandy-hairedexpertwhoperformsservicesforclientsthroughoutthecountryandworld.Hehasjustreturnedfromatwo-weekprojectinItaly,wherehispassionforartconservationbeganin1975whilestudyingforamastersdegreeatathree-yearpaintingconservationprogramattheItaliangovernmentruncenter,ENAIPinBotticino(Brescia).ThefirstweekIwasthere,Iwasonscaffoldingworkingonamuraldated1365.Itwasinamonasterythatwasbuiltintheyear900.Iwas23yearsoldandthoughtIwastheluckiestguyintheworld,saidthe59yearoldnativeofWhittier.Ayearorsoearlier,hewasastudentatBrighamYoungUniversityinProvo,Utah,whenanarthistoryprofessorsuggestedheconsiderarconservationasacareer.Ihadnoideawhatitwas,butitturnedouttobetheapplicationoftwointerestsIhadsinceIwasachild-artandscience-to
preserve and
restoreart,saidMr.Haskins,whodideightmonthsofpost-graduatework
innorthernItaly
afterearninghismastersdegreein1978.Thatsameyear,hewasofferedafacultypositionatBYUtostartalaboratorythatwouldprovideconservationservicesfortheuniversityartcollectionandthehistoricalcollectionoftheChurchofJesusChristandLatter-daySaints.Althoughit
wasan exciting job,I left BYU in1984to come toSantaBarbarawhen a
groupof privateinvestorsaskedmeto setup
aconservationlabthatwouldattractbusinessnationwide.ItwasonWestGutierrezStreetuntil1986whenitshutdownbecauseoneoftheinvertorswentbankruptandeverything(business)associatedwithhimwasshutdown,Mr.Haskinssaid.RatherthanacceptoffersfromtheLosAngelesMuseumofArtandNationalGalleriesofArtinAustraliaandNewZealand,heestablishedFineArtConservationLaboratories(akaFACL,Inc.)in1986inthesamelocationwhereitistoday.IoptedtostayinSantaBarbarabecauseIwasmarriedandhadfourchildren.Theywereinschool,andwealllikedSantaBarbara,saidMr.Haskins,whosetwodaughtersworkwithhimatthelaboratory.VirginiaPanizzon,35istheheadconservatorandFrancescaRuggeri,31,istheofficemanager.Healsohastwosonandthreestepsons,whosemotherishiswife,DianaSaavedraHaskins.Theblendedfamilyincludeseightgrandchildren.
Mr.ScottHaskinsworksonapaintingathis
FineArtConservationLaboratoriesnearSantaBarbaraHighSchool.
WhenMr.Haskins,wholivesinGoleta,isnotworkingoninternationalprojects,hespendshistimeatthe
locallab,workingonmovableartworkthatissentfromallovertheworld.ThementionofoldmastersremindedMr.Haskinsofafunnyexperiencethathethinksabouteverytimehelooksatasmalliconthathangsjustoutsidehisofficedoor.The12-by-14inchoilonwoodpanelisapictureofChristwithtwocherubs.IgotacallfromamaninLasVegaswhosaidhehadapricelessRussianRenaissanceiconthathewantedmetoevaluate.ItoldhimIwouldchargehim$200tolookatit.Severalweekslater,awhiteRoll-Roycepulledupto
the frontdoor, andauniformedchauffeur steppedout,andcame intothe
labpresentedmewithapackageandleft,notsayingaword.WhenIopenedthepackage,itwastheicon,whichIsawimmediatelywasnotRussian.ItwasItalian.ItwasnotfromtheRenaissance.Thedatewasabout1850anditwasnotpriceless.Itwasworthabout$200.Afterconfirminghisopinionwithanotherartdealer,Mr.Haskinscalledthemanwithhisfindings
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7/31/2019 Art Conservation Feature Newspaper Article on FACL and
Scott M. Haskins
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Hewasfuriousandrefusedtopaymemyfee.Finallyaftermyrepeatedcalls,hetoldmetokeepthepaintingbutwarnedme,IfIfindyouhavesolditatauctionfor$1million,youreadeadman.Hewasserious,butIwasntworriedsaidMr.Haskins.However,thestorydidntendthere.Threeweekslater,hegotacallfromthemansex-wife.Shewantedtohearthewholestoryandthenbeganlaughinghysterically.Shetoldmethatduringtheirbitterdivorcecase,theyhadspentover$100,000fightingovertheirpainting,andshehadlostthefight.Hearingthatithadlittlevaluewassweetvindicationforher.Betweenpealsoflaughter,shekepttellingme,Iloveyou,
I love you, saidMr. Haskins, chuckling. Ifyouwant tohearMr.
Haskins tell the
storyhimself,goonYouTubeandsearchforFightOverArtAssets-APricelessRenaissanceRussianIcon.
MostoftheartworkFACLworksoncomesfromCaliforniaandmostofthoseare
earlyCApaintingsthatwerepaintedbetween1875and1940
Beforeacceptingapiecetorestore,Mr.Haskinsdeterminestheneedsoftheclientandtheneedsofthepaintingsometimes,theyarenotthesame.Aclientmayjustwantaquicksurfacecleanandvarnishbutthepaintingmaybeflakingandneedotherimportantpreservationtreatments,heexplained.Forinstance,wedontpatchripsinpaintings.Toseehisshortvideoonwhy,gotoYouTubeandsearchforHowToFixARippedCanvasbybestartdoc.Afterthisinitialevaluation,Idiscussoptionsandestimateswiththeclient,saidMr.Haskins,whoseminimumfeeis$250.Hislaboratory,whichcovers2,400squarefeet,isequippedwithan8x12footvacuumhottable,alow-pressuresuctiontabletop,polarizingmicroscopeandaboothtosprayvarnish.Weusethemicroscopetoidentifyfakesignatures,pigmentsandpaintingstructure,explainedMr.Haskinsduringatourofthefacility.Thehottableisusedtorelaxcrackinginapainting,andthesuctiontablepullsstainsfromartwork.Alargesprayboothissetuptovarnishoilsandacrylics,thefinalstepintheprocessandonethathasbeendoneforthousandsofyearsaccordingtoMr.Haskins,whoalsoservesasanexpertwitnesswhenthereislitigationinvolvingart-relatedissues.Themostexpensiveassignmentonwhichhehasworkedsofarwas
theFairParkMuralConservationProjectinDallas.Itcost$3millionandtooktwoyearstocomplete,saidMr.Haskins,whowasthechiefconservatorfortheteamof24professionalsandtechnicians.ThemuralsinDallas,whichwerepaintedin
1936 by Italian-American artist Carlo Ciampaglia, were painted out
or covered, in 1942.
TherediscoveryandconservationoftheseimportantworksofartwereundertakenbythecityofDallasaspartofthehistoricalpreservationeffortatFairPark.
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InSantaBarbaraMr.Haskinsworkedwithateamofconservators,techniciansandspecialisttopreparethemuralPortraitofMexicoTodaybyDavidAlfaroSiqueirosforthemovefromLosAngelestoSanta
BarbaraMuseumofArtin2002.Healsohelpedperformtheconservationworkonceitwasinstalledatitsnewsitetotherightofthemuseumentrance.Mr.Haskinsandhistwo-fulltimeartconservators,whichincludehisdaughterandOrianaMontemurro,workon400to500projects-hereandaway-inayearwithhelpofinternsfromUCSB,WestmontCollege,SantaBarbraCityCollageandstudentfromabroad.Ifitsalargeproject,IbringinprofessionalsfromotherpartsoftheUSandtheworld-Italy,Germany,France,etcetera,hesaid.
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The1994earthquakeinNorthridge,whichcausedmajordamage,inspiredMr.Haskinstoaddanotherdimensiontohiscareer-usinghisexpertisetoeducatepeopleaboutwhattheycandotosavetheirvaluablepossessionswhenthereisadisasteroranemergency.Afteranearthquake,Igotacallfromacontactinthearea.Hesaid,Quick,Ineedyoutowriteapamphletonhowtorespondafteranearthquaketosaveyourcollectibles,recalledMr.Haskins.Ittookmeanafternoontowrite,andover500,000copiesofthethebookletweredistributedbythehumanresourcesdepartmentsatBankofAmericaCorp.
Thenextyear,hetookmoretimetowriteHowtoSaveYourStuffFromaDisaster.Thesoftcover,self-publishedbookcost$19.95andisavailableatthewebsite,www.saveyourstuff.com.ChaptersincludePhotographsandNegatives,Ceramics,GlassanOtherObjects,Rugs,TapestriesandOldClothesandSculptureandFurnitureandPaintings,ofcourse.IntheAppendixisinformationaboutSuppliersofPreservationMaterials,InsuranceClaims,BepreparedandEmergencyPhoneNumbers,Quick!ThebookisparticularlyrelevantinSantaBarbarawithitspropensityforearthquakesandbrushfires.Imtryingtoreachouttoallofthecommunitywithanimportantmessagethattoucheseveryfamilyorpersonwhohaspreciouspossessionsorkeepsakes,notonlythosewhocollectorinheritexpensiveart,saidMr.Haskins,smilingasheadded,IguessImanauthornow,too.Email:[email protected]@gmail.comScottM.Haskins
ScottHaskinsandnewsPressreporterMarilynMcMahon
MikeEliason,News-PressPhotosshootingVirginiaPanizzonworkingonapaintingonthehottable.
