ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Wednesday, July 17th, 2013

“Renowned Art Conservator, Scott Haskins, Speaks at the Ojai Valley Museum”

In conjunction with the Ojai Valley Museum’s current exhibition, “Ojai Collects: Selections from Eight Ojai Private Collections,” the museum will host a lecture and book signing by world renowned, Santa Barbara based, painting conservator Scott Haskins. The title of his presentation is “Practical Tips for Collectors – Due Diligence When Buying and Damage Prevention.” A professional associate of the Ojai Valley Museum, Mr. Haskins is the art conservator who restored the Jesse Arms Botke mural sections that are permanently displayed in the Sanctuary Gallery at the museum, and the Irvine Museum of Art that once graced the lounge at The Oaks of Ojai hotel. We are delighted to have him return to share his knowledge about, and passion for, fine art conservation.

Scott Haskins’ childhood attraction to both art and science are happily merged in his professional life as an art conservator specializing in paintings. His passion for this field began in 1975 while studying for a master’s degree through an Italian painting conservation program. He was 23 years old. In 1978 he earned his master’s degree and moved back to the states where he held a faculty position at BYU in Utah, conserving the university’s art and history collections. In 1984, while at BYU, a group of private investors invited him to set up an art conservation lab in Santa Barbara, which he did, calling his new enterprise Fine Art Conservation Laboratories (aka FACL). He works his worldwide projects from this local base.

Scott Haskins established FACL, Santa Barbara, with an expert’s conviction that fine art conservation and restoration are necessary professional services within the art field. He works exclusively on paintings: paintings on walls (murals), paintings on canvas (easel) and art on paper. And, although he might advise on caring for the following, he “does not

restore books, furniture, stained glass windows, old cowboy boots, antique cars, ancient documents, mummies . . . just paintings.” His laboratory provides services to large and small museums, art collectors, government collections, public art maintenance projects, auction houses, historical societies, corporate collections and the world of individuals who inherited paintings.

Mr. Haskins has a blog for collectors at http://www.tipsforartcollectors.org to provide help with art condition and authentication questions, to tell interesting stories about his adventures (like being featured on the season finale of Treasure Detectives) and to help collectors with due diligence when buying.

In addition to painting restoration, Scott Haskins’ FACL provides other services, including analysis of condition/authenticity; art related insurance evaluations – damage assessments; expert witness/legal testimony; and art collection consultations. After the 1994 earthquake in Northridge, Haskins was inspired to add another dimension to his areas of expertise – “to educate people about what they can do to save their valuable possessions when there is a physical disaster such as earthquake, fire or flood.” His soft cover book, “Save Your Stuff From a Disaster,” is a down to earth handbook about protecting and preserving a large array of treasures, including photographs, negatives, compact disks, ceramics, glass, rugs, sculpture, furniture, paintings and other collectables. Haskins will sign and sell his book immediately following his presentation. More about the book can be read at http://www.saveyourstuffblog.com

If you have “things” you collect and “things” you cherish, you should be in the audience on July 26th to learn from an expert on the buying and preserving of “all things collectible.” Seating is limited and reservations are suggested. Please call (805) 640-1390 x 201. OVM members are Free of charge; Non-members are $7 at the door.

The Ojai Valley Museum, established in 1967, is generously supported in part by museum members, private donors, business sponsors and underwriters, the Smith-Hobson Foundation, Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, City of Ojai, Rotary Club of Ojai, and the Ojai Civic Association. http://www.ojaivalleymuseum.org

The museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA. Admission: free for current 2013 members, adults - $5.00, children 6–18 - $1.00 and children 5 and under – free. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m, Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Tours are available by appointment. Free parking is available off Blanche Street at back of museum.

For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 203, e-mail ojaimuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum website at: Ojai Valley Museum.org or find us on Facebook Ojai Valley Museum. Friday, July 26, 20135:30 to 7 p.m.Rotating GalleryFREE to OVM Members$7.00 at door for Non-members

Mr. Haskins can be reached for question or inquires about speaking at your event at 805 564 3438

This same article was published by the Ventura County Star vcstar.com on July 17, 2913

Myrna Cambianica