Buffalo State College

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    18997 research outputs found

    An Examination of the Visual and Textual Influences on the Anthology of American Folk Music

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    The Anthology of American Folk Music is a collection of eight-four selections of southern vernacular recordings made for commercial record labels in the 1920s and 1930s and assembled into a unified collage by Harry Smith. Smith was an experimental filmmaker, painter, and self-taught anthropologist with a deep interest in renaissance hermeticism and mysticism who worked with Moe Asch in 1952 to release the six-record set and accompanying handbook on Folkways Records. The release was heralded by musicians and critics as an essential piece of influence on the folk music revival. Despite this, the Anthology sold poorly and quickly faced legal troubles for its unique interpretation of copyright law, making its ascent into a position of canonical significance puzzling. The work at hand establishes a partial biography of Smith as it relates to the assemblage and creation of the Anthology with particular attention to the visual and textual influences Smith brought to bear on his musical and cultural collage. Embedded in various avant-garde, literary, and occult circles alongside a deep study of mysticism and anthropology, Harry Smith wove together a patchwork of intellectual pursuits in his reimagining of the folk music tradition that was the Anthology. This work seeks to situate Smith within numerous currents while linking them to aspects of collage, particularly the renaissance cover art, detailed thematic index of correspondences within the handbook, and references to occult philosophers, renaissance alchemists, and founders of modern anthropology

    Nineteen Figures and Counting: Contextualization and Conservation Treatment of a Jacob Spoel Painting

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    This study focuses on the research, technical analysis, and treatment of an 1852 Jacob Spoel painting (Untitled, acc.62.28, 80cm H x 105cm W x 1.75cm D) owned by the Memorial Art Gallery and described as a ‘family gathering.’ When received by the department, the painting was not in a fit state for display; it was not structurally sound and had a disfiguring varnish reducing the readability of the composition. Technical research, multimodal imaging, radiography, and instrumental analysis, including x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, cross-sectional analysis, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, were carried out to understand the materials and techniques used by the artist. Results played a part in shaping the treatment strategy, and the painting was successfully stabilized and returned to a suitable condition for exhibition

    Christ Child Bearing the Instruments of the Passion Technical Study and Treatment of a Painting on Copper from the Viceroyalty of Peru

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    Christ Child Bearing the Instruments of the Passion (acc.# 228017) is a 17th century Peruvian Viceregal painting on copper belonging to the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Art Foundation. The painting depicts the Christ Child on a flower laid path as he carries the instruments of the passion also known as the Arma Christi Paintings executed on copper convey new and challenging preservation issues based on their materials and techniques.. The work had been heavily restored and exhibited several condition issues, including significant overpaint and broad losses. The painting was photographed using multimodal imaging techniques as well as reflectance transformation imaging and multispectral imaging. Analytical techniques including Raman, reflected FTIR, and scanning XRF were performed to better understand the painting’s materials and history. The palette was consistent with historical materials of the region and the period, and indicated the use of earth colors, vermillion, lamp black, lead white, and azurite. Finally, conservation treatments were undertaken to reduce the previous overpaint and improve the aesthetic legibility. The treatment was successful and restored unity to the composition

    Not So Cavalier: Technical Study and Conservation Treatment of a Potential 17th Century Anglo-Dutch Military Portrait Painting

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    A potential 17th century Anglo-Dutch military portrait painting from the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York arrived at the Garman Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State University for conservation research and treatment in 2022. The painting’s title, date, and artist were unknown and the subject was initially referred to as a “17th Century Dutch Cavalier.” Little information existed on the provenance and history of the artwork. The painting was in a state of structural instability and aesthetic disfigurement and showed evidence of a past restoration campaign. This master’s project attempted to broadly contextualize the painting and interpret where it might fit into the body of 17th century Dutch and Anglo-Dutch portraiture. Technical analysis was completed in conjunction with a full conservation treatment which improved the overall structural integrity and visual appearance of the artwork

    Technical study and conservation treatment of a Victorian-era taxidermy bird group

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    During the Victorian era, taxidermy objects played the roles of educational tools, decoration, and personal adornment. The object at the center of this paper falls into the second category: decoration. It is a taxidermy bird life group, made up of six bird specimens, papier mâché rockwork, and dried plant material mounted on and around a faux tree armature. Owned by the Buffalo Museum of Science, it came to the Garman Art Conservation Department at Buffalo State University with no provenance record or attributions to a known maker. Two goals were developed at the onset of this project: to flesh out information on the maker or manufacturer of this object based on evidence gleaned from examination and material analysis, and to design an interventive conservation approach that would leave this object stabilized and aesthetically improved while retaining the character cherished by the culture that produced it. The analysis involved XRF and FTIR spectroscopy of the bird specimens, pigments, adhesives, and papier mâché, as well as polarized light microscopy of the pigments. Results of analysis were compared against 19th century taxidermy manuals, and observations from examination were compared against similar objects found in other collections and in auction listings online. The bird and plant species were researched and tentatively identified with the help of botany and ornithology experts. All of this research pointed toward the bird group being of commercially made origin, a class of object which has been rarely studied, and rarely documented in conservation literature. A conservation treatment was designed by pulling methods and approaches from published resources on the components present in this object. Conservation literature regarding taxidermy specimens, feathers, plant material, and painted surfaces was consulted in order to arrive at the proposed intervention for this object, with some experimental techniques on the consolidation of plant material employed as well

    The Reveal: A Technical Study and Conservation Treatment of an Overpaint Portrait

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    A severely damaged 19th-century oil painting depicting a portrait of a woman was treated at Patricia H. and E. Garman Art Conservation Department. A typed letter provided by the owner mentioned that it has been previously restored yet returned with unsatisfactory results. After further examination, the painting appeared to have been previously treated multiple times by different people. There was overpaint distinctly present on the face and later discovered to be present overall. The full state of condition of the painting was initially unknown due to the sum of the surface being overpainted. However, there were evidence of paint loss and abrasions in areas where the overpaint was previously removed. The main goal of the treatment was to determine a suitable conservation method to safely remove/reduce the extensive overpaint without disturbing the original painting underneath. Scientific materials analysis including cross-section analysis, M-transmission Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microscopy, and x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and multimodal imaging was used to identifying the materials present in the artwork, differentiate the original paint layers from overpaint and help guide the overpaint removal. Historical research was conducted to provide additional context surrounding the woman in the portrait. The treatment was successful and the artwork is now in stable structural condition and improved aesthetical condition

    Frozen in Time: The History of Frozen food in America during the 1940s to 1950s

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    Frozen foods are a powerhouse when it comes to the food industry. In 2020 Frozen foods registered $65.1 billion in US retail sales, which marked a 21% increase when compared to the previous year. Frozen foods have always been big and popular, and they are available in most stores around the world. The history of frozen foods can explain how they became a powerhouse in the present day. Frozen foods history started with the Clarence Birdseye. Clarence Birdseye is considered the founder of the modern frozen food industry; he was able to invent a new way to freeze food. The 1940s and the 50s are when frozen food had the biggest impact on the American food culture

    Smells Like Team Spirit: How to Foster Psychological Safety and Enhance Team Creativity

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    Creativity is one of the most sought-after skills of the 21st century, yet team members may be reticent to contribute to creative problem-solving out of fear of ridicule, retribution, or because of rigid hierarchical team structures. However, psychological safety is the underpinning of creativity; without it a culture of silence prevails, mistakes go unreported, and team creativity languishes. But how do leaders cultivate psychological safety in their teams? This project seeks to answer that question. Although the term “psychological safety” has become common in the corporate lexicon, misconceptions abound. Through the creation of a short, animated video, this project addresses these common misconceptions and introduces ways in which leaders can cultivate psychological safety in their teams. Key learnings include the popular understanding of psychological safety, script writing and animated video creation, and tools for leaders. Future creative possibilities are also discussed

    The Creativity and Humility Guidebook: Fostering a Community Filled with Creativity Through Humility

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    Although an often-under-explored cognitive skill, humility has an important relationship with a person’s creative capacity. Due to its inherent focus on honesty, flexibility, and openness, intellectual humility significantly increases an individual’s problem-solving abilities. This paper will detail the development of The Creativity and Humility Guidebook, which will be used to provide a thorough overview of both creativity and humility to the Roberts Wesleyan University community in order to equip faculty and staff with a fuller understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the two. Due to the turbulent climate of higher education in today’s world, coupled with the countless social, economic, and political issues that plague society, a guidebook that focuses on increasing a university’s creativity through humility comes at a pivotal time in which the clear benefits of creativity training are crucial for success

    Reflecting on and Embracing the Complexity of Literacy Theories in Practice

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    This paper responds to the need to support complexities of literacy instruction by identifying and illustrating teaching strategies used by a practicing special education teacher rooted in a multi-theoretical approach to teaching literacy. We argue the importance of teaching from multiple theoretical standpoints and utilizing student-centered, asset-based approaches to pedagogy, assessment, and learning relating to literacy. We share our multi-theoretical approach to understanding and teaching literacy, defining literacy and its complexities. Then, we illustrate several teaching practices including using growth mindset, implementing asset-based data collection, utilizing feedback, and integrating inquiry-based learning that ultimately supports the cultivation of empowered literacy learners who deem learning as both interesting and valuable. Finally, we discuss tensions and challenges inherent to implementing a multi-theoretical approach. Throughout, we provide reflection points to empower teachers to rely on their agency, self-efficacy, and expertise and to feel capable in their knowledge and agency in an era where teachers are increasingly experiencing deprofessionalization through disempowering factors

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