Under the direction of Dr. Elizabeth Zarur (third from right, above), nine undergraduate and graduate students in the art department at the New Mexico State University combined their talents in photography, research, web and graphic design. The objective of this course was to gain a better understanding of the art of retablo in a social and historical context, to examine and document the university's collection, and to provide a wider accessibility to these objects through the world wide web. Students broke into groups to photograph the collection, prepare condition reports for further conservation efforts, and build a web site. (photo gallery)

The retablos were photographed using a gray-scale and color-correct markers to establish a baseline for future reproduction needs. The photographs are identified by accession numbers.

Condition reports consisted of eight pages of data. The information included the accession number, subject, size, general condition of the tin panel and a description of the front and back of each piece. The intent of the web site is to motivate scholars, collectors, and people interested in the subject to study the images within their historical context with references to iconography, style, preservation, and restoration.

Students were introduced to conservation issues through meetings with scholars and collectors throughout the state of New Mexico. Over the course of the semester, field trips to conservation labs at the Spanish Colonial Museum in Santa Fe and at the University of New Mexico Museum in Albuquerque offered the students a chance to view their collections and to gain insight into current methodologies of conservation and restoration.

Acknowledgements:
Photography: Dennis Daily, Frank Rimbach, and Terry Wolfe
Condition Reports: Jane Body, Diana First, and Jennifer McManus
Web and Graphic Design: Michael Critz, Mary D. Garibay, and Patricia Steeb