Christa Gaehde Scholarship

This fund broadly supports members in the study and research of art on paper conservation, which may involve any individual study, attendance at workshops, conferences, or other events, purchase of materials for research projects, or other activities within this scope that take place six weeks to twelve months after the application deadline

Submission Deadline: February 1

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About Christa Gaehde

The Fund honors Christa Gaehde (1922-2002), a pioneer in paper conservation. Christa trained and worked in Germany before leaving in 1949 to become one of the first paper conservators in the United States. She was a founding member and Fellow of AIC, Fellow of IIC, and the first conservator to be elected to the Print Council of America. She co-authored one of the first books on paper conservation, A Guide to the Collecting and Care of Original Prints, in 1965. Christa served on the Board of Examiners for Certification from 1980 – 1983 and was a strong supporter of setting standards of practice for the profession.

During the sixty years of her career, Christa was renowned for the subtle finish of her work, which included sophisticated bleaching and repair techniques. She was keenly interested in the impact of conservation on the appearance of artwork and concerned about the long-term effects of treatment long before this topic acquired general interest in the field. The quality of her work was recognized by curators, collectors, dealers, and auction houses both in the United States and Europe. To many colleagues, students, and interns with whom she generously and unassumingly shared her knowledge, she was a true mentor and role model. In 2000 she received the Sheldon and Caroline Keck Award in recognition of her contribution to the education and training of conservators.

Review Process

A committee will review applications and make a recommendation to the Foundation's Board of Directors for final approval.

• They award individual grants to $1,500, depending on annual earnings on the endowment and the number of applicants in any given year.
• They will notify successful applicants six to eight weeks after the deadline. 
• They review applications using the guidelines below and an established evaluation rubric based on the criteria for review.

Criteria for Review

• Status as current member of AIC
• Usefulness of project to the applicant and/or the conservation field
• Qualifications of applicant to conduct project
• Plan to disseminate outcomes of project (publication, teaching, presentations, etc.)
• Appropriateness of budget; financial need may be considered
• Completeness of application

Application Process

The online form will take you through the application. You will be asked to provide the following information:

1. Applicant information (name and contact information, resume/CV, etc.)
2. Project information (description of the project and how it will help you advance professionally)
3. References
4. Budget information (project costs and support) 

Applicants can save their application and return later to complete it. When they are satisfied with their responses, they can click “save and finalize” to submit their application. Once they submit their application, they cannot return to edit the form.

Final Report

In order to remain eligible for future funding, applicants must submit a final report within 30 days of the completion of the project to funding@culturalheritage.org

The report must include:

• a 500 - 1,000 word narrative
• at least two images
• a final budget summarizing the expenses and sources of revenue

We may publish reports in full or in part, including posting on our website.