Joelle D.J. Wickens

Biography

I am a daughter, sibling, wife, parent, educator, mentor, student, facilitator, organizer, preventive conservator, community conservator, engaged scholar…. Others identify me as disabled. I prefer phrases like, uses a wheelchair to navigate when outside of her home.

At the University of Delaware, I am an assistant professor in the Department of Art Conservation. My current work in sustainable preventive conservation is dedicated to evolving the practice of preventive conservation to place social, economic, and environmental sustainability at its core. Equity and Inclusion in Conservation is the other theme on which I focus my energy, passion and commitment. My scholarship in this area is contributing to the field by developing an understanding of who holds the power and privilege needed to maintain the status quo, who and what has been excluded, and what it will take to include the excluded. The work in both of these areas has come together in the place where I am investing most of my time these days, the Community Conservation Initiative.

I served at the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation Interim Director from August 2023 – August 2024, and the Associate Director of this program from January 2018 – July 2023.

Prior to coming to UD in 2019, I held the position of Preventive Conservator for Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library, and Affiliate Assistant Professor for the University of Delaware. I joined the Winterthur faculty and staff in 2008 as an assistant textile conservator with an interest in preventive conservation. During my time at Winterthur my work evolved. I built on Winterthur’s and the University of Delaware’s already strong preventive conservation practice and teaching. As preventive conservator I directed a team of professionals who develop and implement preventive conservation policies and practices at the institution. This involved oversight of lighting, integrated pest management, storage, interior environmental conditions, housekeeping, storage and display materials testing, advising on facilities projects that impact collection spaces, care in collections training and more. As WUDPAC Associate Director, my responsibilities focused on curriculum oversight and support of student and faculty learning and teaching. I worked with all involved to build a program that trains conservators prepared to address the current needs in conservation as well as unknown changes to come. As Affiliated Assistant Professor I have been responsible for preventive conservation education development and implementation.

This work can only be done in collaboration with those inside and outside the field of conservation. I am always on the lookout for partners in any field and/or any community who have an interest in cultural heritage. Please be in touch so we can explain our work to each other and see what comes of it.

Recent Work

Wickens, J. D. J. 2024. Preventive Conservation: Continuously Defining Itself at the Crossroads of Theory and Practice, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation. 1-13. DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2024.2348924

Wickens, J. D. J. and A. Gupta. 2024. Leveraging Systems Thinking to Dismantle Systemic Racism in Conservation, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 63(4), 259-276. DOI: 10.1080/01971360.2024.23489.03

Wickens, J. D. J. Proactive, Holistic, and Sustainable: Preserving Collections in an Uncertain Future. Public talk at The Getty Center, Los Angele, CA. 14 July 2024.

Furlong, Tim. 2023. VR Headsets Allow UDel Professor in Wheelchair to See Through the Eyes of Her Students. NBC 10 Philadelphia, streamed live on 11 January 2023, https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/tech/vr-headsets-allow-udel-professor-in-wheelchair-to-see-through-the-eyes-of-her-students/3470795/

Wickens, J. D. J., and N. Swanson. www.whatisconservation.com. A platform to facilitate thinking and conversation around two primary questions: Who is a Conservator? What is Conservation? Project launched in May 2021. Ongoing.