Patricia Silence
 

Patricia Silence specializes in Preventive Conservation at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, where she serves as the Associate Conservator of Exhibits. She is responsible for the safe handling, display, and storage of artifacts at the Foundation’s four museums: Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Bassett Hall, and Carter’s Grove, as well as collections on loan to other institutions. Patricia works closely with Exhibits, Facilities Maintenance and Collections colleagues to ensure that the environmental conditions are optimum for the wide variety of artifacts in the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation’s collection. Her responsibilities include review and approval of materials for mount making, exhibit cases, treatment for museum pests and packing for transport.

Prior to joining the staff at Colonial Williamsburg in 1999, Patricia was a Textile Conservator at the American Textile History Museum in Lowell Massachusetts, treating a wide variety of textiles and preparing them for exhibition. She has taught workshops on Mannequin Construction as well as Packing and Moving Textile Collections. From 1991-1994 she was a member of the Objects Conservation department at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. Patricia is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation, and serves on the Health and Safety Committee of that organization.