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ONLINE FORUM

Welcome to the IMF Online Forum! 
The easiest way to connect with your fellow Mountmakers!

Archived topics are available to anyone - but we encourage you to create a Login, which allow you to post new topics, as well as receiving notification of new posts from other contributors.

  

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The Topic categories have now changed to Groups- to follow or post to a specific group, click Join for that category.

Once you have joined a group, you will be able to post to that group and will receive updates to new postings.  Join as many as many topic groups as you would like!

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We look forward to your participation!

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View groups and posts below.


This post is from a suggested group

Career Opportunity Museum Preparator - Museum - SFO (3520) - Part time/On call

Established in 1980 by the Airport Commission, SFO Museum’s mission is to delight, engage, and inspire a global audience with programming on a broad range of subjects; to collect, preserve, interpret, and share the history of commercial aviation; and to enrich the public experience at San Francisco International Airport. The Museum has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1999 and retains the distinction of being the only accredited museum in an airport. The Museum operates more than twenty-five sites throughout the Airport terminals, including fourteen galleries that exhibit a rotating schedule of art, history, photography, science, and cultural exhibitions. Among the sites is the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library and Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum, which houses a permanent collection of more than 150,000 objects related to the history of commercial aviation. For additional information about SFO Museum, please visit https://www.sfomuseum.org/


For more information and how to…


67 Views

This post is from a suggested group

Bumpons?

Hello Fellow Mountmakers!


We are currently working on a project that requires some clear bumpons/bumpers. I have some 3M Bumpons (ITEM# 3MBMPLG) that are about 1/18" thin and 1/2" dia. and will be Oddy tested since the AIC wiki has it listed but it's from 2017 - fingers crossed!


My question is if anyone has a lead on any alternatives besides me making a bunch of sylgard and punching dots? The AIC Wiki reports that it didn't test well by 'BKM' but an alternative was found (and of course not listed). I know that my current research has led me to the following - 3M BUMPON PRODUCTS so I'm looking up the acrylic ones now.


Any help is appreciated,

149 Views
Azeem
Azeem
Jan 13

Weddings are memorable occasions, and choosing the right outfit plays a big role in that experience. Searching for wedding dresses near me online helps save time while offering access to a wider variety of designs. This makes it easier to find something that matches both personal style and event requirements.

This post is from a suggested group

jody hanson
jody hanson

Mountmaking course offerings at Brooklyn Metal Works

Hiya all-


I'm teaching in Brooklyn again this January for a long weekend


Thursday, Jan 22 evening is the opening lecture for the "short course" and the "conservator and conservation/museum studies student course".


The "short course" continues on Friday and Saturday.

The "conservator and conservation/museum studies student course" is conducted on Sunday. This course covers working without a workshop and how to work with mountmakers. We will touch on insurance and contracting.


I'm happy to answer any questions that you have about these offerings.


421 Views

Nice article — good to see coverage on when to choose a premium luxury car service.

This post is from a suggested group

Insurance for freelancers?

Hi all,

I have a time sensitive question about insurance, and any advice is appreciated!


I’m just starting out in mountmaking, and I’ve taken a few freelance jobs doing acrylic book cradles. I was covered by the last place I worked, but now I’m getting more requests from private clients (which is awesome!) but I don’t really make enough yet to justify a yearly insurance policy of ~$600.


I have some requests for jobs in the next few months, so I need to get coverage fairly quickly.

Does anyone know of a project-based insurance solution for this? I know other types of jobs have event insurance, but obviously mountmaking requires a level of coverage and it’s super specific.

(Right now I’m only doing acrylic, and only working on site, not at my home/studio, so at least that’s not an issue)


295 Views
Elizabeth Smith
Elizabeth Smith
Dec 16, 2025

For those seeking an Expert CFO Advisory near me, I can confidently say this company delivers exceptional results.

This post is from a suggested group

Senior Mountmaker, Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation, J.Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum seeks a qualified Senior Mountmaker to join the Department of Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation located at the Getty Center. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in museum mountmaking and exhibition installation with experience in designing mounts for a diverse collection ranging in scale from small jewelry to monumental sculptures. Preference will be given to applicants who are proficient in seismic mountmaking and have an interest in advancing knowledge and practices in this field.


For more information and to apply please refer to the following link: Senior Mountmaker, Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation in Los Angeles, California | Careers at Getty

383 Views
Joeske
Joeske
Dec 10, 2025

I realise I might have missed the deadline, but I cannot find the vacancy on the website. Is this vacancy still open to apply for?

This post is from a suggested group

The Next Generation of Mountmakers

Lately in conversations with colleagues as well as new mountmakers a familiar subject comes up. As older master mountmakers are beginning to retire and step away from institutions and independent businesses, who is replacing them? Does this new generation have access to real and meaningful training to become master mountmakers?


This was also a problem for me coming up 20 years ago. Seeking out classes or books in a relative void. Benchmark would have a class every 4-5 years it seemed. Literature was laughably sparce, or 30 years outdated. I've even experienced my fair share of gatekeeping. Gross.


When talking to beginners the last few weeks, I hear the same complaints that I had 20 years ago. Recent searches for a master mountmaker that can do independent traveling gigs has bore such little fruit I'm officially being proactive about this gulf.


Before I begin to solidify fixes, I REALLY want…


276 Views
James Gielow
James Gielow
Dec 30, 2025

Hi Eric. Yeah, I can definitely appreciate that. Coming from a museum, I was able to chip away at training for 16 years on their dime. Although I've had my share of unpaid "portfolio building" situations in the photography field when I was younger. And that sucked.


The perfect scenario you describe would obviously be optimal for you, but for me as a sole proprietor those situations would few and far in between. When I hire a second mountmaker, it's almost always because I need someone fast and experienced. It's a bit of a Catch-22.


Regardless, it has been on my mind. How to make this a practical (and lucrative) situation for everyone. There are sometimes projects that are a little more relaxed schedule wise. From those rare and few museums that plan ahead. For those projects, I wouldn't mind eating some profits for a good cause.


Cheers,

James

This post is from a suggested group

IMF 2026?

Hi all, long time lurker here. Forever grateful that this safe space exists for all us wayward mount makers scattered around the world. IMF has kept me in touch, informed and motivated whenever toiling away in my dark, little corner of the museum.


My question, is there any update to the Who/What/Where the next IMF Conference will be?


Aloha

Jason

282 Views
bjfarrar
Nov 05, 2025

Hey Jason, Great question- we hope to announce conference details soon!

This post is from a suggested group

Mount makers needed in Western Michigan

Is there anyone out there that can build mounts on an as needed basis?

241 Views

This post is from a suggested group

Contract Mountmaking Opportunity


Hello-


The Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum is looking to engage a contract mount maker to support mount making for an exhibition currently slated to open in February (date likely to change once the government re-opens). The RFQ and Statement of Work are attached to this note. Feel free to email me at baracks@si.edu with questions.


Thank you,

Sarah Barack


Head of Conservation, Senior Objects Conservator

232 Views
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