Andrew Fearon

Lecturer

afearon@design.upenn.edu

Profile

Biography

MS, University of Pennsylvania Graduate Program in Historic Preservation
BFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Parnham School for Craftsmen in Wood, Dorset, England
Summer Program with University of Illinois School of Architecture
Hunter College, CUNY, Organic Chemistry and Laboratory I &II
McCrone Research Institute, Microscopy for Conservators

Since 1995, Andrew Fearon has worked in the field of conservation encompassing architecture, decorative arts, and archaeological materials. In 2006 he joined the Philadelphia based firm Materials Conservation where he currently serves as Chief Architectural Conservator specializing in wood, architectural finishes, and masonry. Among his completed projects are the exterior finishes of Jefferson’s Monticello, The Rodin Museum Interior Finishes, and Louis Kahn’s Esherick House. Since 2010 he has served as lecturer in wood conservation as part of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate Program in Historic Preservation. He holds a Master of Science degree in Historic Preservation (MSHP'06) from the University of Pennsylvania and has completed the ICCROM Wood Course in Oslo, Norway. Andrew currently serves as board member for APT's Delaware Valley Chapter and Docomomo's Philadelphia Chapter. He is also Vice-President, Director of Advocacy for ICOMOS' Scientific Committee for Wood and is the Chair of The American Institutes for Conservation Architecture Specialty Group (2017).

Work/Research

Society of Architectural Historians, Philadelphia Chapter, 'Reintegrating a Twentieth Century Interior - The Conservation of the Eastern State Penitentiary Synagogue' 2010

World Monuments Fund, Dutch Reform Church, Newburgh, NY, 'Historic Paint Materials and Investigation Workshop' 2010

World Monuments Fund, Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design, Brooklyn, NY 'The Role of the Architectural Conservator' 2009

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Daniel Pabst Study Day, 'Architectural Woodwork of the Lea Library and Bloomfield Moore House' 2008

University of Pennsylvania, HSPV Conservation Seminar: Wood, 'The Conservation of Interior Architectural Woodwork : Case studies 1860-1960' 2008

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Historic Interiors Symposium, 'Parry House Reconstruction' 2006

Press

3/27/09 - Synagogue Restored in Historic Philadelphia Prison, The New York Times

Publications

“A Prison’s Colorful Past: Revealing the Paint History of a Cell at Eastern State Penitentiary” Colors and Textures of the World, London, Archetype Publications 2022

“Experiment in the Desert, The Investigation and Assessment of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Dining Room at Taliesin West”, ICOMOS Wood Committee Symposium, Bilbao, Spain, 2019

“The Buildings of Louis Kahn: Conserving Exterior Wood” Getty Conservation Institute (Expert Meeting Proceedings) 2019

“With the Help of Nature: Kahn, The Wood House and the Culture of Stewardship”, Docomomo Journal 58, 2018

“A Lot Harder Than It Looks: Conservation of a Worst Case Scenario”, ACUA Underwater Archaeology Proceedings, 2017

“Going Grey: Mitigating the Weathering of Wood in the Architecture of Louis Kahn”, AIC/CAC Joint Conference WAG Post Prints, Montreal, 2016

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Annual Meeting, 'Usonian Frank Lloyd Wright: An Evaluation of Coating Products and Surface Treatments for the Exterior Wood of the Pope-Leighey House.' 2012 (anticipated post-script 2013)