Assistant Conservator
Gantz Family Collections Center
Erin Murphy is a conservator with a special interest in organic and archaeological material conservation. She has specialized in collaborative conservation initiatives with indiginous communities.
Erin joined the Field Museum’s staff in August 2018 as a Mellon Conservator for the renovation of the Native North American Hall, and in 2020 became the Lead project conservator. Erin is currently working as an exhibitions and loans conservator at the museum. Immediately prior to her work for the Field, she served as the Marshall Steel Senior Conservation Intern, Archaeological Collections at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. She completed internships at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in London, The Hirshhorn Museum, the Arizona State Museum, the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, and Chhairo Gompa in Nepal.
Education and Work
MSc, Conservation for Archaeology and Museums, University College London, 2015
MA Principles of Conservation, University College London, 2013
BA Art History and Studio Art, St Olaf College, 2010
Accomplishments
E Murphy & J K Good Bear, ‘Collaborative Conservation: Chaco Canyon’, In The Field: Field Museum Member Magazine, Vol 93, No. 2 Summer 2022.
E Murphy, N Passerotti & S Hornbeck, ‘Dismantling Antiquated Practices at the Field Museum: Stakeholders, Challenges, and Solutions’. Outside Influences 13th North American Textile Conservation Conference (NATCC) October 25 - 29, 2021
Invited Papers and Workshops
J Lee & E Murphy, ‘Collaborating for Water Triage Response at the Ho-Chunk Nation Museum’, Chicago Alliance for Response Kick-off Forum, Chicago History Museum, Chicago, Illinois, June 29, 2022
E Murphy & S Black, ‘New Hall, New Paths: Hall Revisualization Leads to Renovated Practice’, American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, May 2022.
E Murphy, N Passerotti & S Hornbeck, ‘Dismantling Antiquated Practices at the Field Museum: Stakeholders, Challenges, and Solutions’, Outside Influences 13th North American Textile Conservation Conference October 25 - 29, 2021.
E Murphy & N Passerotti, ‘Collaborating with Indigenous Communities to Deinstall the Native North American Hall at the Field Museum’, AIC/SPNHC Joint Virtual Annual Meeting, May 13, 2021
E Murphy, JK Good Bear, N Passerotti, & E Jordan, ‘Caring for Feathers’ Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums (ATALM) workshop presentation, Los Angeles, CA. October, 2019.
N Passerotti, E Jordan, E Murphy & JK Good Bear, ‘Caring for Collections with Mold Growth’ Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums (ATALM) workshop presentation, Los Angeles, CA. October, 2019.
E Murphy, Poster Presentation: ‘SEM Analysis of Metal Threads for the King’s Bed at Knole House, Kent UK’, American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Annual Meeting, Houston, TX. June, 2018.
E Murphy, ‘Decolonization and Conservation of Aboriginal Art and Artifacts’, American Institute for Conservation (AIC) Annual Meeting Pre-session: ‘Whose Cultural Heritage? Whose Conservation Strategy?’ Houston TX. May, 2018.
E Murphy, ‘At the Knife's Edge: Conservation Strategies for Composite Objects, Mid Atlantic Archaeology Conference, VA. March 2018.Zibby Garnett Conservation Travel Grant, October-November 2015, awarded for travel to Chhairo Gompa, Pokhara, Nepal as a conservator to work on Restoration of Nepalese Wall Paintings with Restoration Works Int.