Join us for breakfast and a conversation with Dr. Elena Carrara, Associate Research Curator with The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s (The Met’s) Department of Scientific Research. Her talk explores how scientific analysis deepens our understanding of museum collections, revealing hidden histories and shaping new narratives. An open discussion will follow.

This public event kicks off a multi-day collaboration between The Met’s Department of Scientific Research, the Center of Southwest Studies, and Fort Lewis College’s Chemistry Department as part of The Met’s Scientific Research Partnerships program. Funded by generous grants from the Mellon Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this initiative is designed to explore materials and techniques used in art across cultures and time to deepen understanding, appreciation, and preservation of museum collections. From June 30 to July 2, we will conduct non-invasive XRF analysis on textiles from the Center’s collections, laying the groundwork for future student research and ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration.