Adam Fortais

Art and cultural heritage materials are exposed to a number of pollutants including UV light, mold growth, temperature/humidity changes, or gas pollutants that can potentially ruin the pieces over time. Fortunately, these materials remain conserved through the expertise of art conservation scientists. Kay McCallum, a 2nd year PhD student in the Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology, is researching how art materials (i.e., acrylic paints) interact with the environment (i.e., light) to ultimately understand how to better protect and conserve cultural heritage materials. Tune in to learn about how Kay blurs the lines between art and science through the techniques they use in the lab, their passion for wanting people to interact with cultural heritage materials in a sustainable and equitable way, and their bookbinding hobby! Follow Kay on twitter here If you want to e-mail Kay, you can do so here: mccalk7@mcmaster.ca