US embassy cable - 05LIMA5205

UNCLAS LIMA 005205 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR IIP/G/WHA (CBARONE), INFO WHA/PDA 
(SLEBENS/MDCONNERS/GADAMS/JMONSERRATE), WHA/PD (GGALLEGOS), 
WHA/AND (JMONSERRAT), ECA/P/C (MKOUROUPAS/MMACLEAN) 
 
E.O.12958: N/A 
TAGS: OIIP, PE 
SUBJECT: EVALUATION OF INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, 2005 
 
 
1.Program description: For the third consecutive year, PAS 
sponsored a summer internship program for American conservation 
students at Peruvian museums.  Three highly qualified 
conservation graduate students carried out internships at the 
Machu Picchu Museum in Cusco, the Santa Catalina Monastery 
Museum, and the recently inaugurated Santa Teresa Monastery 
Museum, both in Arequipa. 
 
2.   Time frame: July 1 - August 31. FY05 4Q. 
 
3.   Program Objectives: 
-- Strengthen support for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
to promote and protect Peruvian patrimony signed between the U.S. 
and Peru in 1997 and renewed in 2002, 
--Facilitate short and long-term relationships between Peruvian 
museums and future American professionals, 
-- Strengthen ties between the U.S and Peruvian cultural 
patrimony communities, 
-- Strengthen Embassy ties with key Peruvian museums, 
-- Enable well-qualified graduate students the opportunity to do 
field research in different Peruvian cities, 
--Support Peruvian museums that hold rich art collections. 
 
4.   MPP goal: Democratic Systems and Practices.  This program 
strongly supports the MOU on Cultural Patrimony protection, 
renewed until 2007. 
 
5. Results: During the past three years, results have been 
beneficial for the students and the museum personnel in the 
provincial cities of Cusco, Lambayeque and Arequipa.  Both have 
expressed their gratitude for the possibility of exchanging 
experiences and knowledge and have recognized the tremendous 
amount of work achieved during the two-month internship.  All 
participating museums, among the top 10 in the country, have 
fully strengthened their ties with the U.S. and the Embassy 
staff.  Since its beginning in 2003, the program's major 
accomplishments include the English translation of the Sican 
Museum's script in Lambayeque and the conservation of mural 
painting at Santa Teresa Monastery in Arequipa. 
 
This year, Ms. Kimberly Alfaro helped in the final set-up of the 
Machu Picchu museum's exhibitions including cleaning pre-Hispanic 
objects and placing them in designed cases.  In Arequipa, Ms. 
Blanka Kielb, helped prepare detailed documentation of mural 
paintings in the Santa Teresa's Bethlehem Chapel and together 
with intern Ms. Valerie Gomez, uncovered and conserved the 
original mural painting in the Lower Choir at Santa Catalina.  In 
every case the museum's conservator has closely supervised the 
interns.  Among the long term results, Post is proud to report 
that intern Ms. Kielb has decided to write her dissertation on 
Santa Teresa's Bethlehem Chapel and will return over her holiday 
break to finish the conservation work.  Additionally, Harvard 
Museum Studies graduate program contacted PAS to work on a joint 
internship program. 
 
6. Funding: Perhaps, one of the most advantageous aspects of this 
program is its low cost.  PAS' contribution of approximately 
$3000 covers materials and a small living expenses stipend, while 
the museum provides in-kind support such as housing; finally the 
university or intern covers international transportation and 
health insurance. 
 
7. Name of Program Officer and contact information: Program 
Officer is ACAO Abigail Gonzalez, office phone (51-1) 618-2634, 
fax 434-1299 or 434-0100. Program coordinator is Vanessa Wagner 
de Reyna, 618-2080. 
 
STRUBLE