Rogala, Dawn V.
Program Manager / Conservation Team Lead
Rogala, Dawn V.
Program Manager / Conservation Team Lead
Dr. Rogala is a paintings conservator, program manager, and conservation team lead at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute (MCI). She studies and conserves paintings and painted objects at the Smithsonian and affiliate institutions and creates and oversees a range of MCI programs in cultural heritage protection, provenance research, and anti-trafficking, including in-person and online training workshops for federal law enforcement, developed in collaboration with multiple Smithsonian units and federal agency partners. She has worked with national collections in the U.S. and around the world and authored papers and books on art technique, materials behavior, paint analysis, and research methodology.
Background And Education
Education And Training
- Ph.D. in Preservation Studies, University of Delaware , Preservation Studies Program 2009 - 2014
- M.A.C. Masters in Art Conservation in Paintings Conservation, Buffalo State College, State University of New York , Art Conservation 2003 - 2006
- B.F.A. in graphic design, art history minor, Boston University , School of Fine Arts 1984 - 1989
Awards And Honors
- Stuart Thayer Prize, recognizing a superior work of circus history scholarship, conferred by Circus Historical Society, 2021
- Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Award, conferred by Smithsonian Scholarly Studies Awards, 2020
- Publication Grant, for projects that make innovative arguments and original research accessible to as wide a public as possible, conferred by Society for the Preservation of American Modernists, 2013
Research And Grants
Co-principal Investigator On
- Professional Development of U.S. Law Enforcement in the Prevention of Illicit Antiquities Trafficking awarded by U.S. Department of State 2020 - 2024
- Preventing Illicit Trafficking in Antiquities and Other Cultural Property awarded by U.S. Department of State 2022
- Preventing Illicit Trafficking in Antiquities and Other Cultural Property awarded by U.S. Department of State 2021
- Preventing Illicit Trafficking in Antiquities and Other Cultural Property awarded by U.S. Department of State 2020
- Preventing Illicit Trafficking in Antiquities and Other Cultural Property awarded by U.S. Department of State 2019
Investigator On
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Rogala, Dawn and Kavich, Gwenaelle. 2025. "How is paint made?" The Conversation, 2025
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2025. "Looking Back and Looking Forward: Sixty-two Years of Historic Preservation at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute." Preservation Periodical, 4, (1). 2025
- Rogala, Dawn V., Averyt, Katelynn, Johnson, Jessica, Lione, Brian, Flores, Joanne, and Tompkins, William. 2023. "Innovation and adaptation at the Smithsonian Institution in response to changing times and increased need." Journal of the Institute of Conservation, 46, (3) 253–271. https://doi.org/10.1080/19455224.2023.2249973. 2023
- Rogala, Dawn V., Lake, Susan, Maines, Christopher, and Mecklenburg, Marion F. 2010. "Condition Problems Related to Zinc Oxide Underlayers: Examination of Selected Abstract Expressionist Paintings from the Collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution." Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 49, (2) 96–113. https://doi.org/10.1179/019713610804489937. 2010
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Book
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2016. Hans Hofmann: The Artist's Materials. Los Angeles, California: Getty Conservation Institute. Recipient of a publication grant from the Society for the Preservation of American Modernists (2013). 2016
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Chapter
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2019. "Appendix 3: Bibliography of Publications by Marion F. Mecklenburg, Chronological Listing from 1977 to 2017." In The Mechanics of Art Materials and Its Future in Heritage Science. Rogala, Dawn V., DePriest, Paula T., Charola, A. Elena, and Koestler, Robert J., editors. 131–135. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Scholarly Press. In Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation, 10. 2019
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2019. "Everything Old is New Again: Revisiting a Historical Symposium on Zinc Oxide Oil Paint Films." In Metal Soaps in Art: Conservation and Research. Casadio, Francesca, Keune, Katrien, Noble, Petria, van Loon, Annelies, Hendriks, Ella, Centeno, Silvia, and Osmond, Gillian, editors. 317–330. Amsterdam and Amersfoort: Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency. In Cultural Heritage Science. 2019
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2019. "Material Mechanics Research at the Smithsonian Institution." In The Mechanics of Art Materials and Its Future in Heritage Science. Rogala, Dawn V., DePriest, Paula T., Charola, A. Elena, and Koestler, Robert J., editors. 1–12. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Scholarly Press. In Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation, 10. 2019
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2019. "Would You Like that With or Without Mayo? How Interdisciplinary Collaboration Slows the Spread of Popular Misconceptions in Modern Art Scholarship." In The Explicit Material: Inquiries on the Intersection of Academic, Curatorial and Conservation Cultures. Holling, Hanna, Bewer, Francesca, and Ammann, Katharina, editors. 236–252. Leiden, the Netherlands: Koninklijke Brill. In Studies in Art & Materiality. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004396852_011. 2019
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Rogala, Dawn V. 2014. "Hans Hofmann's Last Lesson: A Study of the Artist's Materials in the Last Decade of His Career." In Issues in Contemporary Oil Painting: Postprints from the 41st Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana, May 29-June 1, 2013
. van den Berg, Klaas Jan, Burnstock, Aviva, Keijzer, Matthijs, Krueger, Jay, Learner, Tom, Tagle, Alberto, and de Heydenreich, Gunnar, editors. 127–148. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10100-2_8. 2014 - Maines, Christopher A., Rogala, Dawn V., Lake, Susan, and Mecklenburg, Marion F. 2011. "Deterioration in Abstract Expressionist Paintings: Analysis of Zinc Oxide Paint Layers in Works from the Collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution." In Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology IX; Symposium. Vandiver, P. B., Reedy, C. L., Li, W., and Sil, J. L. R., editors. 275–286. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Materials Research Society. 1319 https://doi.org/10.1557/opl.2011.733. 2011
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2011. "Industrial Literature as a Resource in Modern Materials Conservation: Zinc Oxide House Paint as a Case Study." In Paintings Specialty Group postprints from the American Institute for Conservation 39th Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 31-June 4, 2011. 78–91. 2011
- Rogala, Dawn V., Lake, Susan, Maines, C., and Mecklenburg, Marion F. 2009. "A Closer Look: Condition Issues in Abstract Expressionist Ground Layers." In Paintings Specialty Group postprints from the American Institute for Conservation 37th Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, California, May 21-22, 2009. 41–46. Washington, D.C.: AIC. 2009
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Conference Paper
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2019. "Would You Like That With or Without Mayo? How Interdisciplinary Collaboration Slows the Spread of Popular Misconceptions in Modern Art Scholarship." from Bridging the Gap: Theory and Practice in the Conservation of Contemporary Art. Maastricht, Netherlands: International Network for the Conservation of Contemporary Art. 2019
- Rogala, Dawn V. and Maines, Christopher. 2016. "The Unusual Behavior of Zinc Soaps in Mid-20th-Century Paint Films." from Metal Soaps in Art symposium. Metal Soaps in Art symposium (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) 2016-03-14. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Netherlands Institute for Conservation, Art and Science. 2016
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2013. "Hans Hofmann's Last Lesson: A Study of the Artist's Materials During the Last Decade of His Career." from Paintings Specialty Group postprints from the American Institute for Conservation 41st Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana, May 29-June 1, 2013. 89–90. (Indianapolis, Indiana) 2013-05-29. Washington, D.C.: American Institute for Conservation. 2013
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2009. "A Closer Look: Condition Issues in Abstract Expressionist Ground Layers." from American Institute for Conservation 37th Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, California, May 21-22, 2009. 2009
Editor Of
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Book
- Haberstich, David, Perich, Shannon Thomas, and Rogala, Dawn V., editors. 2020. When the Circus Came to Town! An American Tradition in Photographs. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Scholarly Press. 2020
- Rogala, Dawn V., DePriest, Paula T., Charola, A. Elena, and Koestler, Robert J., editors. 2019. The Mechanics of Art Materials and Its Future in Heritage Science. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Scholarly Press. In Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation, 10. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.11342126.v1. 2019
Presentations
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Presentation
- Rogala, Dawn V., Holford, Elizabeth, and Mahoney, Caitlin. 2025. Collections-based Hazards for Cultural Heritage Rescue [presentation]. SI/FEMA Heritage Emergency Response Training for Native Communities, April 7, 2025. Washington, DC. 2025
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2025. Cultural Heritage Anti-Trafficking Training for U.S. Federal Agencies [presentation]. Association for Research into Crimes against Art 15th Annual Conference, June 22, 2025. Amelia, Italy. 2025
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2025. Preserving the Story: The Fight against Looting and Trafficking of Cultural Heritage [presentation]. SUNY Brockport History Matters seminar series, March 5, 2025. Virtual. 2025
- Rogala, Dawn V., Wegener, Corine, Billeck, William T., and Swift, Jacquetta. 2020. Before, During, and After: U.S. Cultural Heritage Policy Support at the Smithsonian Institution [presentation]. Cultural Heritage Preservation 11th Annual Conference, August 27, 2020. Virtual. 2020
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2023. Cultural Heritage Anti-trafficking Training for Federal Law Enforcement [presentation]. National Conference on Cultural Property Protection. Focusing on Fundamentals: A Culture of Service, September 27, 2023. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution.
- Rogala, Dawn V. and Maines, Christopher. 2010. Deterioration in Abstract Expressionist Paintings: Analysis of Zinc Oxide Paint Layers in Works from the Collection of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution [presentation]. Material Research Society 2010 Fall Meeting, November 29-December 3, 2010. Boston, MA.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2017. Hans Hofmann's Last Lesson: A Study of the Artist's Materials During the Last Decade of His Career [presentation]. Guest Speaker Series, November 7, 2017. Fargo, ND.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2013. Hans Hofmann's Last Lesson: A Study of the Artist's Materials During the Last Decade of His Career [presentation]. Paintings Specialty Group at the American Institute for Conservation 41st Annual Meeting, May 29-June 1, 2013. Indianapolis, IN.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2016. Hans Hofmann's Last Lesson: A Study of the Artist's Materials During the Last Decade of His Career [presentation]. November 8, 2016. Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia: Fine Arts Museum Zanabazar.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2011. Industrial Literature as a Resource in Modern Materials Conservation: Zinc Oxide House Paint as a Case Study [presentation]. From Can to Canvas: Early uses of house paints by Picasso and his contemporaries in the first half of the 20th century, May 25-26, 2011. Marseille, France.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2011. Industrial Literature as a Resource in Modern Materials Conservation: Zinc Oxide House Paint as a Case Study [presentation]. American Institute for Conservation 39th Annual Meeting, May 31-June 4,, 2011. Philadelphia, PA.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2014. Mind the Gap: Recognizing the Material Legacy of Transitional Art Practice [presentation]. Authenticity in Transition: Changing Practices in Art Making and Conservation, Glasgow School of Art, December 1-2, 2014. Glasgow.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2017. Protecting the World’s Cultural Heritage: Identifying and Protecting Looted Artifacts [presentation]. American Institute for Conservation 45th Annual Meeting, May 26-June 2, 2017. Chicago, IL.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2017. Revisiting a Conservator’s Journey: Embracing the Rashomon Effect in Materials Research [presentation]. American Chemical Society 264th National Meeting, August 20-24, 2017. Washington, DC.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2019. Things to Know When Working as a Subject Matter Expert in Cultural Heritage Cases [presentation]. American Research Center in Egypt 70th Annual Meeting, April 12, 2019. Alexandria, VA.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2019. Would You Like That With or Without Mayo? How Interdisciplinary Collaboration Slows the Spread of Popular Misconceptions in Modern Art Scholarship [presentation]. New Approaches in the Conservation of Contemporary Art, March 24, 2019.
- Rogala, Dawn V. 2016. Would You Like That With or Without Mayo? How Interdisciplinary Collaboration Slows the Spread of Popular Misconceptions in Modern Art Scholarship [presentation]. College Art Association 104th Annual Conference, February 3-6, 2016. Washington, DC.
Contact
Location
- Museum Conservation Institute Academic Department
