KALA.01: Colors, Conservation and Communities with Professor Nancy Odegaard

KALA.01: Colors, Conservation and Communities with Professor Nancy Odegaard

by Marlowe Bandem

Denpasar, June 3, 2025

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On May 28, 2025, SAKA Museum launched the inaugural session of its KALA conversation series with a lecture by Professor Nancy Odegaard, titled Colors, Conservation and Communities. A respected figure in cultural heritage conservation, Professor Odegaard spent nearly forty years as a Conservator at the Arizona State Museum while also serving as a faculty member of the School of Anthropology and the Department of Materials Science & Engineering at the University of Arizona. Now serving as Professor Emerita, she continues to research, publish, and collaborate internationally, including her recent experience in Bali, where she explored traditional dyeing and weaving practices.

Despite a full travel schedule, Professor Odegaard made time to speak at SAKA Museum, offering a generous and insightful presentation that bridged scientific conservation with cultural meaning. Her presence helped establish the tone and spirit of KALA, which aims to foster a culture of shared learning, thoughtful exchange, and cross-cultural dialogue.

The event was opened by SAKA Museum Director, Dr. Judith E. Bosnak, who welcomed the audience warmly and emphasized that KALA represents an extension of the museum’s mission to nurture meaningful dialogue, deepen expertise, and encourage collaboration in the field of cultural preservation. She stressed that such initiatives not only enrich institutions, but also empower communities to contribute more actively to the broader cultural ecosystem.

Following the opening, the session was hosted by Saiful Bakhri, MA, SAKA’s conservation consultant and a current PhD candidate in the Conservation of Material Culture PhD Program at UCLA. The auditorium welcomed a diverse audience of museum directors, curators, conservators, artists, and academics from across Bali, all gathered in shared commitment to safeguarding cultural heritage.

In her presentation, Professor Odegaard examined the material and symbolic dimensions of color in conservation work. She explained three widely used color classification systems—Munsell, CIE Chromaticity, and L.A.B.—and discussed how these systems help document and reproduce color accurately across different fields. She also introduced advanced, non-invasive analytical methods such as portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and Micro-Raman spectroscopy, which reveal the elemental and molecular composition of pigments while preserving the integrity of the object under study.

One memorable slide, with a sample labeled only as “202,” displayed a faded patch of pale blue. At first glance, it seemed unremarkable. But further analysis uncovered a complex combination of iron, manganese, copper, and mercury. These elements did not match any known traditional blue pigment, but instead resembled a mixture of Mrs. Stewart’s Liquid Bluing—a common laundry product—and kaolin clay. What appeared to be a simple blue stain turned out to be a small act of repair, rich in resourcefulness and intention. As Professor Odegaard reminded the audience, “What color alone won’t tell you” is often the story of human hands at work behind the object.

She went on to highlight how scientific inquiry is strengthened when paired with indigenous knowledge systems. Traditional dye recipes, the symbolic meaning of certain colors, and the regional sourcing of materials can enrich technical analysis with deeper cultural understanding. For instance, natural dyes like indigo, long used in Balinese weaving, can offer insights into ecology, craftsmanship, and trade when studied in context. Material provenance, she emphasized, is not only about geography but also about relationships; tracing how materials link communities through exchange, migration, and tradition.

The Q&A session brought forth local concerns, particularly about conserving Balinese textiles such as wastra, endek, songket, and gringsing in humid, tropical environments. In response to a question on protecting colors from fading, Professor Odegaard encouraged a shift in perspective. Rather than aiming to freeze objects in a pristine state, she advocated for care that embraces the passage of time. “Don’t be afraid to let them live,” she said, affirming that wear and aging are part of an artifact’s life story. True conservation, she noted, is grounded in research, documentation, and understanding how an object was made, used, and perceived.

Repatriation also emerged as a key topic. Professor Odegaard spoke of its growing importance around the world, emphasizing that returning sacred or ancestral objects is not merely about ownership but about restoring cultural agency. When objects are returned with supporting research and documentation, they enable the revival of traditional practices and reconnect communities with embodied knowledge. Repatriation, she suggested, is a way to sustain living heritage rather than confining it to the past.

The event concluded with reflections from Made Susanta Dwitayana, a cultural advocate and longtime observer of Bali’s creative landscape. He praised the KALA initiative as a platform for shared insight and encouraged SAKA Museum to make these sessions accessible through digital platforms. Similarly, Tantri Arihta Sitepu, SAKA’s Visitor Engagement Manager and the creative force behind the KALA series, expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming programs. The months ahead, she noted, will include conversations on heritage architecture, Balinese calendrical systems, archival film, and classical painting—promising a dynamic range of perspectives and practices.

KALA, which stands for Knowledge, Artistry, Legacy, and Awareness, is envisioned as more than a lecture series. It is a space where cultural memory, scientific discovery, and creative practice come together. As the series unfolds, it invites participants not only to preserve heritage, but to engage with it actively through reflection, dialogue, and collective participation.

Follow the series at www.sakamuseum.org

@sakamuseum

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