It is with a very heavy heart that I collate these words in tribute to Pieta, who I had known since her early days training in conservation at Cardiff University.
Pieta was dynamic, passionate and motivated, carving a path to professional success. She was warm, witty, irreverent and always a pleasure to catch up with. Her contributions to the sector speak for themselves, as described by colleagues and friends.
Jane Thompson Webb ACR, Birmingham Museums Trust:
“Pieta joined the Staffordshire Hoard project in 2012 as lead conservator. The crowning glory of her time on the project was the creation of the replica Staffordshire Hoard Helmet. This was produced by the Jewellery Industry Innovation Centre but it took many hours of Pieta’s time and much headscratching to understand how some of the elements fitted together. The end result was a stunning helmet that has been on public display ever since."
“At the end of the Staffordshire Hoard project, Pieta set up Drakon Heritage and Conservation with Jenni Butterworth, a friendship forged through working on the hoard. She took up the offer of renting space in the conservation department at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and remained a highly respected and much-loved colleague. She will be greatly missed.”
Sarah Peek ACR, Icon Accreditation Committee:
“Pieta and I worked for many years together on the Icon Accreditation Committee, of which she was Vice Chair. When I think of Pieta in this role, she is the person that always had something relevant and thoughtful to say. She was always totally engaged and informed regarding the candidates she was reading, always their advocate and always had high but fair expectations of the applicants. Pieta was a strong woman, respected and proud to be a conservator.”
Alex Smith, Headland Archaeology:
“Pieta was a towering force in archaeological conservation for many years, and played a pivotal role in the commercial sector, being the ‘go-to’ person for conservation. She was the obvious choice for conservation lead of the new HS2 post-excavation project, dealing with one of the world’s largest archaeological archives. She had thrown herself into the project, visiting our new Leeds store on several occasions, providing vital advice and training to staff and, above all, remaining undaunted and enthusiastic about the complex yet exciting programme ahead. She is hugely missed by us all in the project and in the wider commercial sector.”