Misia Leonard Scholarship
As we prepare for this year’s IPTW at Historic Fort Snelling in St. Paul, Minnesota, September 11th - 13th, Preservation Trades Network is excited to share the experiences of each of our 2024 recipients who attended last year's IPTW in Savannah, Georgia. The Misia Leonard Scholarship provides financial assistance to individuals eager to immerse themselves in the world of traditional building trades. These firsthand accounts offer a glimpse into the valuable learning and networking opportunities the IPTW provides. For students, apprentices, and emerging professionals passionate about preservation, we encourage you to explore this opportunity and consider applying for the 2025 Misia Leonard Scholarship to attend IPTW 2025 and join in the learning!
For more information on Misia Leonard, and to apply for the scholarship --
CLICK HERE
Recipient Spotlight
Amy Perl
Attending this year’s IPTW was such a wonderful experience! It only happened because I was lucky enough to be selected for the Misia Leonard scholarship, which I was lucky enough to find out about and apply to at the 11th hour. But, as with many things on this journey, I feel like it was meant to be.
I attended IPTW and the memories I made there really stand out.
I am an eclectic soul. One lifetime is not enough time to explore all that I am interested in knowing and doing and seeing, but I’m giving it my best shot. This is why attending IPTW held such appeal. To be able, in one place, to learn about such a wide range of trades and materials was so special.
I was fascinated to hear Innes Drummond talk about stone and hear so many similarities to how my teacher talked about wood… how it has a “grain” (bedding plain) and when freshly quarried emits a “sap” and how when you begin working with it, pretty quickly you can feel how well it is going to cooperate with you. I got to try my hand at it and, like with all trades, you quickly recognize the skill it takes to make it look easy.
Jane Griswold Radocchia’s presentation on daisy wheels was not only an interesting lesson in the history of geometry in the building process, but also allowed the fun, hands-on exercise of creating our own daisy wheels. Talking about cubits and understanding how craftsman could use it to “speak the same language” gave me a better understanding of the methods our predecessors used to create structures of such beauty and strength.
I was thankful to have two presentations in stained glass to enjoy. In Melanie Hendrix’s session I was happy to have my first exposure to the copper foil method of making stained glass. I look forward to trying my hand at this method. I also appreciated getting to know Melanie and hear about the journey she and her husband have been on literally building their own home. It made me feel a little bit braver at the prospect of finding my own major renovation project.
It was a joy to see Rhonda Deeg and hear her presentation on restoring leaded windows. Rhonda is “my” teacher, as she is the master who teaches stained glass at Bob Yapp’s school, so I’d had the pleasure of learning from her twice before. Rhonda is the magical trifecta of being a kind and knowledgeable teacher, an experienced businesswoman with respect and love for the work she does and the glass she works on, as well as bringing the perfect combination of confidence and down-to-earth openness to her work and relationships. I am so lucky to have met Rhonda!
I learned so much from Michiel Broun’s demonstration on linseed oil paint! Being interested in traditional materials and methods, I had heard of linseed oil paint, but didn’t really know much about it and certainly had never used it before. Michiel’s captivating presentation was packed full of information on the history of this paint, the components of linseed oil paint and primer, the manufacturing methods, proper application, when not to use linseed oil paint, proper tools and cleanup, and best practices for paint maintenance. I even got to paint part of a sash for myself and see the amazing coverage you get! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on his book to learn even more about it!
I can’t end without giving a nod to Mae Bowley, the keynote speaker at the conference. Her enthusiasm and passion for the topic of deconstruction, salvage, and reuse was inspiring! We learned about the history of deconstruction, the environmental impacts of our current destructive practices, how we as individuals could help this movement in our own towns, and what progress has been made. I also got some great book references, which always makes me happy. I am so thankful people like Mae are out there fighting the good fight and educating people, but we all have a responsibility to do our part. Being in a group of people who share the same love of preservation and feel the same passion for saving our history and these unbelievably valuable materials was moving and made me feel like part of something bigger.
There are so many presenters and vendors I also spent time with that I haven’t even mentioned yet… timber framing, hardware restoration, decorative plaster, wood stains, window restoration, the list goes on.
I often say to people that the smartest thing I ever did was go into the trades. As someone with multiple liberal arts degrees, I had always had what you might call a “traditional” view toward who goes into the trades. Now that I have entered the trades myself, and particularly this wonderful historic preservation niche, I am so grateful. I have found a second family of kind and knowledgeable people who I know would be happy to help me with questions or offer encouragement whenever I need it. Knowing I am part of a group of people who value the same things I value makes my world a brighter place. Thank you so much, PTN, for awarding me this scholarship and making this experience possible!
