MUSEUM WORK

SKILLS

Animal processing

• Skinning (All vertebrates, all sizes from mice to oxen)

  • Highly experienced in restoring severely freezer burned specimens to tannable condition.

• Tanning (Mammals, Fish, Reptiles)

• Bone cleaning via dermestid beetles or maceration

• Taxidermy preparation of skins such as but not limited to shaving skins, degreasing them, stretching them, breaking their fibers,

Skeletal articulation

Mannequins

• Sculpts original mannequins in either soft wrapped body types or sculpture for casting into foam

• Highly experienced in modifying preexisting commercial taxidermy mannequins to change poses & enhance strength as needed.

Woodworking

• Experienced with band saws, table saws, miter saws, and reciprocating saws

• Builds table bases for dioramas, pedestal mounts, and table mounts.

Molds

• Highly experienced in molds of all styles and many materials.

  • Single part molds, two part molds, multi part molds with jackets

  • Experienced in molding & casting delicate materials, models, artifacts, small vertebrates (especially reptiles or amphibians), & some insects as needed.

Materials

• Polyester resin

• Polyurethane resin

• Fiberglass

• Polyurethane foam

• Tin & platinum cure silicones

• Latex rubbers

• Carvable foams

• Upholstery foams

• Long lasting & durable adhesives

• Faux fur both for repair & as total covering

• Vacuum-formed plastic

• Papercraft

J Thompson’s Museum Studio Works & Adjacent

Science as Art Competition - Clemson University - 2014

Kimsey Museum Studio 2007-2017

• Schiele Museum

  • Mammals exhibit

  • Rainforest exhibit

  • Pirates exhibit

  • Restoration and replacement of core exhibits

  • Taxidermy for outreach programs

  • Participation in outreach programs educating on behind-the-scenes work.

• NC Historic Places

  • Latta Plantation

• Historic Brattonsville

  • Processing & mounting of ox & gulf sheep specimens for future exhibits

• North Carolina State Parks & System

  • South Mountains State Park - Complete visitor’s center exhibit

  • Morrow Mountain State Park - Complete visitor’s center exhibit

  • Crowders Mountain State Park - Repair work

  • Raven Rock State Park

  • Jordan Lake State Recreation Area - Complete visitor’s center exhibit

  • Fort Macon State Park - Complete visitor’s center exhibit

• North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

  • Red wolf freestanding mount

  • Various habitat work in the open forest exhibit

• US Fish and Wildlife Service

  • Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

    • Red wolf exhibit in visitor’s center.

• Asheville Arboretum

  • Wicked Plants exhibit - models, dioramas, props, simple animatronic, & sets. Download PDF guide to the exhibit here.

• Private taxidermy services

  • Full body mounts & shoulder mounts of all North American game species for private clients

  • Full body mounts in habitat dioramas of African species

  • Shoulder mounts of various African large game and antelope

  • Full body mounts of all furbearers for private clients

  • Full body freshwater fish mounts

  • Taxidermy restoration & repair; restoring color to faded fur, patching and blending in fur/leather/feathers, sculptural touch ups, paint touch ups, & mild to moderate insect damage treatment.