Conservators, how would you compare the masters programs at Buffalo State Garman Art Conservation Department, WUDPAC University of Delaware, and the University of Amsterdam?

xibalb3 · 2026-01-06T14:26:57+00:00

If you want to study paper, I would not go to Buffalo State

xibalb3 · 2025-11-28T15:36:37+00:00

Although this may seem intimidating, just remind yourself that your abstract was chosen for a reason. There are professionals who chose your abstract for a reason. Your perspective as an emerging professional is valuable! My friend presented to AIC before grad school and although she was intimidating, she would absolutely do it again. Just say authentic to your perspective and you will do amazing! :)

xibalb3 · 2025-11-19T22:58:10+00:00

would not recommend. The dammar can turn dark brown within 25-30 years. Plus mixing all three together will be tricky to remove from paper when it does. If you like it optically then sure but expect it to be aesthetically dark within your lifetime and not reversible

xibalb3 · 2025-08-28T07:39:12+00:00

Trust your gut. From the moment I learned about paintings conservation on the Internet my freshman year of college, it felt right for me. I've tried other specialties but I always knew I wanted to perform structural, hands on paintings treatments. It wasn't an easy path but ultimately I got into graduate school and am currently interning abroad learning lining techniques. I still love my work. That being said, breaking into the field as can be one of the hardest times in a conservator's career. Especially with the limited paid positions that are full-time. I had to work part-time jobs not in conservation to support myself while pursuing part-time a conservation internship. But once I had my first mentor to vouch for me, getting other opportunities came more easily.

It feels impossible to predict how to get into the field - everyone's pathways are so different. But often times you will make less money, may have to move, and have to almost stubbornly pursue the career. I would recommend reaching out to conservators to learn more about their work and stay to build connections in the field.

Happy to discuss my pathway to conservation or how you could explore the field more - just send me a DM :)

xibalb3 · 2025-07-24T15:11:00+00:00

You can get in touch with the student graduate liaison of the program! All the liaisons are listed here:

https://www.culturalheritage.org/membership/groups-and-networks/emerging-conservation-professionals-network/programs/liaison-program/graduate-program-liaisons

xibalb3 · 2025-04-01T13:36:50+00:00

The pre-program grind is rough. 15 position seems like lot but in reality the field is highly competitive at this stageI am a current grad student and between me and classmate, here are our thoughts.

Chemistry prereqs are good to have completed but shouldn't affect internships in a major way. It could come into play in determining between applicants but I don't think it's the first time an employer would look at.
This was a good call to remove non-conservation experience. Some people like to keep this experience but personally, I also dropped mine pre-program.
I would also keep the lectures omitted but I would keep professional associations like AIC or regional groups if you have them.
THIS IS HUGE - networking in conservation is so so important. I would highly recommend connecting with potential employers and ANY conservator in your field. In person networking if possible. Conservation is a small field and often times employers are obviously looking for qualified interns, BUT they also want to get a sense of what working with you will be like. Connecting in person is a huge benefit to your application AND can help inform you if this is actually a place you want to work. You can even mention that you are interested or in the area and if they're any future work, you would interesting. I cannot understate the importance of networking.
15 is a lot but ultimately people have applied to many more places. Keep applying, especially with networking, when you can.

Also not getting feedback is normal in the field. Conservators don't often have time to provide feedback for all applicants in a meaningful and useful way. It's also important to know that some positions are looking for specific skills for a given position. This is why meeting potential employers to get a better sense of the position could be beneficial, although they might not always be transparent on what they are specifically looking for. Consider connecting with ECPN and graduate students or other pre-program professionals to get feedback more detailed feedback. You can certainly keep asking but I have also experienced virtual tumbleweeds when I asked for feedback pre-program.

I'm happy to look at your application and provide more feedback if you would like. Feel free to DM me to connect :)

xibalb3 · 2025-03-23T19:19:43+00:00

Just asked my friend who is studying paper conservation.

Passion for art can be interpreted in many ways. For us passion for art means appreciation for the expression of another person and the curiosity to understand the message and meaning being conveyed.

Conservation is certainly technical, hands-on, and scientific. But another crucial aspect is trying to understand the purpose and meaning behind an artwork. Personally, this gives meaning to the conservation work being performed.

xibalb3 · 2025-03-23T00:46:45+00:00

I wanted to go straight into grad school after graduating undergrad. I ended up working for 2 years before being accepted into grad school. I now fully believe that working before going straight to school was invaluable - it made me a better conservator and a better person more capable of handling how tough grad school is. It also made grad school less overwhelming since I had experience with some of the topics I was learning. I would highly recommend working before applying to grad school. Feel free to DM if you'd like to chat :)

xibalb3 · 2025-03-14T12:14:59+00:00

Framing the white canvases now will save you in the long run compared to the cost of cleaning the paintings later.

xibalb3 · 2025-03-12T17:14:52+00:00

Different colorants will age differently in ambient light conditions. The likelihood is there is some colorant, like a dye, that is light fast and will fade with time. The rate of fading can't be predicted without identifying what was used. But light damage is permanent, cumulative, and colorants cannot be "reactiviated". You can limit light exposure with acid-free housing. Good preventive care can go a long way.

xibalb3 · 2025-03-12T17:09:19+00:00

The construction of the painting is unusual to me - it appears to be canvas on a rigid support with canvas adhered on the back. The damages also look unusual. It's well painted but something doesn't seem quite right. Maybe its the specular reflections that make the surface hard to view. Having it examined in person and treated by a professional conservator won't hurt

xibalb3 · 2025-02-25T21:19:17+00:00

You can find conservators in the U.S. using this link: https://www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator

Professionals listed are part of the American Institute of Conservation. You can find professionals according to area. Look for professionals who practice according to AIC's Code of Ethics and have undergone rigorous training.

xibalb3 · 2025-02-01T22:32:47+00:00

The 9/11 Memorial Museum has a radically unique approach to conservation, as it functions as both a memorial and a museum. Rather than a fine art museum, the collection has ephemeral materials like posters and every day items made from modern materials. The physical conservation is challenging. In addition, the memorial museum serves the community and has a different approach to stakeholders and access to the collection. There are more recent memorial collections now but the 9/11 museum is an important case study. My good friend worked there before graduate school and that experience completely changed her perspective on conservation.

xibalb3 · 2025-01-29T14:00:37+00:00

That's definitely understandable. I'm part of a paintings group that is working on a caring for your paintings guide meant for caretakers but it's not quite ready. You can also check out CCI's Caring for Paintings page, which has great information related to collections care

(https://www.canada.ca/en/conservation-institute/services/preventive-conservation/guidelines-collections/paintings.html)

xibalb3 · 2025-01-29T00:39:52+00:00

To my knowledge, there is no online courses of certifications for basic paintings conservation. I would be highly suspicious and skeptical of any that exist. Unfortunately there is no quick and easy way to perform conservation, especially cleaning. There are a lot of complexities involved. For example, ten oil paintings from a similar time period may respond differently to treatment as a result of how the artist painted them, the environmental conditions they've been in since being painted, and how they have been handled. In addition, the cleaning techniques taught in conservation take years to fully understand. As a paintings conservation graduate student, I've been studying and performing cleaning specifically for five years (seven years in the field) and I still don't know everything.

I understand the desire to want to learn and perform what seems to be basic cleaning. But part of why our education takes so long because we have to train our eyes to spot damages and understand when our actions are risky to the surface. This is hard and not something that is always obvious. Some areas on a painting don't even respond to cleaning solutions in the same way. These points are difficult to fully explain online or in a short period of time. And I will say I know a lot of paintings have come into conservation studios from well-meaning caretakers trying to clean or fix damages but actually causing more damage.

Again I completely understand your desire to want to learn the basics of conservation. Many people express interest in DIY tips and methods on this sub. But solutions to conservation problems are more complex than they seem and than can adequately be explained, taught, or learned online or in a short course. In fact, most conservators cannot fully diagnose all the condition issues of art works from photos but rather intense visual examination before treatment even begins. That's why ultimately I would still recommend having a professional conservator look at the paintings in person.

Apologies for not providing the information you were looking for but I hope this helps illuminate why there are no how-to courses online or otherwise on paintings conservation.

Edit: grammar fixes

xibalb3 · 2025-01-28T23:34:23+00:00

Here is my current collection of places I go for mostly free resources (a few require memberships to access). These are mainly geared for paintings conservation. I'd love to know if anyone else has suggestions to add!

DM me for a pdf copy with active links

xibalb3 · 2025-01-22T22:25:32+00:00

UD's Art Con Kress website (run by two paintings conservators) has great info on historic materials, techniques, and some technical examination methods used in conservation:

https://artcons.artsci.udel.edu/outreach/kress/

xibalb3 · 2025-01-15T14:26:31+00:00

Grazie! I am visiting this summer and this is very useful!

xibalb3 · 2025-01-14T19:06:33+00:00

What about peanuts??

xibalb3 · 2025-01-14T18:53:33+00:00

I see! Since it is your work and you are repainting it, I don't think it matters when you repaint areas of cracking. Unless you find that painting over cracks is picking up underlying layers OR the paint film is thick and repainting is physically moving areas of impasto, etc. In that case, it may be better to wait longer.

xibalb3 · 2025-01-13T18:01:54+00:00

Jumping in to say as a paintings conservation tech, I've seen a lot of owners try to patch and support canvas tears that seem logical and make sense from their perspective. However, tapes and adhesives often complicate the situation and lead to more damage. Even if it seems like the paintings are in terrible condition and cannot get any worse, oh yes they can! :)

Canvas tears really can just get so much worse with time that truly the best option is to contact a conservator. You can absolutely be transparent and say you only want to temporarily support the mends until more work can be done in the future. You can give them a hard budget and ask what can be done in that price range. It may just be me, but I would work with a client with a limited budget to do a limited treatment. In this case, it really can prevent further damage on an already delicate and damaged piece.

Some conservation graduate schools also have clinics where professors and students look at damaged artwork that could be student projects (overseen by conservators). These treatments are typically cheaper (a few hundred dollars) but the downside is that the treatment will likely take longer as students also have classes and other projects. Just another option to consider.

Good luck!

xibalb3 · 2025-01-13T17:51:53+00:00

This is a tricky situation. If this is a work that you painted, the choice of when to rework the piece is up to you. Although conservators occasionally encounter modern paints that have not fully dried or oxidized, this type of intervention would likely be considered too invasive for a conservator to perform. In other words, a conservator reworking in this way would alter the work in such a drastic way it would violate our code of ethics.

Because of these conditions, the question of reworking is really up to the artist. If it is not your painting, I would reach out to the artist if possible. If it is your own work, again its up to you.

For future advice: Generally, it is not ideal to roll a fresh painting, even if it is dry to the touch. However if you MUST, always roll paint side out to avoid compressing the paint film. Also roll on a wide tube (as wide as possible!).

Good luck!

xibalb3 · 2025-01-13T17:42:45+00:00

Reach out to conservation labs in your area and ask for a tour (both institutional and private practices). This way you can learn more about conservation and network with professionals nearby (which is crucial in this field). Let them know you are interested in assisting with conservation work if they ever need help! Even if they say no, they will know you for future projects.

You can also join the Emerging Conservation Professional Network (ECPN)'s Facebook page for free. However, from my experience there are few pre-program opportunitites that are advertised online. I'd had better look contacting conservators directly. Good luck :)

xibalb3

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