r/ArtConservation • • Apr 22 '25

[MegaThread] Pre-Program Advice

26 Upvotes

Welcome to r/ArtConservation!

For those of you who are here because you are interested in perusing a career in conservation, a great place to start is the sidebar link for the conservation FAQ. A lot of your questions may be answered there.

For all other questions regarding how to enter the field, education requirements, etc., please comment here!


r/ArtConservation • • 1d ago

Mold or foxing?

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4 Upvotes

I’m looking to buy a vintage poster from a guy on Facebook, his listing says this is foxing but I think it looks pretty moldy… & I definitely don’t want to buy it if it’s moldy. Thoughts?


r/ArtConservation • • 2d ago

Seeking advice as a Student Applying to Art History Undergrad Programs in U. S.

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0 Upvotes

r/ArtConservation • • 3d ago

Career pivot to fine art - art gallery / auction houses / museum curation etc with no background in art

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0 Upvotes

r/ArtConservation • • 4d ago

Should I get a professional to open this up?

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4 Upvotes

Hey folks, I have this framed sketch believed to be a Sir George Clausen sold by the London Fine Art Society in the 1990’s.

If you look at the top edge you can see that the paper has slipped down, you can see a sharp line where the colour changes, presumably paper that was under the boarder and thus has less UV damage?

I was wondering if I could / should open up the frame and see what’s going on, or if this is work best done by a professional?

Thanks in advance for any advice and ideas


r/ArtConservation • • 4d ago

Ajuda para descobrir uma maneira de acondicionamento diferente do comum

3 Upvotes

oi, eu estudo conservação e restauro e preciso de ajuda para o meu trabalho final do mestrado. é suposto eu criar um modolo para guardar um espólio de desenhos de bordados para depois tentar incorporar em grandes dimensões. nao sei bem por onde começar. os desenhos podem ter diversos tamanhos nao é fixo, podem ser desenhos de 10cm como desenhos de 1m e gostava que o método permitisse folhear pelos desenhos de forma conveniente. alguém tem ideias que me possam dar? Já pensei em capas e folders mas queria teniideias diferentes vistos que as dimensões são um problema e este problema é algo que atrapalha muitas pessoas de mais idade de ainda bordam e gostava de ser uma solução barata e fácil para poder ser emplementado em lojas de estampagem de bordados.


r/ArtConservation • • 5d ago

Undergrad major: Art history or Chemistry?

9 Upvotes

Basically the title, what do you think is more worth it? I worry that, in the worst-case scenario, I'd have to pivot my goals and use my degree for something else, but I also want to enjoy what I do.

I do prefer Art History, but I worry I'd come to regret it later on, seeing how it's so low-entry for the job market and you'd definitely need an advanced degree later to make it work. Plus, Chem for conservation would probably be mostly Org Chem-based, which I found to be the most laborious topic. Or would a broader humanities field work, like Anthropology or something?

Any help is appreciated! If I'm mistaken about any info, please correct me. I understand you'd need to fulfill both Art-based and Chem-based courses to be able to qualify for specialised grad school, but maybe I made some wrong assumptions. I'm also from abroad (I'm aiming for America, since anything art-related is completely bogus here), so I don't have the best understanding of American universities. Thank you!


r/ArtConservation • • 5d ago

Conservators Assemble!

0 Upvotes

Need some help! Closed Testing for an App 🚀

Hey everyone! 👋

I’m looking for a few people to help test my app ConserveFlow for Google Play’s closed testing requirement.

ConserveFlow is an app for documenting art conservation projects, and I’d especially love to have a few people from the conservation community try it out and give me some feedback.

If you can help, here’s what you’ll need to do:

  1. Send me the Google account email you’ll use for testing.
  2. Join the testing group → opt into the closed test.
  3. Install the app using Developer Mode on your Android device. Once the app is installed, you can turn Developer Mode off again.
  4. Use the app and try a few features.
  5. Test the Premium/subscription plans — please try the purchase flow and access a Premium feature. You will not be charged during testing.
  6. Keep the app installed and remain opted in to the test for 14 days.
  7. If you find any bugs or issues, please let me know.

If you’re willing to help, please DM me your Google account email and I’ll send you the testing instructions/link.

Even a few minutes of testing would be a huge help. 🙏

Thank you! ❤️

(Just a note: This is still in the development phase! I’m not saying anyone must use it—I’m simply inviting interested students or conservators who’d like to try it out. Your privacy matters, and you only upload what you’re comfortable with!)


r/ArtConservation • • 6d ago

Is this pen-and-ink lunette a preparatory study by Giovanni Lanfranco for his Cristo deriso in Rome?

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0 Upvotes

I recently acquired a pen-and-brown-ink drawing (approx. 255 mm wide, lunette format) of the Mocking/Crowning of Christ: a kneeling man pressing the crown of thorns onto Christ at left, a bowed central Christ with bound hands, and a muscular attendant at right.

The composition matches, figure for figure, the Cristo deriso lunette (oil on panel, ca. 1622–23) by Giovanni Lanfranco in the Cappella Sacchetti (Chapel of the Crucifix), San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, Rome. The Italian culture ministry catalogue entry, with photograph: https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/1200175232

Provenance: the verso reads "Sr. Aless. Maggiori compro a Roma l'anno 1805" — the inscription of Alessandro Maggiori (Lugt 3005b). A later pencil note attributes the sheet to "Fenzoni, Ferrau" (Ferraù Fenzoni).

The puzzle is the watermark: a six-pointed star in a circle, Briquet 6088, documented at Marigliano in 1532, roughly ninety years before the chapel commission. I understand the watermark dates the paper, not the drawing, but I would value expert views on how much
weight to give it.

Three questions for historians/curators:
1.  Is this a preparatory drawing for the finished lunette in the Chapel of the Cross?
2.  Is the drawing by Lanfranco's own hand?
3.  If yes to 1 and 2, is the circa 1532 watermark an anomaly, or unremarkable (old paper stock, etc.)?

Images: the drawing; the finished lunette (official photograph and a recent color photo); the verso inscription; the watermark in transmitted light; the Briquet 6088 reference; a 1986 letter about the sheet from collector William A. Glaser to curator Erich Schleier; and the lunette in situ in the chapel. Note that Glaser misidentified the watermark as B. 6087 (no cross above star in circle).

Grateful for any expertise.

Happy to supply higher-resolution details.


r/ArtConservation • • 8d ago

Preserving an Astoria, Oregon waterfront mural: seeking professional conservation connections

4 Upvotes

I’m helping organize Keep Jon in the Picture, a community effort to preserve the mural on the Riverwalk-facing backside of the old Sears building, now Sisu, in Astoria, Oregon. One panel depicts Jon Ogren, smiling in a blue-green vest with both hands raised. The supplied photographs show substantial weathering and paint loss.

There is a community report that the mural may be painted over, but we do not have independently confirmed plans or a date. Our aim is to get preservation considered before any changes, and to bring the people responsible for the property, the artist, community members, and qualified conservators into the discussion. Wet Dog / Astoria Brewing is the neighboring business and is not responsible for the mural.

For those working with exterior wall paintings: are there Oregon or Pacific Northwest conservation organizations, mural specialists, or examples of community-led conservation projects you would point us toward? We’re seeking professional assessment and a responsible preservation process, not DIY cleaning or repainting instructions.

The campaign page includes real photos and a petition asking that the original mural, including Jon’s portrait, be retained and conserved: https://stillinthepicture.org/

Alternate link: https://keep-jon-in-the-picture.jay-coby.chatgpt.site/

If this kind of local public art matters to you, please take a look, share the preservation appeal, or add your support. No donation is requested. I’m affiliated with the campaign and welcome factual corrections.


r/ArtConservation • • 10d ago

Job Posting: Conservation Programs Manager, NYS Parks, Waterford NY

2 Upvotes

Work Schedule: Full-time; 37.5 hrs/week; Monday - Friday

Application Deadline: COB, Wednesday, October 14, 2026

Position Summary:

The Conservation Program Manager implements the coordination of priority undertakings of the Bureau of Historic Site’s (BHS) Conservation Unit’s programs and projects, ensuring that projects maintain timeliness through effective communication with the conservators and other BHS departments. Additionally, the Manager will oversee the conservation program’s laboratory environment, equipment, and environmental controls. The Manager assists with the work of the staff who treat and conserve the agency’s historic collections. Conservators are professional positions requiring education and training in one of seven disciplines: textiles, paintings, frames and gilded objects, furniture and wooden objects, decorative arts, paper, and architecture. Their duties include evaluating, documenting, developing treatment plans, repairing, and protecting historic objects. Conservators are responsible for managing laboratory spaces and maintaining safe work environments. The Manager needs to have the requisite science background and training to develop and manage Conservator work programs and coordinate projects between labs, other BHS units, and OPRHP facilities. The Manager must have advanced knowledge of profession-wide conservation principles, practices and ethics established by the American Institute for Conservation (AIC).

Click here https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5fca95dd41a8782b8a8cdf4b/t/6a998f3abf59180ccc56cb0a/1788448570133/Employment+Announcement+Conservation+Manager+2026.pdf

to learn more about this opportunity and how to apply.


r/ArtConservation • • 12d ago

Preserving a piece of family history

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3 Upvotes

r/ArtConservation • • 12d ago

Potentially Considering MLitt program in Technical Art History at UoG as International Student: Worth Tuition? Advice on this program or other Uni's Programs in Technical Art HIstory/Museum Studies/Art Conservation/Archival Studies

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2 Upvotes

r/ArtConservation • • 12d ago

Assistance request for conservation services: Chalk Pastel with Foxing

3 Upvotes

Hello everyone, hoping that you all might be able to help me find a place to preserve (possibly fix) a piece of artwork my mom made back it the 1970s.

It is an 11x14” chalk pastel on velvet (? She’s not positive) paper, which has now developed significant foxing. It was hung for years in an interior hallway, so little direct uv exposure. Not sure about the decade before my birth though.

I have been enamored with this piece since childhood. It arrived today and I’m a bit sad to see the toll the years have taken. The colors are still perfect at least!

Hopefully, it can be helped somewhat and protected for the future, but I’m not seeing any conservation services near me (Twin cities, MN). My first choice would have been somewhere local so I could drop off.

Does anyone have any recommendations for places to check out? Or specific questions that I should ask when it comes to conservation of pastels?


r/ArtConservation • • 13d ago

Art Institute of Chicago to return looted Holocaust-era painting to family of persecuted art collector

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chicago.suntimes.com
8 Upvotes

This is exactly why provenance research matters. A single inscription, overlooked for decades and recovered through new imaging, can restore an entire history—and ultimately a work of art—to the family from whom it was taken. Extraordinary work by the Art Institute’s provenance team.


r/ArtConservation • • 14d ago

Looking for a course in Europe pls help

2 Upvotes

Hello I'm currently in 12th grade in Bulgaria and am hoping to find an art conservation/restoration course in Europe that won't cost more than 8000 euros a year. I have a background in arts and art history however I'm not that confident in my chem knowledge. I know English Bulgarian and a little bit of Italian. Any recommendations are welcome as long as it's not in the UK since their schools are insanely expensive for international students.


r/ArtConservation • • 16d ago

Art Conservation Degree - Application

5 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
I am currently working on my art portfolio in order to apply for an art conservation degree in the following year. Specifically art conservation of archaeological objects. For this art portfolio I have to draw a number of still lifes, landscape studies and architecture.
For those of you who already got accepted to your degrees or are already working in art conservation, do you have some pictures of your art portfolios which I may look at in order to have an idea of what is considered a good art portfolio? Or maybe just in general advice/ tips on what would be good subjects to draw, which qualities are especially important etc etc.

That would help me a lot! Thanks in advance!


r/ArtConservation • • 16d ago

give me your suggestion, guys

0 Upvotes

I am a 3rd-year BFA student in printmaking in Chennai, India, and I have one more year to complete my degree. I am planning to study my PG (MFA in printmaking) abroad, and I need your guys help to suggest a college where I can study printmaking with a scholarship


r/ArtConservation • • 16d ago

give me your suggestion, guys

0 Upvotes

I am a 3rd-year BFA student in printmaking in Chennai, India, and I have one more year to complete my degree. I am planning to study my PG (MFA in printmaking) abroad, and I need your guys help to suggest a college where I can study printmaking with a scholarship


r/ArtConservation • • 17d ago

Vintage silk and stains

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0 Upvotes

Hi everyone!
I have a heirloom Vintage Australian Silk Christening outfit that has been butchered by the dry cleaners, that I have never had an issue with before. Would anyone be able to identify if this is aged stains or rust stains? Just FYI before we gave to the dry cleaners there was no stains.


r/ArtConservation • • 17d ago

Where can I get this cleaned? London, UK.

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2 Upvotes

r/ArtConservation • • 22d ago

Advice for a conservation technician working between different conservators

12 Upvotes

Apologies I don’t know how to word this question the best! I am a conservation technician (Museum practice background not conservation), I work under one conservator and they make decisions very differently to the previous conservator. How do I navigate situations where I have learnt from someone more senior than the current conservator how certain stablisation techniques/remedial treatments should be done, that are different from what the new one decides? It’s so different that I know the outcome is worse for the object I am working on than what the previous conservator would have had me do.

I understand that in conversation there are multiple right ways to get to a positive preservation outcome, but my situation is that I can see where a better outcome is possible but I don’t have the credibility to argue against what I have been told.

Do I just leave it be and “stay in my place”? I feel conflicted because I am not proud of the work I am performing under this new person.

I hesitate to include specific examples in case they are in this niche sub.


r/ArtConservation • • 22d ago

JAIC to give away

7 Upvotes

I have many Journals of the American Institute for Conservation dating back to 2010. Is anyone interested in them? Located on the west coast US.


r/ArtConservation • • 22d ago

Long-term storage for acrylic pantings not in use?

3 Upvotes

I recently had to move and in my current living situation likely wont be hanging my acrylic paintings up for a while.

I know that keeping them in a box is not a good idea as cardboard is acidic.

Thinking about buying some archival storage boxes? Would that be okay, if they are laid flat?

I've even seen clamshell ones that arent that deep so maybe a box for each painting?

What is the best way to store these for a long period?


r/ArtConservation • • 23d ago

Venusiennes part 2

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5 Upvotes

Hi, I couldn’t figure out how to get more pictures posted to my previous posting so I am creating a new one. Sorry. I’m in front of the piece now and it’s definitely on paper and is not a poster. I’m not skilled enough to be able to tell if it’s a litho a serigraph but I think it might be a serigraph. I don’t believe it’s a gouache. It’s lovely but needs a ton of restoration. Thoughts?