To restore and conserve artworks such as Old Masters paintings, brittle drawings, fragile ceramics and thread-bare tapestries requires the finesse of a fine artist, the meticulousness of a jeweler and the scientific knowledge of a chemist. In order to be an expert in such diverse fields, an art conservator must enroll in a top-notch art conservation program where the latest tools and technology are being taught.
Here is a sampling of nine art conservation programs around.
1. The Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR)
What better place to learn art conservation than in Rome, Italy! The Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro (ISCR) is one of two state schools for conservation in Italy and is highly respected for its restoration and conservation projects.
Students learn hands-on techniques working with murals, mosaics, plaster, paintings and learn how to chemically identify materials such as stones and metals.
2. The Courtauld Institute of Art
The Courtauld Institute of Art, renowned for its art history and art conservation study programs, offers an MA in Painting Conservation (Wall Painting) and a Postgraduate Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings.
3. New York University, The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts
New York University, The Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts offers graduate and doctorate degrees in conservation. The MA conservation program combines art history, archaeology, curatorship, and science with high-tech lab work and on site archaeological digs in the summer.4. The Tulane School of Architecture
Located in New Orleans, the Tulane School of Architecture Masters of Preservation Studies program is a one year masters program with courses focusing on: History of Architecture in the Americas; Building Preservation; Preservation Technology; Historic Preservation Law Seminar; and Environmental Conservation. Besides academic course study, an internship is also required.
5. The UCLA and Getty Conservation Institute Master’s Program
The UCLA and Getty Conservation Institute Master’s Program in the Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials is a program training students in conservation and preservation of archeological and cultural objects.
The program is based at the Getty Villa in Malibu, which is an educational center and museum focused on ancient cultures and where students work directly with state-of-the-art conservation technology.
6. Buffalo State University
Buffalo State University's three-year M.A. program teaches students to work in museums and libraries as professional art conservators of cultural works ranging from the aesthetic to the historical.
