Hello, I'm posting on behalf of my boyfriend who doesn't use reddit. We are currently in community college in California and looking at UCs to transfer to that can accommodate both of our majors.

His goal is to get the degrees he needs to work in conservation of cultural heritage objects with a specialty in textiles. He already has a lot of personal experience from the collecting/antiques community he has been a part of his whole life, he's worked for auction houses identifying objects and verifying their authenticity, etc... but has no degree.

Every time I Google "conservation of cultural heritage objects degree" I get pretty vague information about what the Master's programs require for a prerequisite.

The conservation bachelor's at UC Berkeley seems more focused on nature. We are mostly looking at UCB and UCLA. Would this still be viable? Or should he focus on art history?

He thinks he's going to need chemistry and things to learn about the preserving process, which makes a lot of sense, but isn't part of this program.

What bachelor's degree is best to get a Master's in Conservation of Cultural Heritage Objects, specializing in textiles? What lower division classes can you recommend that would fulfill the requirements for the major?

Any other advice from people who have this Master's degree?

Thank you!

Hi! I'm a conservation scientist with a degree and a thesis in chemistry (synthesis of quantum dots).

Does anyone know of research centers or universities (in the UK or USA) that offer internships to deepen my knowledge in chemistry, particularly in nanomaterials?

Hi everyone!

I just want to post and see if there is anywhere I need to round out my background/experience for an art conservation grad program.

I'm currently taking chemistry classes to fill in the chem requirements.

I have two undergrad degrees. One in Studio Art with a cross disciplinary concentration in printmaking and painting. The other is in Art Education with a minor in Art History.

I've been a picture framer for 6 years now so I have solid experience in how to handle various pieces of art and best practices for framing them.

I interned with a museum in my undergrad where I helped manage and organize their collection. I'm also working on an independent inventory project for a local artist's collection (about 5000 pieces)

I know some of these things aren't directly art conservation related but I feel like they are tangential. Mostly in how to properly handle and store art.

Does anyone have recommendations on other things I can use to beef up my background/resume? I still have a few more chemistry classes to take so I'm not applying immediately. Thank you!!

Is there anyway to glue the loose flaking pieces down? I’ve desalinated it. I’m wondering if there’s some kind of thin adhesive that will work its way into the little cracks.

Hi all,

I'm looking into potentially changing career and am intrigued with textile conservation. I'm based in the Uk and currently work as a fashion designer. From research, I can gather Id need another degree, but was wondering if people could give me a blunt reality check of the job before I start to go all in. Jobs seem pretty scarce which is also scary. Can anyone shed any light on what the job is really like? The downsides? How hard/ competitive to get a job? Any short courses/ taster classes I can take before going all in? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!

I'm currently doing the course and to be honest it seems I'm struggling. I thought my first two experiment write-ups were quite thorough but the marking suggests otherwise, I got mid 50s% on one and mid 60s% on another. I'm also struggling with writing up the 'implications for conservation' sections of the experiments as I'm doing this course in order to get onto a Conservation course at uni, I'm not completing this course because I have a prior knowledge of conservation to draw on so the logic of asking this question seems quite backward.

I'm floundering a bit after seeing my feedback. I've been marked down for things that I didn't add into the experiment write up but the things I was marked down for haven't come up anywhere in the textbooks chapters I was instructed to read before completing the experiment. Should I read the entire suggested reading for part 3 before completing any of the part 3 experiments?

Does anyone have any advice or any insight they can share on their experience?

Hello everyone. I’m currently doing my masters in conservation and I’m kind of panicking about applying for jobs :(

Does anyone have any general job application advice for someone who hasn’t had a ton of experience/is starting their career? I’ve done one placement at a museum, have done general museum volunteering for years, and I’m looking to try to do another placement (we’ll see) but I still feel like I haven’t done enough to come close to landing a job.

Are there any things I should include in job applications that I might not be thinking of? Are there similar careers I should consider as well? How does one pursue private practice?

Sorry if these are stupid/general questions 😅

Calling all potential students of conservation! Please take a few moments to provide Hong Kong University your thoughts on a new art conservation program we hope to establish in this region. This will take only 7 minutes and your input will help steer our future directions. https://forms.gle/4msjr4jehydjQF2s7

Hi! I am currently a Junior in an art history undergrad program, but I know that I want to go to grad school for conservation as soon as possible. Would anyone be willing to share their portfolio that successfully got them into grad school? Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in pursuing a career in art conservation, specifically the scientific side of things. I'm wondering if there are any conservation scientists here who can share their experiences and insights.

• Nature of the work: What kind of tasks do conservation scientists typically handle? Do you spend most of your time in laboratories, museums, or a mix of both?
• Education: What level of education is typically required for this field? Is a Master's degree sufficient, or is a PhD necessary?
• Getting into the field: How did you find your first job as a conservation scientist? Were there any specific internships or experiences that were particularly helpful?

Any advice or guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Hi all! Sorry for the dramatic title.

I am an italian graduated in art conservator, I specialized in frescoes, mosaics, architecture and stone materials, but I also did an internship in The Netherlands focused on the restoration of paintings, that I really enjoyed.

After graduated, I worked here in Italy, in Pompeii and in Venice, on stone material and frescoes.

I found this job really physically demanding, being always outside and on-site, so I decided to accept a job in an auction house (started as an art handler, finished as a contemporary assistant) that I had to leave after two years due to toxic environment.

My question here is: where can I go in Europe with my degree? (I speak spanish, english and italian of course).

Is it possible to be hired in a laboratory with my specialization? Should i dive into paper conservation, considering the easel painting field very saturated? Is there a demand of paper conservator? Can someone recommend me good courses for paper conservation that are not too long?

Do you know any sites in Europe that are often hiring? I am willing on doing internships anywhere, as long as it is in a closed environment and not up in the open air.

Or is better to try again in auction house/ gallery?

I am a bit lost, any advice would be much appreciated!

Hi everyone! I own a historic home in Old Lyme, Connecticut which was apparently frequented by artists of the Old Lyme art colony in the early 1900's. There are paintings on original wood paneling in the inside of closets, and two paintings on the inside of cabinet doors in what would have been the sitting room, next to the fireplace. Most of these are in desperate need of some help, two of them having been close to the fireplace for a century. I can only make out the artists signature on one painting, and it is Charles P. Gruppe. How do you recommend I find a reputable conservation / restoration business? Any local (Southern New England) recommendations would be appreciated!

Hi all, I am a year out of my undergraduate degree in English and Design and have found that I would love to get a Masters in Restoration but do not have chemistry course credits. I am a fast learner and have oil painting, textile and drawing experience. Are there any programs that include chemistry as a part of the coursework?? TIA

I am a pre-program student completing my pre-reqs in chemistry. My understanding is that generally speaking a B in chemistry is considered a very good grade because of how difficult the courses are. What letter grade do graduate admissions look for?

Do any conservators on this thread have experience with/know anyone who has changed specializations mid-career? I’m in objects but I love textiles. Are there any good certificate programs that aren’t a full MA for this kind of thing?

Thanks for any info!

Hello everybody, I am looking into applying for graduate programs both in the United States and abroad. I currently work in the contemporary art field and have had the opportunity to repair ceramic pieces in the past-- both works I personally own and works owned by others. These repairs have been done through the request of the artworks' owners, and in some cases, requested by the artists themselves. I understand that these repairs are not professional, but they have sparked my interest in pursuing a career in art restoration. My question is, would adding images and explanations of these repairs to my portfolio for graduate applications help my resume, or would it appear very poorly, since I am not professionally trained and these "treatments" may go against the code of ethics of conservation? Thank you

Hello everyone, I’ve been a studio assistant for a blue chip artist in NYC for over 8 years. Before I started working for this artist I was working on my BFA in fine arts and luckily before I graduated I decided I was interested in art conservation. I took chemistry classes including organic chemistry and instrumental analysis. After graduation I did a pre program internship for a year. Honestly, I did not love my internship, I thought the work was interesting but it made me realize that I do not want to work for an institution. I met with an academic advisor at one of the grad programs and he told me to not pursue more preprogram experience, but instead to retake chemistry and get better grades. I’ve been working towards this but I kind of feel discouraged by everything I hear about people applying with years of experience and not getting accepted to programs. It makes me feel like I have no chance in hell in getting into one of the programs.

The artist that I work for is super supportive. He told me he wants me to be exclusively his conservator because I know the whole process of how the work was made, exactly what materials were used, etc. and he trusts me to take care of his work after he’s gone. I have no idea how private practices in the field work, so I don’t know if that sort of thing happens. I love working with him but he’s definitely putting some pressure on me to get into grad school asap.

I guess my questions are:

Is it possible to avoid working at big institutions in this field?

Do certain artists have contracts with certain art conservators?

Is it truly possible to get into grad school with only 400 hours of pre-program experience?

I know this field doesn’t pay well. Is working part time as a conservator and part time doing something else reasonable?