Conservation - Menil
Conservation
The Menil Collection’s conservation labs are housed in purpose-built studios in the main building and the Menil Drawing Institute. The Conservation team undertakes preventive maintenance, performs and documents conservation treatments, prepares art for exhibition or loan, and contributes to research about the collection through comprehensive technical and analytical studies.
Conservation provides expertise on a wide range of topics, including the care and repair of works of art on paper, paintings, and three-dimensional objects; matting and framing; conservation science; and technical imaging and documentation. This breadth of expertise supports and encourages deep-rooted collaborations, both within the museum and with the wider conservation community. Research undertaken with colleagues around the world has led to creative and innovative treatment and documentation methodologies.
The Menil has an ongoing commitment to the education of emerging conservators, regularly offering internships and fellowships, and publishes widely in the conservation literature.
Resources
Artists Documentation Program (ADP)
Fellowship
Conservation Staff Publications
Frequently Asked Questions
Training to become an art conservator is a lengthy process. It is typically done in one of several graduate training programs in the United States and abroad, followed by graduate or post-graduate internships and fellowships. Students study art history, materials science, organic chemistry, and studio art to prepare them for the work of preserving cultural heritage objects. While some conservators treat broad categories of art, like paintings or sculpture, others concentrate on works produced in a geographic region. There are also conservators with even more specific focuses, such as time-based media, books, stained glass, arms and armor, photographs, or costumes, among others.
The American Institute for Conservation: Become a Conservator
To request access to documentation about the conservation of an artist’s work at the Menil, please email
conservation@menil.org
The American Institute for Conservation (AIC), a national association of cultural heritage practitioners, provides a
free tool
to help the public locate a conservation professional. Conservators listed are professional members of the organization who have demonstrated core competencies and strictly abide by the AIC Code of Ethics. The tool allows for sorting by geographic area, material, and type of task to help you find the right person for the project.
Research Resources
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