Public art maintenance training

Our conservation team can train your staff or volunteers to complete basic art maintenance techniques to help keep your collection looking great.

Our conservation cycle:

What is art maintenance training?

Art maintenance training consists of one or more of our conservators coming to your location to train your staff or volunteers about the best practices to use when maintaining your collection. The conservator will go over the proper materials to use, when to treat your collection, the methods to use, and most importantly what not to do. This training is crucial to the longevity of you collection. Improper cleaning or treatment can result in condition issues that can be extremely difficult, time intensive and costly to repair. If you plan to utilize volunteers or staff members for maintenance it is strongly suggested to utilize a conservator to consult with and provide training to ensure proper methods are understood.

Conservators are equipped with the training and knowledge of working with historic materials, methods, and chemicals. A conservator will always be the best option when it comes to maintenance, but a conservator can train volunteers or experienced staff to complete basic maintenance requirements.

A person on your team that has art history knowledge, curator experience or other related training would be helpful in carrying out your maintenance plan. It is suggested though that this person still complete a consultation or training session with a professional conservator.

If you do not have access to a staff person with experience or if a conservator is not an option, volunteers can typically complete basic maintenance on some types of artwork (like cleaning sculptures). It is heavily suggested that a conservator train your volunteers first to make sure they have proper understanding of the materials and techniques.