Art conservation training
Encyclopedia
This is a listing of training schools for the field of art conservation.
There are a variety of training and entry routes into the profession of conservation; for many the first step is a full-time academic course. Whereas training in Conservation has traditionally taken the form of an apprenticeship, in more recent years training in a recognized conservation course at a University has become the norm. Today it is more common for professional conservators to have taken a University course combined with a period of time as an intern
.
"The scope of conservators' work has widened in recent years, and is no longer dominated by hands-on conservation. Conservators now expect to be involved with exhibitions, conservation science, preventive conservation, project management and advocacy work".
Within the various schools that teach conservation, the approach differs according the educational and vocational system within the country, and the focus of the school itself.
Many of the Conservation Associations and Professional Organizations
also provide additional information about the schools in their respective fields and locations.
has only begun to develop conservation education. The Israel Antiquities Authority
recently established a training program in the Old City of Akko, a World Heritage Site
.
(formerly the Central Institute of Restoration) in Rome
.
Since 2006 its diploma is equivalent to a degree course, similar to a master's degree in the US. The courses are limited: to access one must pass an appropriate public contest announced by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture. The training lasts five years and the diploma is subject to the acquisition of 300 credits. In this school they taught such important art historians as Cesare Brandi
, and other scientists of conservation-restoration, such as microbiologist Clelia Giacobini
.
The other state conservation school, with a similar training program, is the Opificio delle Pietre Dure
in Florence
.
Private schools also exist, such as the Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro "Palazzo Spinelli" in Florence, which offers three-year technical specialization certificate programs in several categories of art restoration
, as well as shorter courses.
enjoys a national conservation training resource, which provides training in three specialisms of conservation, namely Metals Conservation, Paper Conservation and Ceramics Conservation.
, whereas training in the United States
tends towards an overview of the conservation profession as a whole, in the UK each institution tends towards their own area of specialism.
West Dean also offers a series of Diplomas & Professional Development Courses
There are a variety of training and entry routes into the profession of conservation; for many the first step is a full-time academic course. Whereas training in Conservation has traditionally taken the form of an apprenticeship, in more recent years training in a recognized conservation course at a University has become the norm. Today it is more common for professional conservators to have taken a University course combined with a period of time as an intern
Intern
Internship is a system of onthejob training for white-collar jobs, similar to an apprenticeship. Interns are usually college or university students, but they can also be high school students or post graduate adults seeking skills for a new career. They may also be as young as middle school or in...
.
"The scope of conservators' work has widened in recent years, and is no longer dominated by hands-on conservation. Conservators now expect to be involved with exhibitions, conservation science, preventive conservation, project management and advocacy work".
Within the various schools that teach conservation, the approach differs according the educational and vocational system within the country, and the focus of the school itself.
Many of the Conservation Associations and Professional Organizations
Conservation Associations and Professional Organizations
The following is a list of conservation organizations associated with the professional field of art conservation.Professional conservators join and take part in the activities of numerous conservation associations and professional organizations with the wider conservation field, and within their...
also provide additional information about the schools in their respective fields and locations.
Canada
- Algonquin CollegeAlgonquin CollegeAlgonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology is a publicly funded English-language college and member of Polytechnics Canada located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The college serves the National Capital Region and the outlying areas of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec...
- Applied Museum Studies (3 Year Diploma) which "provides students with a sound background in museum work and the technical areas common to all museums. These include: collection management, exhibit preparation, conservation, educational programming, and museum management".
- Fleming CollegeFleming CollegeFleming College, also known as Sir Sandford Fleming College, is a College of Applied Arts and Technology in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. The College has more than 6,000 full-time and 10,000 part-time students and 58,000 alumni.-Campus:...
previously known as Sir Sandford Fleming College.- Collections Conservation and Management Diploma
- Queen's University, OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- MAC (Master of Art Conservation). Established in 1974, Queen's University is the only university in Canada that offers a graduate degree in art conservation and one of four in North America that offer a graduate degree in this discipline. Promiment conservators instrumental in the establishment of the MAC program include Ian Hodkinson, Mervyn Ruggles, Henry Hodges, and James Hanlan.
- Ryerson UniversityRyerson UniversityRyerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...
- MA Photographic Preservation and Collections Management
Germany
- BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
: Conservation-Restoration / Field Archaeology University of applied science Berlin
- DresdenDresdenDresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
: Hochschule für Bildende Künste Dresden|Hochschule für bildende Künste - Dresden]] Studienrichtungen Kunsttechnologie, Konservierung und Restaurierung von Kunst- und Kulturgut.
- ErfurtErfurtErfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nuremberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian...
: Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen und Konservierung/Restaurierung der University of applied science Erfurt
- HildesheimHildesheimHildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
: Faculty Preservation of Cultural Heritage Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaft und Kunst HAWK Hildesheim
- CologneCologneCologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
: CICS - Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences at University of applied science Cologne
- MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
: Chair for Conservation, Art Technology and Conservation Science, Institute for History of Architecture, History of Art and Conservation at Technical University Munich
- PotsdamPotsdamPotsdam is the capital city of the German federal state of Brandenburg and part of the Berlin/Brandenburg Metropolitan Region. It is situated on the River Havel, southwest of Berlin city centre....
: Conservation/Restoration at University of applied science Potsdam / Studiengang Konservierung und Restaurierung an der Fachhochschule Potsdam
- StuttgartStuttgartStuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
: Stuttgart State Academy of Art and Design
Israel
Despite its rich archaeological heritage, IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
has only begun to develop conservation education. The Israel Antiquities Authority
Israel Antiquities Authority
The Israel Antiquities Authority is an independent Israeli governmental authority responsible for enforcing the 1978 Law of Antiquities. The IAA regulates excavation and conservation, and promotes research...
recently established a training program in the Old City of Akko, a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
- International Conservation Center, Akko
Italy
Since 1944 there has been a state school for art conservation training in the Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il RestauroIstituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro
The Istituto Superiore per la Conservazione ed il Restauro - ISCR is a body of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities in Rome...
(formerly the Central Institute of Restoration) in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Since 2006 its diploma is equivalent to a degree course, similar to a master's degree in the US. The courses are limited: to access one must pass an appropriate public contest announced by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture. The training lasts five years and the diploma is subject to the acquisition of 300 credits. In this school they taught such important art historians as Cesare Brandi
Cesare Brandi
Cesare Brandi was an art critic and historian, specialist in conservation-restoration theory....
, and other scientists of conservation-restoration, such as microbiologist Clelia Giacobini
Clelia Giacobini
Clelia Giacobini was an Italian microbiologist, and also a pioneer of microbiology applied to conservation-restoration.- Biography :...
.
The other state conservation school, with a similar training program, is the Opificio delle Pietre Dure
Opificio delle pietre dure
The Opificio delle Pietre Dure e Laboratori di Restauro, literally meaning Workshop of Semi-precious Stones and Laboratories of Restoration, is a public institute of the Italian Ministry for Cultural Heritage based in Florence...
in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
.
Private schools also exist, such as the Istituto per l'Arte e il Restauro "Palazzo Spinelli" in Florence, which offers three-year technical specialization certificate programs in several categories of art restoration
Art restoration
Art restoration is related to art conservation. Restoration is a process that attempts to return the work of art to some previous state that the restorer imagines was the "original". This was commonly done in the past...
, as well as shorter courses.
South Africa
South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
enjoys a national conservation training resource, which provides training in three specialisms of conservation, namely Metals Conservation, Paper Conservation and Ceramics Conservation.
- The South African Institute for Objects Conservation
- Modular Graduation Programme
- Specialist Short Courses
United Kingdom
There are numerous training facilities for conservators in the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, whereas training in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
tends towards an overview of the conservation profession as a whole, in the UK each institution tends towards their own area of specialism.
- Camberwell College of ArtsCamberwell College of ArtsCamberwell College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, and is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost art and design institutions. It is located in Camberwell, South London, England, with two sites situated at Peckham Road and Wilson Road...
University of the Arts LondonUniversity of the Arts LondonThe University of the Arts London, formerly known as the London Institute, is a collegiate university comprising six internationally recognised art, design, fashion and media colleges in London, England...
- BA (Hons) Conservation
- MA Conservation
- Postgraduate Diploma Conservation
- FdA Book Conservation
- Hamilton Kerr InstituteUniversity of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
- The Conservation Diploma
- Cardiff UniversityCardiff UniversityCardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
- BSc Conservation of Objects in Museums and Archaeology
- MSc Care of Collections
- MSc Professional Conservation
- Msc Conservation Practice
- http://www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk/docs/dept/cons.htmlCity and Guilds of London Art SchoolCity and Guilds of London Art SchoolThe City and Guilds of London Art School is an art college in London, England, United Kingdom. It is one of the country's longest established art colleges, and offers courses ranging from Foundation, through B.A. degree, Postgraduate Diploma and M.A...
department of Conservation] offers several conservation courses including:- Conservation Studies BA - Three years
- Postgraduate Diploma: Conservation Studies 2 years
- Postgraduate Diploma: Comparative Studies in Conservation Cleaning, techniques in relation to laser cleaning
- Courtauld Institute of ArtCourtauld Institute of ArtThe Courtauld Institute of Art is a self-governing college of the University of London specialising in the study of the history of art. The Courtauld is one of the premier centres for the teaching of art history in the world; it was the only History of Art department in the UK to be awarded a top...
- Conservation of Easel Painting PgDip
- MA Conservation of Wall Paintings
- The Centre for Textile Conservation and Technical Art History at the University of GlasgowUniversity of GlasgowThe University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
, previously known as the Textile Conservation CentreTextile Conservation CentreThe Textile Conservation Centre is a specialist centre for research and training at the University of Southampton. It was founded in 1975 by Karen Finch OBE and was based at Hampton Court Palace for nearly 25 years...
.- Making & Meaning: Approaches in Technical Art History (MLitt)
- Textile Conservation (two years, MPhil)
- Institute of ArchaeologyInstitute of ArchaeologyThe UCL Institute of Archaeology is an academic department of the Social & Historical Sciences Faculty of University College London , England. It is one of the largest departments of archaeology in the world, with over 80 members of academic staff and 500 students...
at University College LondonUniversity College LondonUniversity College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
- M.A. in Principles of Conservation
- M.Sc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums
- University of LincolnUniversity of LincolnThe University of Lincoln is an English university founded in 1992, with origins tracing back to the foundation and association with the Hull School of Art 1861....
- BA (Hons) Conservation & Restoration
- MA Conservation of Historic Objects
- Graduate Diploma Conservation Studies
- Northumbria UniversityNorthumbria UniversityNorthumbria University is an academic institution located in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East of England. It is a member of the University Alliance.- History :...
The Conservation Unit- MA Conservation of Fine Art
- MA Preventive Conservation
- Royal College of ArtRoyal College of ArtThe Royal College of Art is an art school located in London, United Kingdom. It is the world’s only wholly postgraduate university of art and design, offering the degrees of Master of Arts , Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy...
- MA Conservation
- West Dean CollegeWest Dean CollegeWest Dean College is situated in the West Dean Estate, of West Dean near Chichester. The Estate was formerly the home of the poet and patron of the arts, Edward James. He was an avid admirer of the Surrealist movement, and formed one of the largest collections of their works during his lifetime...
- MA Conservation Studies
West Dean also offers a series of Diplomas & Professional Development Courses
- The London School of Picture & Frame Restoration
- Part time City & Guilds verified courses in Picture and Frame Conservation / Restoration and in Gilding
United States of America
- The School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Master of Science in Historic Preservation
- Buffalo State CollegeBuffalo State CollegeThe State University of New York College at Buffalo, referred to as Buffalo State College, often referred to colloquially as Buff State, is a public, liberal arts college in Buffalo, New York, United States and is part of the State University of New York. Buffalo State was founded in 1871 as the...
- MA and CAS (Certificate of Advanced Studies) degrees in art conservation
- Columbia UniversityColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
- Certificate in Historic Preservation: Conservation of Historic Architecture
- New Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State UniversityNew Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
- Museum Conservation Bachelor Degree
- New York UniversityNew York UniversityNew York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
- MA in Art HistoryArt historyArt history has historically been understood as the academic study of objects of art in their historical development and stylistic contexts, i.e. genre, design, format, and style...
and an Advanced Certificate in Conservation.
- MA in Art History
- Scripps CollegeScripps CollegeScripps College is a progressive liberal arts women's college in Claremont, California, United States. It is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Scripps ranks 3rd for the nation's best women's college, ahead of Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, and Bryn Mawr College at 23rd on the list for...
- BA in Art Conservation http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/department/art-conservation/index.php
- Tulane UniversityTulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
School of Architecture- MPS Masters in Preservation Studies
- University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los AngelesThe University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
/GettyGetty Conservation InstituteThe Getty Conservation Institute , located in Los Angeles, California, is a program of the J. Paul Getty Trust. It is headquartered at the Getty Center but also has facilities at the Getty Villa, and commenced operation in 1985. The GCI is a private international research institution dedicated to...
- MA in Conservation of Archaeological and Ethnographic Materials
- The University of DelawareUniversity of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
(in association with Winterthur Museum)- MS in Art Conservation and a Certificate in Conservation.
- The University of OregonUniversity of Oregon-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
Historic Preservation Program- MS in Historic Preservation
- The University of PennsylvaniaUniversity of PennsylvaniaThe University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
Graduate Program in Historic Preservation- MS in Historic Preservation
- Advanced Certificate in Architectural Conservation
- The University of Texas at AustinUniversity of Texas at AustinThe University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
- Certificate of Advanced Study in the conservation of library and archival materials as part of its Master of Science in Information Studies program. The program is no longer accepting applications for the degree and will be closing.