Conservator (museum)

A conservator-restorer is a professional responsible for the preservation of artistic and cultural artifacts, also known as cultural heritage. Conservators possess the expertise to preserve cultural heritage in a way that retains the integrity of the object, building or site, including its historical significance, context and aesthetic or visual aspects. This kind of preservation is done by analyzing and assessing the condition of cultural property, understanding processes and evidence of deterioration, planning collections care or site management strategies that prevent damage, carrying out conservation treatments, and conducting research. A conservators job is to ensure that art object's cultural heritage in a museum's collection are kept in the best possible condition, while at the same time, serving the museum's mission to bring art before the public.

Essentially, the term "conservation," means a manner of care or treatment where the goal is to repair damage while taking action to prevent or slow down further deterioration of an object. The term "restoration" refers to a manner of care or treatment where the goal is to bring an object back as close as possible to its original appearance or function. Restoration can be part of the care and treatment of an object and is a subset of the umbrella term conservation. Both terms come into play when it comes to the treatment and care of all cultural heritage.

Conservators and restorers care for, manage, treat, preserve, and document many different historical items including artifacts, art, and specimens.

Conservators can receive training through apprenticeships, internships and graduate programs. In order to be accepted into a graduate program, they will need to fulfill some undergraduate prerequisites. This includes undergraduate coursework in science, the humanities (art history, anthropology, and archaeology), and studio art. Some graduate programs may also require internship, volunteer, apprenticeship, or paid conservation experience. Many may also require a personal interview where candidates are asked to present a portfolio of art and conservation project work that demonstrates manual dexterity and familiarity with techniques and materials. Graduate programs generally require two to four years of study, which can also include a full-time internship in the final year where students work under the guidance of experienced conservators. There are also a limited number of Ph.D. programs for advanced study in conservation. Conservation related programs can be found on webpages/websites from AIC, the National Council for Preservation Education(NCPE), and the Society of American Archivists (SAA).

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