Career Blog Post: Art Conservator

Art conservators repair and preserve pieces of art so that it can be displayed and maintained. They recognize when a piece needs repair and judge how best to approach the repair. They can estimate costs for repairs and guide teams through the process of restoration or repair. Some conservators specialize in certain types of repair or art.

In order to become a conservator, enrollment in a pre-program, a graduate degree in conservationism, and an optional post-graduate degree are helpful for an individual interested in this conservation. Pre-programs typically occur during undergraduate programs and grant students insight into the process and requirements of conservation and prepare people for graduate level courses. Students in pre-programs usually work in a conservation facility, typically as pre-program interns, volunteers, or as paid technicians. The University of Mary Washington offers a minor in art-conservatism that provides students with the necessary background coursework required for entrance into graduate programs in art conservation. University of Denver also offers undergraduates opportunities to study art conservation.

Following undergraduate studies, many art conservators attended graduate programs where they earned master's degrees in art conservation. This isn't required, but it's fairly common for conservators to have master's degrees in addition to their undergraduate studies. Buffalo State University, Colombia, NYU's Institute of Fine Arts, UCLA, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Delaware all offer master's programs in art conservation. After this, some conservators also work in post-graduate fellowships or contract/project based positions to gain additional experience.