Hi, I recently purchased this piece, which, as you can tell, has a small snag where the paper has been torn and pushed down. I'd like to see about fixing this, what would the best way to do so be?

This broken Hopi-Tewa bowl was created by acclaimed potter Jacob Koopee (Jake Nampeyo, 1970–2011), a great-great-grandson of the legendary Nampeyo of Hano. The soft, low-fired clay and easily smeared multicolored design made this a particularly challenging restoration.

It was a privilege to restore this beautiful piece and preserve the work of an important Native American artist.

See how it is done

#lakesidepottery

When thirteen works were taken from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in March 1990, the thieves cut several canvases out of their frames and left the frames themselves behind on the floor.

The museum did not fill the gaps. The empty frames were put back on the walls in the exact positions the paintings had occupied, and the galleries were rehung around the absence rather than closed off, curtained or quietly redecorated.

Part of that is legal rather than curatorial. Isabella Stewart Gardner's will required the collection to stay arranged as she had left it, with the provision that the whole collection would be sold if the arrangement were changed. So the institution was never entirely free to treat the theft as an installation problem it could solve.

But the frames are also objects in their own right. Several of them are period pieces older than some of the work they held, and they have been treated as artefacts to be conserved rather than as fixtures waiting for a canvas to come back.

I think it is the strangest conservation decision to come out of any art theft, because it turns an absence into the exhibit itself. I would be interested to hear whether people working in conservation see that as the right call, or as something that fixed the museum permanently in the worst night of its history.

What non-invasive examination could distinguish aged drawing ink from the photomechanical ink used by Draeger Frères? The auctioneer that sold this artwork to us thinks ours is an original pen and ink but we think they were mistaken and we therefore want a non-invasive method of testing to prove it either way.

We've been comparing ours to a known print of the artwork and the final image shows the two pieces in full. It’s either Pierre Bonnard’s lost original drawing for ‘Ran Ran Ran’, part of his 1944 ‘Correspondances’ book, or it’s a facsimile-printed reproductions of Bonnard’s original pen-and-pencil drawing from the 1944 book.

We've attached magnified images of our artwork and the known print (held by the British Library) - we've added text to the latter to make it clear which is which.

Aspects pointing towards it being the original:

1. The fine art auctioneer’s assessment
2. The colour of the ink is what you’d expect faded 1940s pen ink to look like, whereas all the period prints I’ve seen retain their vibrant violet colour
3. It shows more variation in tone than the prints

Aspects pointing towards it being a 1940s print:

1. There isn’t any nib impression under raking light
2. The texture of some areas shows some similarities to the print

If you know of a non-invasive test we can undertake, we'd love to hear your advice. Thanks in advance.

Hi,

Picked up this beautiful painting at a discount but it has these splotches, some with brown borders, its also on the inner frame. The inner frame cleans up nicely with some decent rubbing, but not too much luck with Qtip & spit on the spots other than the brown border.

Any help would be appreciated

Thanks

This painting I'm creating a condition report for has a signature but I can not for the life of me read it. I have asked everyone, even my professor and we just can't seem to figure it out.

Hello art conservators! I am a pre-program undergrad that has wanted to go into "fine art" conservation for years, and I would love to hear people's problems or areas for improvement regarding the chemistry aspect of conservation for my capstone.

For context, this is just for ideas regarding what to do for my capstone because I am a chemistry major, but I have no experience in the museum field as of yet, and I don't know what problems need to be addressed or even what that may already work could be improved. Anyone with experience in fieldwork, please comment and let me know!

Hello - I unfortunately recieved a painting through the mail that came to me damaged. It’s a very large, Victorian era landscape painting from 1800s. I have searched high and low for a reputable conservator in Salt Lake City, but I can’t seem to really find any results. Does anyone know of any suggestions or contacts?

I just recently inherited a lot of my grandfather’s art pieces and one of them was this beautiful tengu mask from Japan. As you can see, the nose piece is damaged at the base so it is very loose, and it seems as though some repairs have been attempted before. I considered super glue but I was concerned about causing more damage/staining it/idk. I don’t have many art restoration places near me, I live in a small city. Any advice?

Just wanted to reach out and see if there is anyone out there taking IAP's Chemistry for Conservators this fall. I am and I'm currently looking through the first unit. I am hoping to connect with anyone who else is sign up and maybe create a discord server where we can chat and ask questions to each other about the course. I've read many things about it being difficult or sometimes convoluted and hope that by having others to talk to about things would make the course more bearable.

Hi friends- I hope this is the right page to post this on!
In the wake of the incredible Tim Curry’s passing, I have been thinking about this Richard O’Brien original sketch that I have hanging in a frame on my wall. It’s my prized possession & I am hoping to learn what I can do/where I can go to ensure this lasts me my lifetime, as I would be absolutely crushed if it weathered/wore down due to my own mishandling. Any advice would be so appreciated!!

⚠️ ADVERTENCIA A FUTUROS ASPIRANTES: LICENCIATURA EN CONSERVACIÓN Y RESTAURACIÓN EN LA EECyRZRR (ZACATECAS)

Una reflexión necesaria sobre la formación en conservación y restauración en Zacatecas ​A todos los futuros aspirantes y profesionales del ámbito cultural: ​La conservación y restauración del patrimonio cultural de nuestro estado requieren una formación sólida, especializada y con estándares internacionales que garanticen la correcta intervención de los bienes.

​Es por ello que resulta preocupante observar cómo, en casos específicos como la Escuela Estatal de Conservación y Restauración Refugio Reyes, se ha optado por una práctica de contratación que prioriza la endogamia académica, reclutando a sus propios egresados sin requerir la trayectoria ni la experiencia previa necesaria para la docencia en nivel superior. ​Asimismo, destaca que parte del personal que actualmente lidera la institución cuenta únicamente con formación en arquitectura o arquitectura restauradora.

Si bien su perfil aborda el ámbito de los bienes inmuebles, carecen de una especialización formal en la conservación y restauración de bienes muebles (como pintura de caballete, escultura policromada, documentos o textiles). Gran parte del conocimiento en esta área lo han adquirido de manera empírica, sin haber ejercido profesionalmente en el campo real de los bienes muebles, lo cual limita la enseñanza de los criterios éticos, químicos y metodológicos que esta disciplina exige. ​Sumado a esto, gran parte de la plantilla docente carece de visibilidad o reconocimiento en el gremio profesional y académico; no se conocen sus proyectos de intervención, investigaciones o publicaciones a nivel regional o nacional. Al no haber realizado trabajo de campo fuera de la institución ni mantenido un intercambio académico constante con otras escuelas o proyectos tras su egreso, se corre el riesgo de perpetuar un ciclo donde se transmiten deficiencias formativas sin buscar actualización o contraste externo. ​Desde nuestra experiencia como egresados, esta dinámica deja a los alumnos sin las competencias necesarias para insertarse competitivamente en el mercado laboral real, obligándonos a buscar vías complementarias de aprendizaje fuera de la institución para poder ejercer adecuadamente. ​Llamamos a los futuros aspirantes a investigar a fondo la plantilla docente, sus perfiles de especialización, sus publicaciones y sus proyectos de campo antes de tomar una decisión académica, exigiendo la excelencia que la protección del patrimonio demanda.

I have been building a pigment index and ended up cross-referencing manufacturer product names against Colour Index codes. 755 CI-coded pigments, 66 manufacturers, 3,311 name entries where a named brand actually attaches that name to that pigment. Two things fall out of it and the second one is the reason I am posting here rather than in a painting sub.

Names collapse. 418 of the 755 pigments carry at least one brand name, and those 418 average 7.9 names each. PR101, synthetic iron oxide red, is sold under 126 distinct product names. PBr7 under 109, PV19 under 91, PB29 under 82. Most of the vocabulary of colour names in a paint catalogue is describing four or five iron oxides.

Names collide. Of 2,687 distinct product names, 362 map to more than one CI code, and 31 of those span two or more ASTM lightfastness grades. So the same words on two tubes can be the difference between a pigment that will still be there and one that will not.

The sharpest case is the word "permanent" itself. 63 product names in the set begin with it. Six contain a pigment ASTM rates III or worse:

Five of the six are commercial paints. The sixth is a FIAT reference standard and I am counting it separately because it is not something anyone buys.

PR83 is genuine alizarin crimson. On a modern tube the word "permanent" in front of that name normally exists to signal the opposite, that this is a quinacridone or anthraquinone substitute rather than the madder-derived original. In three cases it is sitting on the original.

Here is the whole spread on that one name:

Three words, six chemistries, and Utrecht appears twice with two different pigments.

Three caveats I would rather state than have found.

The index is compiled from manufacturer disclosure and inherits whatever the disclosures got wrong. Where a brand does not publish a CI code there is simply no row.

PR83's rating is medium dependent, III in oil and acrylic against IV to V in watercolour, so how bad each of those three cases is depends on which line the name sits on. The source record for the Utrecht entry has its medium flagged uncertain, so I would not want to state that one as watercolour.

And formulations change without the name changing. A tube bought in 2005 and a tube bought last year under identical wording are not necessarily the same pigment, which makes the naming problem worse over time rather than better.

So the actual question. When an artist gives you their own account of what they used, or you are working from a studio inventory or a supplier invoice, does the marketing name go into the record at all, or is it treated as uninformative unless a CI code is attached? Artists report by name almost universally, and the name is what survives into the file. If it does get recorded but qualified, I would like to know what the qualification looks like in practice, because from the outside a name and a code look like the same kind of fact and they very clearly are not.

(Context: the cross-index came out of a pigment reference app I build called Pigments. Not linking it, the collision table is the reason I am posting.)

Hey all, may I know if there is a particular format for our CV during job applications ?

Would be great if there is a sample online I can refer to !

Don't think we can send our report wholesale right? 😅

Thank you!

hi, everyone. i’m looking for an adequate gift for my friend, currently studies art restoration and conservation. i’ve seen multiple spatulas but i’m afraid they’ll be more fitted for painting rather than what she needs
i want something useful, already got a portable magnifier. thank u in advance ^^

Hi everyone! 😊 Are there any Filipinos here who have experience with painting restoration or conservation?

I have some paintings that I’d like to have professionally cleaned and/or restored, and I’m looking for recommendations for reputable conservators or restoration studios in the Philippines.

I’d also appreciate any advice on the usual process, such as assessment, cleaning, restoration, condition reporting, estimated costs, and how long the process normally takes.

If you’ve had a painting restored before, I’d love to hear about your experience and who you worked with. Thank you!

Hi all,

I am a transfer student to UCLA for the 2026 fall semester, I am majoring in Art History with the goal of attending their Conservation masters program (or one of the other 3 programs in the US). I applied for a position at their library for a preventative conservation assistant but unfortunately did not get it. It’s been difficult to find information and resources on how to start my journey with regards to getting experience with damage reports, preventative conservation, etc. The woman I interviewed with was kind enough to send me some resources like the AIC ECPN. I joined the network and have looked through it a bit but I’m honestly struggling to understand how and where to apply for positions that would help me get the experience I need.

I would greatly appreciate if anyone could provide me with some guidance on where to look for internships, how I need to be presenting myself since I don’t have the experience in the field and what things would be best to focus on to improve my chances for a job or internship.

I have several years of art history courses, ceramics and painting, as well as research, indexing, document analysis and summarization experience. I feel that especially the latter gives me a bit of an edge but I’d greatly appreciate any advice.

Any suggestions on where to search for opportunities, whether that be a job, internship, or volunteer work would be great. I want to get as much experience in any way I can to bolster my future chances to get better internships and hopefully be accepted into one of the masters.

As I mentioned I am located in LA and extremely grateful to have access to so many museums, galleries and cultural centers but I’m unsure of how to find those positions or going about applying.

Thank you so much for any advice!!

Hi - I have an old set of handmade and hand-painted Ganjifa cards from India. They're stored in plastic baggies that are stuck to the lacquer. When I try to lift the plastic, paint comes off.

Is this something a conservator could potentially treat? If so, what kind of conservator should I be looking for?

Thank you for any advice.