1. WHAT IS CONSERVATION?

2. Source: http://www.artconservatorsalliance.co m/what_is.html  Art conservation includes principles and practices of technical examination, documentation, and treatment for objects of material culture. The intention of art conservation is to improve the condition of an artifact by stabilizing physical condition problems and addressing surface disfigurement arising from deterioration and/or damage. In doing so, the art conservator strives to retain as much original material as possible and to employ the best quality materials and the most carefully considered methods available.

3. What is restoration?

4. At times a conservation treatment also requires restoration, which is defined as the preparation and incorporation of replacement parts and surface finishes (i.e. 'compensation for losses') to allow proper visual interpretation of an art object and to recapture an acceptable esthetic appearance. Professional art conservators will always be glad to discuss their approaches and available options for the restoration component of a conservation treatment with you.

5. What is preservation?

6.  Another often-used term is preservation, which encompasses all of the varied activities involved in preventing damage and reducing the rate of deterioration for art objects, collections, and structures. Professional art conservators provide services related to preservation issues including display methods, archival quality storage solutions, environmental condition challenges, pest management, and packing for transportation.

7. What is Collections Management?

8. Collections Management  Collections Management describes the comprehensive care of a collection — large, small, public, or private — to preserve and protect the aesthetic, historic, sentimental, and/or financial values of your art, object, library, or archival collection item. Collections, and individual items in the collection, are tangible, visual, and/or informational assets, and all collections will require specialized attention to preserve, protect and repair. Collections Management identifies ways to improve or sustain a collection through physical maintenance, preservation, and art conservation treatment.

9. Collections Management  Collections Management services address your collection’s specific needs. As professionally trained conservators, we use the highest art conservation standards to develop both exhibition and storage solutions and physical handling recommendations for your collection. Consultations are tailored to the needs of the collection resulting in a strategic plan that prioritizes ways to maintain and preserve it to meet short, mid, and long term goals.

10. Collections Management  Public and private collectors benefit from an assessment of the needs and estimation of the costs for caring for individual items or an entire collection. Solutions include clear priorities and a strategic plan for preservation of your specific collections, and can include steps for improved storage materials and techniques, or determining when art conservation treatment is required. Recommendations for additional art expertise such as art appraisers (to determine market and insurance values), professional picture framers, art transporters, and specialist art conservators are also given.

11. Collections Management Collections Management services include:  Site Visits and Surveys  Designing storage and exhibition spaces,  Reviewing exhibition rotation and installation strategies,  Moving and handling artworks,  Developing collection inventories,  Consulting on optimal environments for the preservation of art and historic collections,  Assisting in institutional policy development,  Providing resources for financial appraisals, insurance, and other professionals

12. Art Conservation Tips Paper …  Conservation quality board, with a neutral or alkaline pH, is the preferred material for window mats and back mats. Items should be " hinged" to the back mat and not overall adhered or mounted to a board.  Overexposure to light can cause structural damage to the paper support and can induce visual changes to the media such as fading of watercolor. The use of an ultraviolet filtering glazing material in the frame will lessen light exposure.  Avoid storing items in basements with damp and dark conditions. Paper will buckle and distort in damp conditions and mold will grow, staining paper and media.  The hot and dry atmosphere in an attic can cause paper to contract and tears may form on the sheet. A room or a closet, in the interior of the home, can serve as a stable storage area.

13. Art Conservation Tips Textile  Don’t be fooled that UV-absorbing glass completely protects your framed textile; visible light must also be controlled. Since any amount of light is damaging to textiles, there must be a balance between enjoying them and protecting them. Try to keep your textiles out of direct sun and sunny rooms. It is a good idea to keep drapes closed and lights off in rooms that have textiles.  If you are storing your textiles, try to keep them in a room that is lived in and avoid basements and attics. The general rule of thumb is: if you are comfortable, so are your historic textiles.  Never use a cedar chest or any wooden or cardboard box to store a textile, even when the textile is wrapped in acid-free tissue. Any wood or cardboard will cause permanent staining. Wrap your textiles in a clean cotton sheet or pillowcase if you don’t have acid- free tissue paper available.

14. Art Conservation Tips Painting  Original framing, especially when selected by the artist, should usually be kept. Paintings almost always look best in frames that the artist chose or designed. Keeping the original frame informs us how an artwork was presented when it was conceived.  To prevent a painting from falling off the wall, always make sure that the picture wire is strong, D-rings are used to attach the wire to the frame, and one, or two large hanging hooks, are anchored securely to the wall where the painting is hung.

15. Art Conservation Tips Objects  If you have a 20th Century plastic object that smells a little like vinegar, chances are good that it is made from cellulose acetate, and it is probably inherently unstable. In these cases, storing or displaying them in areas with good air circulation, where they will remain relatively cool, dry and out of bright light will prolong their life.  Sometimes the best solution for preserving an object is not to treat the object itself, but to provide a mount for internal or external structural support.  Stainless steel isn't "stainless." Depending on which of the many alloys it is, the conditions of fabrication, the environment and the conditions of display, it can be more or less "corrosion resistant."  For outdoor objects, paint should be considered a maintenance coating. Some will last for a few years. Some will last for decades. All paint fails outdoors.

16. Caring for your paintings  What is a Painting?

17.  A traditional painting is constructed, in order from bottom to top, of the support, ground, paint, and coating. The majority of paintings are on either fabric or a wooden panel. Fabric supports are stretched over stretchers with keys (flat triangular wedges, traditionally wooden) in the corners to adjust the tension of the fabric and to prevent bulges and creases. The ground provides a smooth surface for the paint and serves as a "sponge" to absorb excess binding media of the paint. The paint on top of the ground can be a very thin single layer or multiple layers. On top of the paint, there is generally a coating. The coating, synthetic or natural resins, is used to provide saturation and to protect the paint underneath from dirt, abrasion and moisture.

18.  What to do about Displaying Paintings Things to Consider

19.  The common place to hang a painting is on a wall. However, there are places on the wall which are bad for hanging paintings and ones which are better in terms of preservation. The best place to hang a painting is on a wall which has a wall stud where you can securely anchor the wall hooks, away from any heat source, in a place of relatively stable and reasonable humidity and not in direct sunlight.

20.  Dirt and Heat Heat dries out the material of the painting, speeding up the process of natural aging. Also, as hot air rises it carries dirt with it. Thus, a painting above a heat source will experience far more grime than is normal for the rest of the room. Heat sources can also soften paint. Dirt and debris are easily trapped in the softened paint and varnish. It is not advised to hang paintings over fireplaces. In addition to the damage caused by the radiating heat, soot and smoke damage will permanently darken and alter the tone of the paintings, especially those paintings that are unprimed and unvarnished.

21.  Water Moisture will weaken the adhesion of the paint layers and eventually cause paint loss. The support and ground are the most sensitive components of the painting to water damage. If damage to the support and ground are pervasive, further damage to the paint and varnish may occur.

22.  Humidity Low or high relative humidity as well as rapid changes in relative humidity are not good for paintings. Low relative humidity tends to minimize chemical change. However, it also tends to make the paint brittle and prone to mechanical damage. High relative humidity tends to minimize mechanical damage. However, it tends to promote the growth of biological organisms. Mold growth in the form of black spots has been seen in canvas paintings, especially acrylic paintings. Too much change in relative humidity is especially bad for wooden panel paintings. In response to fluctuations of humidity and the shielding effect of the paint layer on top, the wooden panel has a tendency to slowly form a concave shape. Historically, restorers have flattened the wood panel; however, in time, this procedure has caused the paint layer on the other side to flake off. Conservators have since recommended that one should avoid applying excess pressure to constrain the natural tendency of wood to curve.

23.  Light As a rule of thumb, ultraviolet light should be kept away from paintings, especially in display and storage. Fugitive dyes and colorants used in the paints will eventually discolor under exposure to ultraviolet light. The fading of pigments and dyes in paintings will affect the color balance of the image. The intensity and wavelengths of light used in displaying graphic art is generally safe for paintings.