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Education and Engagement

Interested in art conservation?

Get to know us and what we do! 

ICA offers free educational programs, including both virtual and in-person opportunities, designed to address a wide range of interests and backgrounds. 

For Everyone

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First Thursday Lab Tours

The best way to understand what we do at ICA is to come for a visit! Get an insider’s view on a First Thursday Lab Tour. Starting at 10am the first Thursday of every month, we invite you to see firsthand current projects in action, and speak one-on-one with ICA’s talented (and extremely charming!) conservators about their work. Each tour lasts about 1 hour and will showcase objects from each conservation specialty department (paintings, textiles, objects, and works on paper).


These tours are always free, but reservations are required and attendance is 

limited to 10 participants. Call 216-658-8700 or email us at ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org to reserve your space. 

Monthly Webinars 

Once a month, join our team and special guests in discussions about all aspects of art and heritage conservation practice. Held via Zoom, usually on Wednesday mornings at 10:30, each talk lasts about 1 hour and topics cover a myriad of topics. Each presentation is followed by an interactive Q&A, during which guests can ask questions of the presenters and each other in real time. 


Sample programs include: 

  • Hazards in Collections, with special guest Jennifer Myers, objects conservator, National Museum of the United States Airforce
  • Care and Handling of 19th-Century Portraits 
  • Caring for Silver Objects
  • Plastics in Collections


To join ICA’s mailing list and stay up to date on monthly webinar topics, email ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org

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Caring for Treasures Pop-Up Museum

Let ICA come to you! Holly Witchey, ICA’s Executive Director, is available to bring this deeply engaging program directly to your organization! This combination presentation and pop-up museum provides information on how to handle, care for, and eventually pass on your family treasures. Attendees are encouraged to bring a small object, photograph, document, or item that is personally meaningful to exhibit in a “Pop-Up Museum” of family treasures.


To find out more about Caring for Treasures, call 216-658-8700 or email ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org

For Students

I Want to Be an Art Conservator!

We hear you! It is the coolest job ever (#biased). Conservation is a competitive field, but if you are someone who can’t choose between STEM and humanities, and also loves to create with your hands, this might be the career for you. 

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Pre-Program Student Lab Tours 

College students who are interested in learning about conservation are invited to register for one of our pre-program student lab tours. Offered four times a year, this program includes a tour of the lab, followed by an informal conversation with ICA’s conservators, during which they will discuss their paths to conservation, the requirements for graduate school, and answer your questions. 


On-site Pre-Program Lab Tours: June and December (limited to 10 participants per session, registration is required)


Virtual Pre-Program Lab Tours: March and September (via Zoom, registration is required)


For specific dates and to register, call 216-658-8700 or email ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org

Pre-Program Internships 

Graduate conservation programs expect applying students to have some experience working with practicing conservators. To support students in gaining this exposure, ICA offers a targeted internship opportunity on a case-by-case basis. 


Unfortunately, ICA is currently unable to offer stipends or relocation assistance monies for these internships; juniors or seniors from Northeast Ohio colleges and universities who are able to receive academic credit or funding for internships will be given priority consideration. 

For more information or to inquire about this program, call 216-658-8700 or email ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org

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A woman is working on a statue of an angel

Graduate Student Fellowships

For students enrolled in a graduate conservation program, ICA is happy to consider applications for summer fellowship positions, based on program funding.


For more information or to inquire, call 216-658-8700 or email ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org

For Cultural Heritage Professionals

Free Consultation with a Conservator

Did you know that it is part of ICA’s mission to provide training and education to the stewards of cultural heritage? If you work in a museum, library, historic house, archive, gallery, performing arts organization, hall of fame, or other allied organization and have a question for a conservation professional, please do not hesitate to give us a call at 216-658-8700 or email ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org. Free consultations may be up to 30 minutes in duration and are subject to conservator availability.

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Specialized Programs and Custom Workshops

Does the staff of your historic house need training in wet salvage techniques? Or would your library team benefit from a paper object handling workshop? ICA can provide customized learning sessions to meet the needs of your organization. Please contact us at ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org

Annual Subsidized Survey

One of ICA’s goals is to make conservation services accessible to small and underserved heritage institutions. Each year, we invite nonprofit collecting organizations to apply for a Subsidized Survey, with the intent of helping the recipient institution identify its preservation needs and plan future conservation and stewardship initiatives. The information gained through the assessment can support prioritizing treatment objectives and potentially assist in fundraising to address those preservation needs. 


During the survey, an ICA conservator will visit the recipient institution to examine the identified objects on-site for up to two days. Written condition reports and treatment recommendations will be provided following this visit. The selected institution will be asked to contribute only the travel costs associated with the on-site visit. 


The focus of the Subsidized Survey changes every year, allowing access for stewards of all different types of collections. Any non-profit cultural institution demonstrating a commitment to collections care is eligible to apply for this survey. For more information on the topic of this year’s survey and timeline for applying, call 216-658-8700 or email ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org


You can also download the application here.

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Disaster Preparedness

It is easy to avoid planning for disasters, but even minor disruptions like power outages or snowstorms can significantly impair daily operations, resulting in damage to valuable heritage items. To ensure swift recovery from unexpected events, it's crucial to have a solid disaster recovery plan in place beforehand.


ICA understands the importance of a well-organized recovery plan for preserving our community's cultural resources, and also knows that developing such a plan can be an intimidating task. To begin to address this need for our immediate community, ICA has established the Alliance for Response Ohio (AR-OH). AR-OH collaborates with the Cuyahoga County Office of Emergency Management to protect and support cultural heritage organizations during emergencies and aid their recovery afterward.


AR-OH is working to create a county-wide Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee to represent a broad range of cultural organizations, define their roles during crises, and periodically review and update these roles. Ultimately, this information will be shared with over 200 museums, archives, and libraries in the county, as well as the Cuyahoga Office of Emergency Management.


If you are interested in learning more about disaster preparedness and upcoming 

programs contact ConnectwithICA@ica-artconservation.org


 ICA partners with LYRASIS in the Mellon-Funded Performing Arts Readiness (PAR) Initiative, a comprehensive program, focused on helping performing arts organizations prepare for disaster, response, recovery and business continuity. For more information and helpful tools visit the PAR website.

Education is a cornerstone of our work at ICA-Art Conservation. Through our outreach programs, we bring the world of conservation into the community, offering learning experiences that are both informative and inspiring. Our goal is to create a broader awareness of the importance of preserving cultural heritage, and to equip individuals with the knowledge and tools they need to protect these treasures for future generations.

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