A black and white icon of a woman in a frame.

Art Conservation For The Nation

ICA – Art Conservation is the oldest not-for-profit regional art conservation center in the United States. For nearly seventy years, ICA conservators have cleaned, repaired, and cared for works of art and objects of cultural heritage and personal significance. Our conservators are professionally educated and trained, with expertise in paintings, objects, works on paper, and textiles.

Conservation Services

Specialized care for artifacts, from ceramics and metals to organic materials and plastics.

Conservation of paintings from traditional masterpieces to contemporary works.

Treatment of a wide range of objects, from historic quilts and flags, to costume and fiber-based art.

Preservation of paper-based materials, including prints and drawings, maps and documents.

A woman wearing purple gloves is working on a red object

Objects –

Expert Care for Ceramics, Metals, Glass, and More.

The objects lab is responsible for the treatment and preservation of three-dimensional artifacts from a variety of media. ICA is equipped to treat objects made from ceramic, glass, metal, stone, plaster, and plastic, as well as items made from organic materials such as wood, leather, fur, and feathers. From archaeological and ethnographic artifacts to furniture and decorative art objects, treatments commonly include surface cleaning and consolidation, joining of breaks, filling and retouching of losses, and in the case of metalwork, corrosion removal and stabilization. The ICA objects department also specializes in the treatment of outdoor sculpture.

Paintings –

From Old Masters to Contemporary Visionaries.

The paintings lab examines and treats a wide range of painted objects, from European and American Old Masters to contemporary works created using non-traditional materials and techniques. Painting supports can be wood, canvas, metal, or board. Media can range from egg tempera to oil and acrylic to encaustic. The department is equipped for UV and IR examination to aid in understanding artists’ techniques and condition issues. ICA's paintings conservators have particular expertise in treating oversized murals, either in situ or at the ICA.

A man is painting a picture on an easel in a studio.
A woman is sitting at a table working on a piece of embroidery.

Textiles –

Restoring The Threads of History.

The textile department specializes in preserving a diverse array of fabric and fiber-based items, such as tapestries, embroideries, flags, samplers, costumes, quilts, weavings, and contemporary fiber art. Over time and with use, textiles can discolor, fade, and deteriorate, leading to splits and losses. We address these issues by using delicate stitching and conservation mounting techniques where appropriate, as well as wet- and dry-cleaning methods suited to the specific medium. After treatment, items can be readied for display or storage using conservation techniques and archival materials.

Works on Paper –

Specialized Care for Delicate Paper Artifacts.

The paper lab is designed and equipped for the treatment and preservation of paper-based materials including drawings, watercolors, and prints. In addition to fine art, paper conservators treat archival materials such as documents, maps, photographs, and books. Oversized pieces, contemporary art, three-dimensional paper objects, works on parchment, and mixed media pieces are also treated, as are non-Western works, including scrolls and screens.

A woman is working on a piece of paper on a wooden table

Protecting, preserving, and enriching our shared heritage of art and material culture through conservation, advocacy, and education.

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