Art conservation courses may be offered as part of an art conservation degree program, or workshops, seminars, and conferences are available to educate those with an interest in art conservation in other fields. Art conservation courses cover a wide range of subjects, including art history, science, and archeology, in order to prepare for a career as an art conservator. Short continuing education courses can help an art conservator keep her knowledge up to date as her career progresses. A seminar, workshop, or even a long-distance course can cover the basics of art preservation or historic preservation, including federal regulations, for mid-career non-conservation professionals who want to increase their knowledge about conservation.
Art conservation is the process of preserving a work of art with the least amount of intervention possible. Although some art conservators work on art restoration, which involves repairing existing damage, art conservation’s primary goal is to preserve and protect an artwork from further deterioration. This necessitates a solid understanding of preservation techniques, as well as knowledge of art history, archaeology, and architecture, as well as chemistry and other sciences. Any conservator, restorer, or preservationist should be familiar with the federal regulations that govern the handling of historical objects and works of art in their respective countries.
A university graduate degree program in art conservation should include all of the art conservation courses required to begin a career in conservation and historical preservation for an aspiring art conservation expert. Art conservation courses may be taken students to learn about the preservation of various materials or how artists’ techniques have changed over time. To understand how to best preserve works of art and monuments, a student will also need a thorough understanding of materials science and organic and inorganic chemistry. Furthermore, understanding anthropology and cultures allows art conservators to consider conservation issues in the context of a specific historical era. Learning about the art materials and techniques used a society in a particular era can help you decide how to best preserve an object’s condition.
Although most conservation and restoration techniques are best left to professionals with years of training and experience, there are seminars available that address specific conservation issues or teach non-conservationists how to display, store, and handle works of art correctly. Conservation and preservation societies and museums offer these art conservation courses on a regular basis, and they can last anywhere from a few hours to a week or more. Many of them are geared toward preserving specific types of materials.
Finally, to stay current on new technologies and knowledge in the field, professional art conservators frequently attend continuing education classes. Fellowships may be used some to obtain more advanced training. These fellowships can help develop skills in specific conservation areas that would otherwise be unavailable in a regular job.