Conservation experts

Resources to Preserve the Value of Your Collection

See Also: ArtlinkGlobal Auction News Advisories at:

http://artlinkglobaladvisory.wordpress.com/

See Also: ArtlinkGlobal Benchmarks for Designers at:

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/22926344

The Williamstown Art Conservation Center http://www.williamstownart.org/index.html

FURNITURE

The WACC Department of Furniture and Wood Objects provides in-lab and on-site services for the conservation of a wide range of furniture, art objects, historical artifacts, and picture frames.

Conservators treat all variety of wood objects, including:

varnished, painted, gilded, carved, and upholstered furniture
indoor and outdoor sculpture
architectural woodwork
signs, toys, treen, and items of historic value
picture frames

Picture frame services include identification of original frames, structural and cosmetic conservation and restoration, fabrication of reproduction frames, and construction of sealed microclimate enclosures for travel and exhibition. Many projects are coordinated with other departments for their specialized skills.

The department offers treatment of pest infestation with state-of-the-art nitrogen-induced anoxia equipment.

Conservators are available for on-site surveys and services, and to conduct seminars and training sessions.

PAINTINGS

The Paintings Department is the oldest and largest department at WACC, with the capacity to conserve paint-based artworks regardless of age, size, medium, or condition.

Staff conservators are skilled in treatments ranging from surface cleaning to paint-layer stabilization to the complete restoration of damaged artworks. The lab is expert in the full range of materials and techniques, including:

egg tempera
traditional and modern oil-based paint
acrylics and water-based paint
panel and fabric supports
wall murals and frescoes
theatrical stage backdrops
reverse painted glass
the diverse challenges of contemporary artworks

Conservators consult closely with curators and collectors on special challenges and augment professional expertise with scholarly research, analytic imaging, and scientific analysis. WACC has prepared paintings for exhibition in major museums in America and Europe, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Musée d’Orsay, and Museo del Prado. The department works with institutions to perform condition assessments for individual paintings or entire collections. Such assessments become a vital resource for collections care, loan and travel requests, and grant applications. Paintings conservators regularly collaborate with other WACC departments on projects that require multiple specialties.

PAPER AND PHOTOGRAPHS

The WACC Department of Paper and Photograph Conservation is equipped to treat a wide range of paper-based art and artifacts.

Conservators provide consultation and treatment of artworks including:

watercolors
pastels
drawings
prints including engravings, etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and screen prints
historic and contemporary photographs
scrolls and screens
maps, posters, and cultural ephemera

While the majority of conservation treatments are performed on fine-art works in the Western tradition, the department also has expertise in conservation and mounting practices of East Asian scrolls and screens on paper and silk.

Other services include archival matting and framing, collections management assistance, and on-site facility and condition assessments for large collections and oversized projects. Conservators are available to train museum staff in safe handling, housing, and storage procedures of works on paper. The department offers internships to conservation students and serves as a workshop venue for advanced-level conservation training.