Art History Class: Conservation Conversation

Two sessions are available. Wednesdays: August 10 + 17. Saturdays: August 13 + 20. All sessions take place at 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in the Carnegie Museum of Art Theater.

Conservators are amazing. They can rescue damaged art from the brink of destruction, and their expert care helps prevent fragile works from literally crumbling to dust.

(Plus, they’re some of the only people who get to touch the art.)

Get an inside look at this fascinating side of museum work with Carnegie Museum of Art chief conservator Ellen Baxter, including a special visit to her lab! Ellen reveals the secrets behind preserving works of art in the museum’s collection. She’ll also discuss some of the quirks and practices that may surprise you—museum conservators take painstaking steps to ensure that their treatments are reversible and discoverable. Take an in-depth look at current and past conservation efforts including the extensive treatment of the Grand Staircase murals, and check out works currently undergoing treatment for the spring 2018 exhibition The Enlightened Eye.

Space is limited for this class.