How to Care for Your Art Collection: Conservation and Preservation

Ensuring the health and preservation of a work of art for future generations is key to being a responsible art collector. Good stewardship helps maintain the integrity and value of works in a collection, and having a relationship with good conservation professionals is essential to this pursuit. So, what is conservation, and what can conservators do for you as a collector?

Art conservation is the preservation of artworks through examination, documentation and treatment. The profession comprises highly qualified, highly trained specialists in a certain set of materials and time period. When looking for a conservator, you’ll want to find someone who has a particular area of expertise — such as paper, photographs, electronic media, sculpture or paintings — who has been properly trained in a recognized conservation program, and who adheres to the codes of ethics and standards of the professional authority within their country.

Conservators are much more than craftspeople repairing art. By working intimately with artworks, and through examination and analytical tools, conservators possess a wealth of technical art historical information. When a work is considered for purchase, the expertise of the conservator is essential to understanding the physical condition of the artwork, what may have happened to it in the past, the intent of the artist, how the condition fits with other works by the artist, and the type of care it will need once in a collection, whether on display, in storage, or on loan. Much of the time, however, conservators are carrying out treatments. Damages do occur, and given the active art market, today’s most qualified conservators are kept quite busy. Conservators adhere to professional ethical guidelines and standards of practice while being creative and resourceful in tackling the challenges presented by varied artists’ materials. Our aim is to have our work be as invisible to the viewer as possible so that the artwork can be appreciated and enjoyed as the artist intended, but still be reversible or re-treatable by the next generation of conservators.

As a collector, you can find a good conservator through an art advisor, collection manager, insurance broker or appraiser, or by contacting a museum with a conservation department. A conservator can provide guidance and critical information when you’re purchasing a work (to understand the artwork’s condition and technical history,) when you install the work (to know the best practice and safest environment for each artwork,) when something damaging happens (such as a leak or radical shift in the climate in your home,) and for general maintenance (such as routine dusting or protection during home renovations.) Conservators’ fees are based on time, level of expertise, the complexity of the project, location and deadline.

A few points of general advice for collectors are as follows: Keep your home climate-controlled throughout the year — do not close up the house for the season with no heat or air conditioning as this can cause irreparable damage including mold or cracked paint. Keep shades down when not at home, especially when away for extended periods, to minimize light exposure. Frame works with UV protective plexi or glass where possible. Rotate works that are exposed to a lot of light exposure by putting some into storage for part of the year. Outdoor works should receive semi-annual maintenance to minimize impact by the elements. Have an emergency plan in place for hurricanes or loss of power. Maintain an up-to-date list of works in your collection and have a conservator carry out condition reviews periodically. Don’t buy works that do not fit in the door or up the stairs without discussing this with a conservator (not all paintings can be safely rolled, for example.)

Whether buying and selling art as an investment, passing a collection along to one’s children, or donating to museums, the best collectors are those who appreciate their responsibilities as temporary caretakers of our cultural heritage.

Suzanne Siano is the founder, owner, and chief conservator of Modern Art Conservation (MAC), a private practice based in NYC focusing on the expert conservation and restoration of modern and contemporary art with a specialization in paintings and mixed-media works. Her team of fourteen includes industry experts with a dedicated focus on the care and preservation of modern and contemporary works. The practice serves international clients with artworks ranging from the late 19th century to the present and is renowned for its expertise in Warhol, Mitchell, Basquiat, Haring, Lichtenstein, Kelly, Johns and other major modern and contemporary artists. Siano holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from Barnard College, masters in art history from Syracuse University (Florence Fellows Program), and a Certificate in Art Conservation from the Institute of Fine Arts, Conservation Center, NYU. Siano was a conservator in the paintings conservation department at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for 13 years in addition to working as associate conservator of paintings at Amann Conservation and Rustin Levenson Art Conservation. Since 2006, Siano has been an adjunct professor at the IFA, Conservation Center, training future conservators in the specialized area of modern and contemporary materials and conservation. Siano lectures widely on topics such as damage and loss, conserving non-traditional materials, best practices for collectors and the role of the conservator in the art market. Siano is co-vice chair of the advisory board of ArtWalk, an annual fundraising event for the Coalition for the Homeless, a fellow of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC), and chair of AIC’s Ethics and Standards Committee.