Career blog post

The title of the career that I'm interested in is an art conservator. Art conservators preserve and restore artworks so they can last for generations. Artworks can include many such as historical artifacts, paintings, sculptures, etc. I picked this one because it combines art/history with science and chemistry, two fields I'm passionate about.

Responsibilities include:

• Assessing the condition of artworks to understand the composition and state of artworks

• Identifying damage and deterioration and materials

• Restoring damage, cleaning surfaces, applying protection

• Documenting and recording conservation process

• Work with chemists, historians, physicists, etc.

Required credentials include:

• Typically, a Master's in Conservation and a good background in art history and sciences like biology and chemistry

• Important to have experience working in museums and labs with conservation work

A day typically looks like examining an artwork with specialized tools, documentation, testing- all in a lab. Cleaning with tools and writing reports about the artwork's condition is fundamental. Days can be in the lab or at museums collaborating with staff.

Skills:

• Strong chemistry and art history knowledge

• Patience, detail-oriented

• Problem-solving

College majors:

• Art conservation

• Chemistry

• Art history

• Archaeology

Top schools and programs:

• NYU

• UD

• GWU

• SUNY