Art Conservation Clinic: September 23

Buffalo State’s Art Conservation Department will offer its expertise on the preservation of everything from watercolor paintings to rare books at a one-day clinic, Friday, September 23.

Between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., members of the public who have made an appointment can visit the clinic, located on the second floor of Rockwall Hall, and meet with art conservation faculty and second-year graduate students.

“Once a year we open our doors to our colleagues in the museum world and to private collectors to bring in their art objects,” said Patrick Ravines, director of the art conservation program. “It could be ceramics, glass, or a print from modern times or the fifteenth century. We don’t exclude anything.”

First, the six full-time art conservation faculty members in the various disciplines perform a quick examination to determine if the work required is something the students are able to do.

“If it would be of educational use, we determine a low-cost option for the patron,” Ravines said. “It’s much less than they would be pay in the private market. The amount of money we charge just covers the materials needed for conservation treatment.”

The only caveat, he noted, is the projects do take time, sometimes up to two years. “We tell people up front,” Ravines said. “We give them a list of local conservators, some as far away as Syracuse and Jamestown, so they can take the work there.”

The Buffalo State Art Conservation Department is one of the leading programs of its kind in North America. Accepting only 10 students a year, the competitive three-year graduate program trains conservators of fine art and material cultural heritage. Graduates can be found in the conservation labs of major institutions across the United States, including the National Gallery of Art, the Library of Congress, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and others.

Reservations are required for art to be examined. Call (716) 878-5025. Appointments are made on a first-come, first-served basis.