Paper conservators at the Art Institute of Chicago care for the museum’s paper-based holdings including Western prints and drawings, artists’ sketchbooks, architectural plans, modern and contemporary art, and Middle and Far Eastern works (Islamic manuscript pages, Indian miniatures, and scrolls and screens).
With objects from many cultures and dates, conservators at the Art Institute must be familiar with a diverse range of supports and media. Many of the methods and materials used are rooted in Japanese tradition. However, with access to cutting-edge conservation science, we are constantly exploring new approaches to examination and treatment. In addition to treatment, we monitor the museum environment, examine artworks considered for acquisition, and create elegant housing solutions for works that will be studied, exhibited, and loaned. The lab’s proximity to the majority of the museum’s paper collections facilitates research and allows us to prepare, install, and monitor exhibitions in our galleries.
