Conservator

Conservators organise and valorise works of art, buildings, books and furniture. They work in a wide range of areas such as creating and implementing new collections of art, preserving heritage buildings by applying restoration techniques as well as foreseeing the conservation of literary works, films, and valuable objects.

Includes people performing restoration.

The following job titles also refer to conservator:

building conservation officer

Master’s degree is generally required to work as conservator. However, this requirement may differ in some countries.

ISCO skill level is defined as a function of the complexity and range of tasks and duties to be performed in an occupation. It is measured on a scale from 1 to 4, with 1 the lowest level and 4 the highest, by considering:

• the nature of the work performed in an occupation in relation to the characteristic tasks and duties
• the level of formal education required for competent performance of the tasks and duties involved and
• the amount of informal on-the-job training and/or previous experience in a related occupation required for competent performance of these tasks and duties.

Conservator is a Skill level 4 occupation.

These occupations, although different, require a lot of knowledge and skills similar to conservator.

art restorer
exhibition curator
collection manager
archive manager
museum scientist

These occupations require some skills and knowledge of conservator. They also require other skills and knowledge, but at a higher ISCO skill level, meaning these occupations are accessible from a position of conservator with a significant experience and/or extensive training.

This knowledge should be acquired through learning to fulfill the role of conservator.

Museum databases: The tools and processes involved in working with museum databases.

These skills are necessary for the role of conservator.

Create solutions to problems: Solve problems which arise in planning, prioritising, organising, directing/facilitating action and evaluating performance. Use systematic processes of collecting, analysing, and synthesising information to evaluate current practice and generate new understandings about practice.
Create collection conservation plan: Create a comprehensive, high-level overview conservation plan for the collection.
Ensure safety of exhibition: Ensure safety of exhibition environment and of artefacts by applying safety devices.
Assess conservation needs: Assess and list the needs for conservation/restoration, in relation to current use and planned future use.
Provide conservation advice: Formulating guidelines for object care, preservation and maintenance, and providing professional advice on possible restoration work to be done.
Use ict recources to solve work related tasks: Ability to choose and use ICT recources in order to solve related tasks
Assess object condition: Work together with the collection manager or restorer, to evaluate and document the condition of a museum object for a loan or an exhibition.
Apply strategic thinking: Apply generation and effective application of business insights and possible opportunities, in order to achieve competitive business advantage on a long-term basis.
Meet deadlines: Ensure operative processes are finished at a previously agreed-upon time.
Coordinate operational activities: Synchronise activities and responsibilities of the operational staff to ensure that the resources of an organisation are used most efficiently in pursuit of the specified objectives.
Diagnose conservation issues: Assess the nature of the object to be conserved or restored, and examine the causes of any deterioration.
Structure information: Organise information using systematic methods such as mental models and according to given standards in order to facilitate user information processing and understanding with respect to the specific requirements and characteristics of the output media.
Cope with challenging demands: Maintain a positive attitude towards new and challenging demands such as interaction with artists and handling of artistic artefacts. Work under pressure such as dealing with last moment changes in time schedules and financial restraints.

This knowledge is sometimes, but not always, required for the role of conservator. However, mastering this knowledge allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Art collections: The variety of paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings and other works that form collections in a museum and prospective new collections which are of interest for a museum or art gallery.
Cultural projects: The purpose, organisation and management of cultural projects and related fundraising actions.
History: The discipline that studies, analyses, and presents the events of the past related to humans.
Art-historical values: The historical and artistic values implied in examples of one’s branch of art.
Art history: The history of art and artists, the artistic trends throughout centuries and their contemporary evolutions.
Historic architecture: The techniques and styles of various periods in history from an architectural standpoint.
Furniture, carpet and lighting equipment products: The offered furniture, carpet and lighting equipment products, their functionalities, properties and legal and regulatory requirements.
Cultural history: Field that combines historical and anthropological approaches for recording and studying past customs, arts, and manners of a group of people taking into account their political, cultural, and social milieu.

These skills and competences are sometimes, but not always, required for the role of conservator. However, mastering these skills and competences allows you to have more opportunities for career development.

Apply restoration techniques: Select and apply appropriate restoration techniques in order to achieve the required restoration goals. This encompasses preventive measures, remedial measures, restoration processes and management processes.
Provide project information on exhibitions: Provide information on the preparation, execution and evaluation of exhibitions and other artistic projects.
Respect cultural differences in the field of exhibition: Respect cultural differences when creating artistic concepts and exhibitions. Collaborate with international artists, curators, museums and sponsors.
Estimate restoration costs: Estimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.
Supervise projects for the conservation of heritage buildings: Supervise protection and restoration projects of cultural heritage. Use own expertise to make sure the project runs smoothly.
Interact with an audience: Convey the artistic values of the art form(s). Respond to the reactions of your audience and involve them.
Perform project management: Manage and plan various resources, such as human resources, budget, deadline, results, and quality necessary for a specific project, and monitor the project’s progress in order to achieve a specific goal within a set time and budget.
Present reports: Display results, statistics and conclusions to an audience in a transparent and straightforward way.
Estimate restoration costs of antique items: Estimate the price of the restoration process of antique products taking into consideration the  time required for restoration.
Evaluate art quality: Correctly evaluate the quality of art objects, artefacts, photographs and documents.

2621 – Archivists and curators

References

1. Conservator – ESCO