Art Conservation
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Preserving the Past, Inspiring the Future
Welcome
The Department of Art Conservation at the University of Delaware offers world-class programming dedicated to training future conservators of artistic and cultural heritage. Our interdisciplinary curriculum combines hands-on studio work with advanced study in chemistry, material science, art history, and conservation theory. Students gain extensive experience treating a wide range of artifacts including paintings, sculptures, textiles, books, photographs, and archaeological objects. With state-of-the-art instructional laboratories and strong ties to major museums, the Department of Art Conservation produces leaders in the field who go on to prestigious positions preserving the world's cultural treasures for generations to come. Whether your passion is modern and contemporary art or ancient artifacts, our program provides the comprehensive training needed to become an expert in this highly specialized profession.
Why Art Conservation?
- Unique Undergraduate Experience: The University of Delaware is the only university in the nation to offer courses taught by multiple conservators at the undergraduate level, providing an unparalleled mentorship experience with an average of six conservation professors per student.
- World-Class Master's and Doctoral Programs: The Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC) is renowned for its three-year graduate curriculum designed to educate and train conservation professionals in the examination, analysis, stabilization, treatment, and sustainable preservation of heritage collections through specialization in eight conservation disciplines. The Preservation Studies Doctoral Program (PSP) is an interdisciplinary course of study in the philosophies, research methodologies, and policies informing the preservation of art and cultural heritage — distinct in its approach combining cross-field expertise toward doctoral study in preservation.
- Exciting Internship Opportunities: Students in the Art Conservation program have opportunities to intern at a wide variety of institutions around the world, gaining specialized knowledge and skills in the arts, sciences, and other fields, and developing the valuable hand, communication, and critical-thinking skills necessary to be responsible custodians of cultural heritage and cultural exchange.
75%
of art conservation undergrads work in collections care post-graduation.
Graduates
of all three art conservation programs work in 44 states, Washington, D.C. and more than 30 countries.
Partnerships
we partner with 200+ museums, donors, and foundations to secure ongoing funding for our students.
Uniquely UD: Art Conservation
YouTube Link: Uniquely UD: Art Conservation: youtube.com/watch?v=aZEAR-UZHVQ
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Modern Tech Sees Through Ancient Mummies
November 20, 2024 | Written by CAS StaffWUDPAC Class of 2024 alumna Mackenzie Fairchild is part of a team at Chicago's Field Museum that is using modern technology to understand ancient civilizations." -
Student Blog: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
November 20, 2024 | Written by CAS StaffIn this blog post, WUDPAC Class of 2025 Fellow Lila Reid talks about her third-year internship in the Furniture and Frames Conservation department at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, working with eagles, architectural panels, and a 19th-century lacquered sewing table. -
What is a Conservation Clinic?
November 20, 2024 | Written by CAS StaffThe Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation faculty and students have been hosting free-of-charge monthly or bi-monthly cultural heritage conservation clinics since 1976, where advice on condition, care, and possible treatment is offered without charge.
