packca

I understand completely...I did my organic chem classes at school where they were extra tough to weed out pre-meds who wouldn't cut it. It was stressful and I basically had no life as I was studying constantly. But still totally worth it! Best, Crista

Hi Sara, I'm currently a third-year graduate student at the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and I'm more than happy to answer any questions you might have about the program and the field of conservation. I too was an Art History/Studio Art major during my undergrad studies. I then went on to get my Master's in Art History...which is when I discovered the world of conservation. It was a perfect fit for me, because it combined the art history that I love with the ability to work with my hands and use my artistic skills as well. Once I finished my MA in art history, I had to go back to school to do the chemistry prerequisites. There are currently four graduate programs for art conservation in the United States: Winterthur, Buffalo State College, NYU, and the UCLA/Getty program (their focus is on ethnographic and archaeological conservation). I believe most, if not all, of these programs will require a minimum of 4 courses in college level chemistry: 2 gen chems and 2 organic chem courses. Coming from an art history/studio art background, I was a bit intimidated by this at first, but found I really enjoyed the courses once I started. Once you've taken Chem 101, you'll have a good idea if it is something you enjoy...and can help you decide if conservation is right for you. Each of the programs accepts a limited number of applicants each year (usually 10) and they are all very competitive, so the more you have under your belt - the better. In addition to the chemistry, a certain number of art history and fine art prerequisites are required. These can vary from program to program, so it's best to check their websites. It sounds like your background is a lot like mine, so you would probably have no problem meeting these requirements. In addition to the coursework, would would also need to have a portfolio of your artwork, showing your work in a variety of mediums (again, the number of pieces and range of mediums are specified in the application instructions for the programs). Internships are a great way to get your foot in the door and start learning about the field. There are a number of great pre-program internship experiences out there and this is how we all get our initial training and get ready for applying to the graduate programs. A lot of museums offer these types of internships, some are even paid. My first pre-program internship was at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. They have a great internship program for pre-program applicants (there are a number at the Smithsonian and in DC....well all over the east coast, really! Again, this is just the area I'm familiar with, there are many all over the US). The work and treatments you do during these internships will help you build a conservation portfolio - which you will also need to apply to the graduate programs. I spent 5 years from the time I decided to go into conservation to the point I was accepted into graduate school. I was lucky in that I was accepted during the first year I applied, but it's not uncommon for people to have to apply more than once. Again, since it can be so competitive, the more experiences you get, the better candidate you will be. The grad program is three years (4 at NYU, which has an additional year because of the art history MA that you get along with the conservation degree there). So, all together, I will have spent about 8 years training for this career. This is not that unusual and you can anticipate spending at least a couple years of completing the chemistry requirements and getting the pre-program experiences. I hope this isn't too much information or come across as too overwhelming. It's a lot of work, but I believe it is totally worth it. It is definitely the most rewarding work I've ever done and there is a lot of satisfaction in knowing you're helping to preserve cultural heritage for future generations. If you have any questions at all, I'd be more than happy to answer what I can! Best, Crista