fine art conservation services
We specialize in innovative art conservation solutions to protect a wide variety of cultural artifacts, historic structures and works of art. In our 30 years of conservation experience as an art conservator, we’ve helped a wide range of museums, non-profits, campuses and historical societies meet their organizational goals. We have extensive experience with sculpture restoration, artifact preservation, historic vehicle restoration, and textile repair.
Regardless of the form in which it comes, artwork is an integral part of our culture. As an expression of creative ideas and imagination, it not only brings people together but also reminds us of the important things in life. With the critical role that it plays in society, there is a need to save the associated cultural heritage for future generations. At B.R Howard & Associates, we have been providing conservation and restoration for over 30 years. Our preservation services are designed to help protect cultural artifacts, historic structures, and other works of art.
Art conservation services on the east coast
Our conservation studio is located in south central Pennsylvania, B.R. Howard is just a few hours drive from some of the country’s biggest cities including New York (3.5 hours), Baltimore (1.5 hours), Washington D.C. (2 hours), Philadelphia (2 hours) and Pittsburgh (3 hours). Our prime location gives us the opportunity to provide preservation facilities and storage space to some of the finest art and history museums in the nation along the the east coast via Interstate 81.
B.R. Howard is located on the east cost, central to many major cities.
Architectural Preservation
Preserving buildings of historical significance and architectural charm is an environmentally responsible practice that is also vital to understanding our cultural heritage. In order to preserve our culture for future generations, it is essential to keep some of the spaces where we live intact. By maintaining them in this condition, the structures and spaces will also serve as a reminder of where we have been, and how far we have come. As such, our architectural preservation service focuses on enhancing the design durability of existing man made structures.
We work on conserving both indoor and outdoor environments, by treating them for general weathering, disaster damage, and conditions caused by time. The main methods that we use to achieve architectural preservation and prevent deconstruction are rehabilitation, reconstruction, restoration, and preservation. Once you contact us for our services, our staff will visit the site to assess the situation and recommend the most appropriate course of action. Most older buildings have an intrinsic value and attract people, and they also serve as a reminder of a city’s culture and complexity, helping to maintain a sense of heritage and permanency.
Public Art Conservation
Just like historic buildings, public artwork will suffer the effects of wear and time over time. Since public artwork is a reflection of the community, it is critical that the artwork is kept in a condition that allows it to look its best at all times. Our public preservation services are designed to maintain the integrity of the piece, while ensuring it remains healthy and long-lasting. Regardless of whether the piece is in the form of a painting, sculpture or architectural feature, our team of experts will help to care for it so that it does not lose its cultural importance and continues to bring economic value to the community.
Public conservation service can range from assessments, to training and repairs. Maintenance will involve treating the collection regularly to help prevent common problems. On the other hand, assessment is evaluating and documenting the state of the asset to determine the best routine care, and identify potentially problematic areas. We will then create a plan that will help to prevent issues from reoccurring, and train community staff on how to care for the piece of public artwork. All our services are performed in strict compliance with the set industry standards.
Condition Assessment
Full collections, individual pieces, and public collections have to be assessed after some time. Art condition assessment help to determine the current status of the piece, providing valuable information on problems that need to be addressed, and making it easy to take the necessary steps to prevent larger issues. As it takes certain expertise and experience to see these problem areas and apply the necessary treatments, condition assessments of artwork should be left to a qualified conservator.
When assessing a piece, there are certain pieces of information that we focus on. We will record the name of the piece, the artist, as well as when it was completed and acquired. The process will also go through the materials from which the piece is made, its dimensions, photos, and a brief description. We will then produce a general condition rating that will mention any breaks, scratches, corrosion, chipped areas, and damages that the piece may have present. Finally, condition assessment will involve documenting treatment priority areas, and providing treatment recommendations.
Conservation Treatment
Various conservation treatment methods can be recommend upon assessing a piece or collection. These options depend on the condition and needs of the object or how it will be exhibited. Art conservation treatments, art preservation, and art restoration may include cleaning, stabilizing, in-painting, or reproducing pieces to cover lost or damaged components.
Sculpture Restoration
Sculptures that are made of marble, metal, stone, or bronze will require specific types of treatment. These can include filling cracks, applying new wax coatings, cleaning the piece to remove dirt, repairing water or smoke damage, and creating replacement pieces. All these methods will go a long way in helping to restore the integrity of the structure.
Painting Restoration
The appearance and value of paintings of different mediums can also suffer due to the effects of wear and tear. If this is revealed during condition assessment, restorative measures can include careful surface cleaning, in-painting for certain areas, removal of mold and soot, as well as repair of tears in the canvas, and repairing of the frame itself.
Artifacts and Objects
Our conservation treatment service also covers furniture, cultural heritage pieces, historic vehicles, military objects, and other artifacts of note. Depending on the condition of the object, it may be necessary to clean it to remove any dirt or soot, replace parts in areas of loss, carry out re-humidification of textiles, and the use of decorative paint to paint areas of loss.
Disaster Recovery
Certain events can cause great damage to pieces of artwork, effectively threatening to wipe out part of the cultural and historical value they hold. With over 25 years of experience in artwork collection recovery, we are able to provide emergency response for safeguarding art collections in the event of flooding, water damage, fire, or mold. Our service includes recovery, packing, transportation, condition assessment, treatment implementation, and storage. We work with qualified and experienced conservators to help us determine the condition of the piece before either repairing or replacing it.
Our disaster recovery services cover painting restoration and sculpture repair, as well as architectural preservation and restoration. These are performed in adherence to industry set codes of ethics and guidelines. They are also designed to help salvage the original work, and restore the piece to its prior condition.
Conserve Your Art
There is no doubt that conservation offers numerous benefits to society. With the wide range of services that we provide, we will work to ensure that our clients enjoy quality with convenience. We value our relationships, and will strive to ensure that our services meet your expectations. If you are looking to grow and preserve your collections, please contact us today for quality art preservation services.