"Trailblazing Women in Art" featuring Heather Becker at EXPO Chicago 2022

"Trailblazing Women in Art" featuring Heather Becker at EXPO Chicago 2022

This year at EXPO CHICAGO, Northern Trust is hosting an intimate conversation with three female pioneers who are pushing the bounds of creativity. Steph Wagner, Northern Trust Director of Women and Wealth, will lead a thoughtful conversation with three women creating a ripple effect in the art world. From building the largest art restoration firm in North America to challenging auction house norms with NFTs to transforming communities with the power of color, we will explore how these innovators found their passion and are channeling it into a source of positive change.

Five Relics from Loyola University Chicago

Five Relics from Loyola University Chicago

“Madonna della Strada Chapel at Loyola University Chicago received the donation of five relics from the Kerwin daughters whose parents Mary and Charles C. Kerwin have a long association with Loyola University and the Archdiocese of Chicago. The relics are from Saint Francis of Assisi, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint Clare of Assisi, and a piece of the True Cross of Christ. These items are special connections for the faithful of our community and serves as reminders of heroic people for whom we can model our lives on. The Kerwin daughters were extremely generous in that their donation included the conservation of the relics so that they can be viewed and prayed with by our community.”

Preparing for Display: Conserving Treasures for the Snite Museum at the University of Notre Dame

Preparing for Display: Conserving Treasures for the Snite Museum at the University of Notre Dame

In late-2023, construction is scheduled to be completed on the University of Notre Dame's new art museum. The new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art will increase the University's capacity to display its art collection and accept programs that the current facility, the Snite Museum of Art, cannot because of size restrictions. In preparation for the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art opening, select paintings are undergoing treatment by The Conservation Center staff in preparation for display in their new home.

Verisk and The Conservation Center

Verisk and The Conservation Center

This month, The Center's CEO Heather Becker was featured virtually during the opening of this year's Verisk Elevate Conference in Salt Lake City. With our decades of disaster response experience, The Center is always ready to work with adjusters and insurance companies to save art collections big and small, personal or corporate, historic or modern.

Conserving The Imperial Screen of Emperor Qianlong

Conserving The Imperial Screen of Emperor Qianlong

Our Furniture Department is thrilled to have performed a complex, multi-step treatment of a Chinese masterpiece. The Imperial Screen was produced as a gift in 1791 during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711 - 1799), the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty who had one of the longest reigns in Chinese history, lasting just over 60 years from 1735 to 1796. The screen came to the United States for display during the 1939 Worlds Fair; The Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco. It is now a prized part of the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art in Elmhurst, Illinois.

The Center's 2022 New Year Art Contest

The Center's 2022 New Year Art Contest

To kick off the new year, we held an art competition amongst our talented staff this January. Creations were submitted and after our vote, we are proud to share the winning entry from Lead Preparator David Schmitt, the runner up entry by Conservation Services Director Jesus Mejia, and the second runner up from Facilities Manager and Senior Art Handler Alfredo Garcia.

A Sword with Family Lore

A Sword with Family Lore

The Allen family lore tells a plausible, if improbable, tale; the antique sword is an heirloom that has been carried by one generation to the next going all the way back to its original owner - Ethan Allen. Specifically, the founder of Vermont, Revolutionary War patriot, and politician Ethan Allen, who lived from 1737-1789.

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Karl Wirsum's "Buster" Marionette in need of a Custom Mount

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Karl Wirsum's "Buster" Marionette in need of a Custom Mount

This year the art world lost an artist whose name had become ubiquitous with the Chicago art scene: Karl Wirsum (1939 - 2021). A graduate of the School at The Art Institute of Chicago and a lifelong Chicagoan (a short teaching stint at Sacramento State University in the 1970's the only exception), Wirsum was a part of the Hairy Who group of Chicago artists in the mid 1960s. Truly, no collection of Chicago art is complete without a work by Wirsum.

Ethics in Conservation

Ethics in Conservation

The Conservation Center's dedication to the long-term preservation of artworks and heirlooms reaches far beyond the walls of our laboratory. Since 2007 we have published our educational newsletter monthly, sharing hundreds of conservation stories with our subscribers. We also believe in sharing our experience and expertise with professionals whose work intersects with conservation. Through lectures, learning modules, and podcasts, our goal is to help prepare insurance professionals for the day they respond to a claim that includes fine art. We are proud to collaborate with The Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB) to provide their members with continuing education opportunities and would like to share one of those topics with you - Ethics in Conservation.

Portrait of a Woman with Piercing Eyes and a Hidden Veil

Portrait of a Woman with Piercing Eyes and a Hidden Veil

"I have always liked the painting... it tells a story..."

Is there truly any better reason to display a work of art in your home? Purchased in the 1950s, Portrait of a Woman has been in the family of its current owner for nearly 70 years. Believed to be attributed to 19th-century German painter Philip Vieth, this captivating painting holds many secrets. The woman is looking straight at the viewer with a look of distress, one hand on her head and the other clutching a letter. On the table, interrupting the pattern of the tablecloth is a single gold ring.

Conserving a Turquoise Ceramic Bowl

Conserving a Turquoise Ceramic Bowl

When this striking turquoise ceramic bowl arrived at The Center for treatment, it immediately caught the attention of our objects conservator, with its history and character. This dish is low-fired ceramic and finished with a lovely glaze on the interior and half of the exterior with decorative hand-painted bands and curved motifs. Although we are unsure how old this Persian dish is, our conservator's examination showed that this object had survived a long life so far.

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Gilding a Gorgeous Frame

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Gilding a Gorgeous Frame

Thick or thin, matte or metallic, carved or clean-lines: fine art frames can fade into the background or compete with the artwork it displays for the viewers attention. The frame for The Annunciation does just that, with carvings, oil and water gilding, and yellow and red bole undertones - it truly is a work of art all on its own.

Conservator in Action: Antique Tilt Top Table

Conservator in Action: Antique Tilt Top Table

After over a decade in their home, the owner of this Biedermeier table decided it was time to have The Conservation Center’s Furniture Department examine it for treatment. This tilt-top table features walnut veneer, a detailed vine motif boarding the edge of the tabletop, and trefoil legs adorned with transfer decoration of swans, making it a beautiful example of the Biedermeier style. But naturally, after about 200 years, there were conditions issues to address, and the owner determined it would be best to address them proactively before any further deterioration occurred.

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Picture Perfect

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Picture Perfect

How to preserve a personal photograph collection and the history it represents.

Published biannually, Luxury Portfolio magazine features the latest luxury perspectives on Real Estate, Design, Travel and Lifestyle. The latest issue features “Picture Perfect” written by Lisa Klein, an interview with our CEO Heather Becker discussing how to care for your photography collection.

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Coverings, Calendars and Ketubahs

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Coverings, Calendars and Ketubahs

As Jewish heritage spans many countries, cultures, and customs, the ceremonial and ritual objects pictured here are only a few of many permutations and preferences.  Nevertheless, they share the same background and prominence in their congregations and households. The conservation of these pieces often had the added task of ensuring that these objects could still be used or ritually displayed, which will also be discussed.

Rosa Mystica: The Second Phase of Treatment

Rosa Mystica: The Second Phase of Treatment

The Conservation Center is honored to partner with the Illinois Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums to treat The Annunciation. Please enjoy this video explaining our second phase of treatment for the piece, included in their five-part lecture series, Rosa Mystica: A Journey of Renewal and Restoration.

Planning is Everything: Preparing for Disaster

Planning is Everything: Preparing for Disaster

President Dwight Eisenhower once said, "Plans are worthless, but planning is everything. There is a very great distinction because when you are planning for an emergency you must start with this one thing: the very definition of "emergency" is that it is unexpected, therefore it is not going to happen the way you are planning."

The team at The Conservation Center couldn't agree more. Disaster preparedness plans are often modified the moment they are put into action. Still, we know from years of experience that those who plan for likely scenarios are better positioned to respond to the unexpected.

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