Science Café – The Science of Art Conservation and Preservation

Science and art collide at the National Gallery of Canada. As the stewards of one of the world’s finest collections of Indigenous and Canadian art, the conservation team at the National Gallery of Canada is tasked with the complex and sometimes conflicting role of both showcasing and conserving that art. Art is meant to be viewed and experienced, but in doing so exposes collections to increased degrees of risk. Conservators are tasked to mitigate these risks, as well as insuring the long-term preservation of collections, which includes research to better understand these objects. Work in the conservation lab requires skills and knowledge in such fields as chemistry, biology, engineering, and physics (to name a few) in order to safely and accurately conserve pieces of art. Carleton students had the opportunity to learn about this first-hand in the interdisciplinary science course Museum Science; in this talk we will share what we learned through our collaboration, and our goals for the future.

About the presenters:

Dr. Katie Lucas, Assistant Professor, Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science

Dr. Katie Lucas is an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) in the Institute of Environmental and Interdisciplinary Science. She has studied the structure and function of animal sensory systems throughout her academic career, and is currently focused on developing and promoting active teaching practices in STEM. Dr. Lucas received her MSc in Biology at Carleton University in 2008 and her PhD from the University of Bristol, UK, in 2013. As a part of the Integrated Science Program, Dr. Lucas teaches interdisciplinary science courses that address such topics as academic integrity, research skills, science communication, and museum science. She was recently awarded the Provost’s Fellowship in Teaching for her contributions to sustained excellence in teaching at Carleton.

Marie-Catherine Cyr, Conservator, Paintings, National Gallery of Canada

Marie-Catherine is a Conservator of Paintings at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa (NGC). She has cared for artworks in the European Art, Indigenous and Canadian Art, American Art, International Art as well as Contemporary Art. She also develops various outreach initiatives to discuss conservation and the work of the NGC Conservation and Restoration Laboratory team with students of all ages, allied professionals and the general public. She hopes her work can contribute to the much larger mission to democratize the museum space. Marie-Catherine enjoys creative work and approaches, collaborations, research, and exchanges which lead to gaining new perspectives and understanding of the collections, her work and its impacts.

NGC Conservation links can be found at:

https://www.gallery.ca/collection/restoration-and-conservation