We're participating in #AskAConservator day!

Conservators around the world answer questions about their work on Ask a Conservator Day. The next Ask a Conservator Day will take place on Friday, November 4th, 2022.

Icon will be joined on Twitter by Icon Paintings Group's social media officer Alexandra Taylor and her colleagues at Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg (SRAL) in the Netherlands, who will be answering questions on the day.

Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg – or SRAL for short - is a leading institute specialised in the conservation and restoration of paintings, sculptures, modern and contemporary artworks and historic interiors. The cross-over collaboration between 15 in-house conservators provides an integrated approach to diverse issues.

In 35 years, the SRAL has grown into one of the largest conservation institutions of The Netherlands. The studios are located on the second floor of the Wiebengahal, a former ceramics factory in Maastricht. Restoration treatments are carried out there, as well as on site, for example in country houses, royal palaces or train stations.

SRAL’s clients include numerous museums, ecclesiastical institutions, public as well as private collections - inside and outside of the Netherlands.   

During #AskAConservator Day on Friday 4th of November, Icon will be joined by SRAL post-graduate fellows Alexandra Taylor and Liz Hébert will be online to answer questions and show you around the studios.  

Taking part is easy! Use the hashtag #AskAConservator to ask us anything about conservation on November 4th.

We encourage all conservators to follow the hashtag and answer questions, from individual conservators working in private practice to multiple departments at large institutions. Together as a community we can offer a holistic view of what conservation entails.

Ask a Conservator day is held in remembrance of the flooding of Florence on 4 November 1966, which damaged priceless cultural heritage. However, in response to the catastrophe, incredible efforts were made—and are still being undertaken—to conserve the items impacted by the flood.

Ask a Conservator Day follows in the spirit of that international collaboration and exchange of knowledge. We acknowledge and celebrate the growth of the field inspired by the response to the flood by creating an opportunity for people to engage with conservators on social media.

Find out more information on the AIC/FAIC website.