Conservation

The care and preservation of the Museum's collections from the Art Museum; the 1920s period home of John and Mable Ringling, Cà d'Zan; the Museum of the Circus and the Historic Asolo Theater are the primary responsibility of the Conservation Laboratory staff.

Currently, the staff includes a Chief Conservator and a Conservation Technician. Private consultant conservators have performed treatments on tapestries, antiquities, decorative arts, furniture and sculpture. Frequently this has been funded by major grant support from national sources such as NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) IMLS (Institute for Museum and Library Services) as well as local, community and private individual funding to address specific areas of the collections targeted for conservation treatments.

Art Conservation 

The Conservation Department has a new Laboratory in the Education/Conservation Building with IFF retractable 360 degree rotatable, ceiling fixtures and NULITE  full color spectrum lights and Integrated Pest Management argon unit to treat diverse Museum works of art in preventative methodology. A modular Raman Spectroscopy laser excitation unit was funded by Department of State grant monies and is shared with New College Physicist Dr. Mariana Sendova. 

Recent Projects

The Wisconsin Rail Car 

Historic Asolo Theater