Studying The Collection
In order to perform treatments, conservators require a strong grasp of materials and techniques used in producing the art. SAM conservators often work with artists, scientists, and curators to analyze the art. Findings of some such studies at SAM can be viewed through the links below.
THE CASE OF THE WEEPING BUDDHA
The recent renovation and expansion of the Seattle Asian Art Museum allowed SAM to evaluate and conserve artworks we have previously been unable to display. One such work is the seated Buddha Shakyamuni which is on view for the first time in over a decade.
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Building a Better Tomorrow: Caitlyn Fong on the Necessity for Diversity in Conserving American Art
By emphasizing and promoting diversity in the field of art conservation, museum exhibitions become more engaging and artworks are better preserved. Watch this video to hear SAM Emerging Museum Professional of Conservation Caitlyn Fong recount her experiences in helping SAM’s conservation team restore the artworks in American Art: The Stories We Carry and what this installation means to her as a first generation American.
Conservation & Color: Monet’s Fishing Boats at Étretat
Take a close look at Monet's 1885 painting Fishing Boats at Étretat with Nicholas Dorman, SAM's Jane Lang Davis Chief Conservator. Dorman shares about the canvas, the colors, and the layers of revisions that makes SAM’s single Monet painting sing. As the inspiration for the Monet at Étretat exhibition at Seattle Art Museum, Fishing Boats at Étretat was closely examined and conserved, revealing much about the context of Monet's artistic development at this pivotal moment in his career. Learn all about advances in paint and the cumbersome process of plein air painting in 19th-century France in this video.
Conserving Jackson Pollock's Sea Change
Chief Conservator Nicholas Dorman discusses his treatment of Jackson Pollock’s transitional 1947 painting
Sea Change, funded by a Bank of America conservation grant.
Monitoring Surface Coatings at SAM's Olympic Sculpture Park
Portland State University and SAM are collaborating on a project to monitor surface coatings of outdoor sculptures.
Conserving the Surface of Sculptures
Associate Conservator Liz Brown discusses the challenges of conserving the surfaces of sculptures at the Olympic Sculpture Park.
The Triumph of Valor Over Time
Nicholas Dorman, from SAM's Conservation Studio, talks about restoring
The Triumph of Valor Over Time—a painting from 1755–1760 by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
The Life of Gensei Shonin
Learn about the conservation project to reproduce
Scenes from the Life of Gensei Shonin.