Art conservation includes all actions taken to prevent damage and aid the long-term preservation of artwork and cultural heritage. This can include collection surveys, hands-on treatment, environmental management, disaster recovery, documentation, and more!

If you are interested in having your piece treated at Flux, please use the contact form on our Contact page. In addition to your contact information, please include any known information about the piece such as the artist’s name, the title, materials, and any known issues. Someone will respond to your email in one to two business days.

If the artwork is accepted for further examination and/or treatment, the next step is to schedule an in-person assessment of your artwork. It is preferable for the assessment to occur at Flux Art Conservation’s studio. We recommend hiring a fine art shipping and handling company to pack and send your artwork to us. There are many reputable fine art shipping and handling companies in the area, and we are happy to provide recommendations if they are needed. You can also bring the artwork to our studio yourself. If you live within an one hour radius of Philadelphia, our conservators are willing to travel to your location to conduct an examination for a fee.

During the assessment, a conservator will thoroughly examine your artwork and write a report. This documents any issues found, proposes treatment steps, and estimates the project’s total cost. Staff will also photograph the work to visually document the issues described. The fee for this documentation is built into the project estimate if accepted. There is no obligation beyond the initial assessment and condition report/treatment proposal, and the fee is separate from any subsequent project costs. This thorough examination and documentation typically takes about one week.

A service agreement will accompany the condition report/treatment proposal. To approve the project, we ask that you read both documents, sign the treatment proposal, and send the signed treatment proposal back to us via email or regular mail. We will then send you an invoice for 50% of the project costs.

Upon receipt of your first payment, we'll begin work on the project. Under our current schedule, projects may take three to six months from the time of approval for treatment, and up to six to nine months if housing, ordering a new stretcher, or new framing are included. If you have a time-sensitive project, please bring that up during the initial assessment and we'll let you know whether we can accommodate your timeline.

After treatment is complete, we will provide you with a final treatment report that documents the artwork’s current condition post-treatment, all actions taken during the treatment process, and the treatment’s results. You will also receive a compilation of before and after treatment photographs for your records. The second invoice for the last 50% of the project costs will also be included with these documents. Upon receipt of your final payment, the last step is to schedule the pick-up of your artwork from the studio for its return.

If you have any questions about the above process, studio operations, or general conservation questions, please feel free to contact us. We are welcome to further discussion and want you to feel informed in your decision to choose us to care for your artwork.

The devaluation of art is a result of the damage to the work. Conservation aims to preserve the original components of a piece and restore visual continuity using reversible, conservation grade materials, as possible. In other words, the devaluation of damaged artwork comes from its condition rather than the conservation treatment itself.

It is against the conservation field’s professional code of ethics for a professional conservator to offer an appraisal of an artwork. Conservation professionals are not able to determine if you work is “worth” receiving conservation care. The responsibility of that decision rests solely with the work’s owner and/or caretaker.

No, we do not only work on contemporary art and paintings. Flux Art Conservation’s conservators have expertise in the preservation and restoration of a broad range of materials, objects, and artwork, from natural science collections to traditional works of fine art. Our lead conservator has conducted extensive research on and treated a variety of organic materials and painted surfaces, including taxidermy, leather and bones, wood and plant material, plastics and composite materials, various textiles, and traditional and nontraditional paint media.You can see examples of items Flux conservators have treated by visiting our Featured Projects page. And as always, if you have a question about your item, please give us a call to discuss its needs. If your item lies beyond our expertise, we will refer a qualified conservator in our network of colleagues who will be able to assist.

Our conservators have expertise in the preservation and restoration of a broad range of materials from natural science collections to traditional works of fine art. Our lead conservator has conducted extensive research on and treated a variety of organic materials and painted surfaces, including taxidermy, leather and bones, wood and plant material, plastics and composite materials, various textiles, and traditional and nontraditional paint media. If your artwork lies beyond our expertise, we will refer a qualified conservator in our network of colleagues who will be able to assist. Give us a call to discuss your artwork!

Conservation treatments do not have a standard cost. Treatment costs are based on the needs of artwork and the available budget. The amount of time and type of supplies needed will vary depending on factors such as the artwork’s size and materials and the extent of damage that is present.

Flux may charge for restoration or conservation estimates if a studio conservator is required to travel off site to complete the initial assessment.

There is no standard length of time for a conservation treatment. The length of time needed to complete the treatment depends on the amount of work required. Flux conservators are happy to discuss a timeline for treatment with you after assessing the needs of your artwork.

Flux will not appraise your artwork. It is against the conservation field’s professional code of ethics for a professional conservator to offer an appraisal of an artwork.