Conservation

When you see artists’ works in our galleries, you are seeing just one piece of what we do. Our job is not only to display art, but also to present ideas, as well as sustain, challenge, and re-form them. Conservation at SFMOMA links the lives of objects with the efforts of people across the museum. We honor time-tested preservation traditions and techniques, but our efforts go far beyond that.

We put artists at the center of the conversation to understand how they make their works of art and how the works may change and evolve over time. By partnering with artists, we innovate new approaches to caring for art while actively embracing an expanding array of art forms and mediums.

As a pioneer in the field of contemporary art conservation, we’re excited to share our work with visitors and with other museums. Take a look behind the scenes at our workroom and conservation studio in the new SFMOMA.

Generous support for conservation at SFMOMA is provided by Nancy and Joachim Bechtle.