Making American Artists Conservator's Tour

More than a year before Making American Artists opened, all the paintings and sculpture were assessed to determine if any conservation work was needed for this major travelling exhibition. More than a third of the paintings required some preparation, ranging from treatment of actively flaking paint layers to adjustment of fitting and hanging hardware. Several paintings were re-framed and numerous frames were restored. 

Join Mary McGinn, PAFA's former paintings conservator, in the exhibition gallery to learn about the kinds of conservation treatments performed, how previous treatments affect decision making, and special considerations for paintings that travel.

Mary McGinn received a BFA in Painting and Drawing from the Pennsylvania State University.  After working as a picture framer and then as a technician in a cell physiology research lab, Mary returned to school to earn a MS in Art Conservation from Winterthur/University of Delaware (WUDPAC), with a paintings specialty.  After two years of post-graduate work, first as a Kress Fellow at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and then as an NEA Fellow at the Baltimore Museum of Art, Mary started a private practice in the Philadelphia area. From 2006 – 2014, she served as Paintings Conservator at Winterthur Museum and Adjunct Associate Professor for WUDPAC.  Mary was Conservator of Paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 2015 -2020.  She is currently in private practice in Essex Junction, VT, but returned to PAFA for a brief stint this past summer to prepare paintings for the Making American Artists exhibition. 

Registration includes the entrance fee to PAFA's Museum.