Art conservation and restoration
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The process of halting the decay and perhaps even renewing to the original state works of art undergoing change is called Conservation.
Art restoration involves the cleaning, repairing, or reconstruction of art work. Commonly art restoration involves removing residue from sculptures or paintings. Art restoration can somtimes be controversial due to fears that a restoration would damage a piece, or on the grounds that damage or residue forms part of the history of a given piece and should not be modified. The statue of David recently underwent restoration, to remove dirt that had accumulated on the statues surface.
In North America, only four colleges/universities offer a major in art conservation:
- The University of Delaware
- Buffalo State College, New York
- Queen's University, Ontario
- New York University
In addition, the Getty Museum, in combination with UCLA is starting a program in Archeological Conservation, which is Art Conservation.