Treatment Strategies for Outdoor Painted Sculpture Workshop

The 2023 iteration of our workshop on the conservation of outdoor painted sculpture was held in partnership with the Kröller-Müller Museum in Otterlo, the Netherlands. The Kröller-Müller’s outdoor sculpture collection provided the backdrop for this five-day workshop, which offered conservators the practical and theoretical tools to design effective treatment strategies for outdoor painted sculpture.

Outdoor painted sculptures demand diverse conservation strategies because of their size, the variety of materials used as substrates and painting systems, the environmental conditions they are exposed to, and the aesthetic values they carry. Conserving these works requires collaboration with stakeholders and professionals with skills complementary to those of conservators. “Treatment Strategies for Outdoor Painted Sculpture” addressed a variety of issues impacting such artworks and helped participants build the skills to address them.

The work curriculum was the result of the combined expertise of the Conservation Institute and outdoor sculpture conservators, paint industry professionals, and artist estates and foundations. It was delivered through lectures, site visits, practical exercises, and group activities. The Kröller-Müller’s extensive sculpture garden provided case studies for discussion about condition, treatment options, and maintenance.

Hands-on exercises performed on mockups allowed participants to experiment with localized treatment techniques that extended the time between full repainting. A site visit to a paint applicator included discussion on methodological applications of paint systems.

During the workshop, participants were introduced to:

• Coating failures
• Decision-making and planning strategies for treatment
• A Roadmap to treatment, logistics and planning
• Safety and sustainability practices
• Appropriate paint systems for different substrates and environments
• Impact of different paint application methods
• Practical skills for local retouching and graffiti removal
• Working with the paint industry, paint applicators, and artists' estates and foundations
• Maintenance planning

The workshop was held in person over five days in Otterlo, the Netherlands. Teaching materials were available through an online learning platform before and after the workshop.

• Abigail Mack, Sculpture Conservator and Principal, Mack Art Conservation, Red Hook, New York
• Christina Varvi, President, RLA Conservation, Miami and Los Angeles
• Rosa Lowinger, Principal Conservator, RLA Conservation, Miami and Los Angeles
• Susanne Kensche, Senior Conservator of Modern and Contemporary Art and Sculpture, the Kröller-Müller Museum
• Dr. Lydia Beerkens, Director and Senior Conservator of Modern and Contemporary Art, The Conservation Institute (SRAL), Maastricht
• Chris Hille, AMPP Certified Coating Inspector, Technical Coatings Consultant, Tnemec, Compton, California

Ellen Moody, Associate Project Specialist, Getty Conservation Institute

Space for this workshop was limited to eighteen conservators working on modern and contemporary art.

Priority was given to applicants working with outdoor painted sculpture. Candidates ideally had at least three to five years of experience with these materials and were in a position to share the knowledge and skills gained during the course with the conservation community.

The workshop language was English.

The workshop fee was USD $600 (six hundred US dollars). The fee included tuition, workshop materials, an opening reception, and a group dinner. Daily morning and afternoon tea/coffee and lunches were provided by the Kröller-Müller Museum.

Participants were responsible for round-trip transportation costs to Otterlo, the Netherlands, lodging, any applicable visa fees, and all other travel and incidental expenses.

While applicants were encouraged to apply for funding from their employer or other institutions, the workshop organizers may have provided financial assistance to a limited number of participants in financial need. Participants who required financial assistance indicated this on their online application.

For further questions, please contact gciops@getty.edu.