NEW YORK – The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum has received a $3 million endowment grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the continuing work of the museum’s conservation department.

The grant, to be matched two-to-one, is designated specifically to endow the position of deputy director and chief conservator, held since 2007 by Carol Stringari, and a new position, director of engagement, conservation and collections.
“Carol Stringari and her conservation team are well known and highly regarded for their cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary perspective, and use of innovative techniques in advancing the field of conservation,” said Armstrong.

The conservation department – comprised of nine conservators who specialize in paintings, paper, time-based media, and objects of the late 19th century to the present – plays an integral role in the research, preservation, and presentation of the Guggenheim’s collection.

The newly created position of director of engagement, conservation and collections is the first of its kind in the field. The director will further the work of the Guggenheim by supporting initiatives to make the museum’s collection and the role of art conservation more transparent and accessible to the public.

The Guggenheim conservation team works closely with colleagues at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice and at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao as well as with other arts professionals worldwide. They enable research and scholarship and train the next generation of conservators.