When most people think of art school, they think of the people taking courses to draw, paint, sculpt, photograph, and design items via computer. While all this and more does happen on a daily basis in art schools and programs around the world on a daily basis, there are also disciplines that the general public tends to either forget about or, in some cases, know very little about. One major area, in terms of relative importance versus public awareness, is in the realm of preservation. Historic preservation graduate programs train people to carefully handle and occasionally help restore works of art and related artifacts, allowing historic scholarship to draw on shared cultures and, in cases where it is appropriate, share the ability to view and experience such art and artifacts with the general public in singular exhibits or museums.
There are not a lot of schools or programs that offer such graduate programs, but those who do study and graduate with such a degree come equipped with a highly specialized and important skill set and knowledge base. These allow graduates to offer their academic and hands-on expertise in the extremely important work of mending and conserving historical and culturally significant works of art and more for future generations.
If you would like to explore the variety of historic preservation graduate programs available to you, or if you have any questions, please contact the School of the Art Institute of Chicago online.