The Hirshhorn’s Conservation Laboratory is moving

Located in the lower level of the museum, the current conservation lab is 40 years old and no longer meets the expanding needs of preserving an evolving permanent collection. The new Hirshhorn Center for Conservation of Modern and Contemporary Art, scheduled to open in late 2016, will embrace all forms of artistic media and practice, from the traditional to the highly unorthodox, and will serve as one of the museum’s sites for ongoing relationships with artists.

Located on the 4th floor of the museum, adjacent to the curatorial and education offices and the spaces where the permanent collection is housed, the Center will be home to staff with expertise in four conservation disciplines: sculpture, painting, paper, including photography, and electronic and new media (the current space was designed for only two—sculpture and paintings). It will also allow the museum to expand its educational programs, training future professionals through internships and advanced-level fellowships in the conservation of modern and contemporary art.

In addition to being a site for conservation practices, the Center will otherwise be available as a shared flexible-use space. Breaking with the traditional view of conservators working in an isolated space, the new Center will be accessible to a wide range of staff, educators, students, artists, conservators, and other museum visitors, allowing them to meet and work in a collaborative environment.

The new Center is funded by a combination of private and public funds. If you would like to contribute to this exciting new venture, please direct your donation towards Conservation and Research.