Elizabeth Nunan is the owner and lead conservator at Flux Art Conservation Corp. Working in private practice for over a decade, she has gained experience restoring an incredible variety of damages on increasingly unique media and large-format artworks. As the former President of Alliance for Response New York City, Beth gained additional expertise in the area of disaster planning for collecting institutions and provides disaster response coaching for major art museums across the country. Prior to relocating to Philadelphia, Beth worked with the talented conservators of Luca Bonetti, Corp. preserving and restoring modern and contemporary art collections, and as part of the impressive conservation team at the American Museum of Natural History. Her previous conservation experiences also include internships at the Center for Puppetry Arts, the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, the National Museum of the American Indian, the American Philosophical Society Library, and the Denver Art Museum. Beth is a graduate of the Buffalo State College Art Conservation Program, where she received a Masters in Art Conservation with a Certificate of Advanced Study. 

In this episode, Beth and I discuss her background, how she began taking private work to supplement her museum salary, and how she transitioned to a full-time practice based in Philadelphia. We also discuss the nuances of contemporary art conservation, her thoughts on certification, perfectionism within conservation, and more! Full disclosure, Beth is my current boss and mentor and we have discussed several topics included in this episode previously which leads to a more informal tone at times in this conversation. And now, here is my interview with Beth Nunan.

For more information on Flux Art Conservation, please visit:

https://www.fluxartcon.com/

Time Markers:

(2:17) Introduction

(3:28) Undergraduate studies at the University of Denver

(8:21) Applying for graduate school

(9:07) SUNY Buffalo graduate experience

(11:50) Structuring first private projects

(13:13) Determining early charging rates

(14:46) Employment at the American Museum of Natural History

(16:45) Employment at private practice in New York City

(18:55) Establishing a private practice

(23:04) Creating a studio space

(26:35) Profitability of business

(29:31) Building and maintaining clients

(31:18) Business resources

(33:12) Business insurance

(33:51) Current charging system

(36:51) Types of conservation inquiries

(41:33) Expanding the staff

(43:40) Traits looked for in conservation hire

(44:55) Work-life boundaries

(46:21) Ethics important to studio

(47:34) Imposter syndrome

(48:09) Documentation “black hole”

(50:10) Damage and modern/contemporary paintings

(51:59) Transition from objects to paintings conservation

(54:52) Complex ethics with contemporary art

(56:39) Perfectionism in the field

(1:02:44) Managing emotions

(1:05:00) Complex ethics with private practice

(1:08:46) Branding

(1:11:35) Certification

(1:15:02) Unlikely aspect of running business

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the speaker, and not necessarily to the speaker's employer, organization, committee, or other group or individual. No individual connected with this podcast, in any way whatsoever, can be responsible for your use of the information within this interview.