Barbara Heller (IAC 59-64)

In her role as chief conservator at the Detroit Institute of Art, Barbara Heller oversees a 16-person staff that is responsible for the care of more than 60,000 different pieces of art. The collection includes pieces from across continents and millennia, ranging from prehistoric works to Van Gogh to modern installation art. Caring for such a collection requires a vast supply of patience and a deep understanding of art, history - and chemistry.

Heller, who studied art history, studio art and French in college, still remembers a comment from one of her painting instructors who cautioned her about a career in painting. "I was so slow and meticulous, he told me that if I was to make a living in art, I would need to be either a teacher or restore paintings."

Such an opportunity opened for her when a disastrous flood struck the historic Italian city of Florence in 1966. She soon joined the effort to salvage irreplaceable treasures that were damaged by the combined effects of water, mud and mold. Locals called the small army of workers that descended upon their city, "angeli del fango" - mud angels. While the flood is still remembered for its widespread devastation and damage to countless works of art and books, it also revolutionized the field of art conservation.

After several years working under the most challenging circumstances, Heller moved back to Detroit to work at the Detroit Institute of Art. Instead of flash floods, she now contends with moisture in the air, the natural effects of time, and the well-intentioned efforts of past caretakers to "restore" a piece of art. She cares for the museum’s collection with a staff of experts in ceramics, textiles, paint, canvas and paper. In a setting that resembles a lab more than a studio, they thoroughly examine works of arts with infrared and x-ray technology to verify a work’s authenticity and prevent deterioration.

Conservators work to slow down and minimize these natural processes but are careful not to alter the work in their attempt to accomplish this goal. "We need to know the chemistry and how these materials interact with the environment. For example, many museum pieces are made out of organic materials so they absorb moisture." Understanding how a work of art will react with its environment helps the museum minimize the natural effects of aging.

In addition to slowing natural deterioration, Heller and her team work to reverse man-made damage. They often encounter works that have been altered by well-meaning caretakers of the past who have unintentionally obscured or damaged the work of original artists while attempting to repair or hide signs of aging. Sometimes their efforts involved painting over the original work to hide a crack or chip in the paint. A trained eye and laboratory tests can identify altered paintings and chemistry smarts can help them remove the newer paint to reveal the artist’s true work. Their primary goal, explained Heller, is to be faithful to the original artist.

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