Lourdes (Lou) Requena, a native of Madrid, Spain, is an artist with a longtime interest in conservation. While conservation is an important field in Spain, a country rich in manuscripts from as early as the 12th century, it is not an easy profession to enter, so Lou spent the first part of her career in the field of advertising, applying her creative skills in a business context. After moving to Holland in 1994, she studied painting full time. In 1999 Lou moved to the U.S., where she found the opportunity to pursue her interest in conservation with Harvard Art.
“My first exposure to conservation was a high school field trip to an art research institute,” says Lou. “When we learned about how they save the old paper, I fell in love at that moment with the work.”
Elizabeth LeBlanc is a painter and muralist who earned her BFA degree in illustration and design at the Rhode Island School of Design. Prior to moving to the Harvard area, Elizabeth pursued a career in graphic design in Boston. She spent four years designing and marketing her own illustrative silkscreen textile product line. Her initial interest in historic restoration in the realm of painting conservation provided a segue into conservation and restoration of glided surfaces.
“I find restoring and conserving a period frame back to its original beauty very satisfying,” says Elizabeth. “Uncovering gold beneath layers of paint and previous repairs is like opening a present.”
Allison Jackson is an artist who has studied internationally at the Studio Art Center International in Florence, Italy and graduated from University of Vermont with a degree in Studio Art. She worked in the Boston area in furniture and gilding conservation before moving to Hawaii. In Hawaii, she spent two years as apprentice to a master woodworker building furniture and restoring antique furniture. Now back in New England, Allison continues to focus on furniture and gilding conservation and hones her skills at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and other conservation studios needing her expertise.
“Having literally grown up in a gilding studio,” Allison recalls, “my interest in this field was sparked early on. As my experience diversified to different areas of art, including furniture and photography, I was able to incorporate my training in Fine Arts into many aspects of conservation.”
Bridget Byrne-Cabot is a furniture restorer who graduated from Smith College with a degree in Anthropology with a focus in archaeology and museum studies. During college, she began working for a conservator of historic decorative finishes. For eight years, she worked for furniture and architecture conservators on museum projects all over the Eastern United States.
“Growing up in a Victorian home that had been lovingly restored by my parents instilled in me, at an early age, the importance of preserving the craftsmanship and materials of the past.”
Elisabeth (Lis) Karotkin has been associated with Harvard Art since March 2007. Lis wears many hats, including computer troubleshooting, photography, and office management, to name a few. She brings elements of her past varied experiences and interests including an appreciation of antiquities, and has developed a keen interest in photo documentation of the phases of conservation/restoration. Some of her past work has been with Skinner, Inc., the Massachusetts Audubon Society and Earthwatch Institute.
“It's been a genuine pleasure to become involved again in arts and antiquities. Creating a photographic record of an object that so clearly illustrates its treatment is very rewarding.”