EASTER CONSERVATION SERVICES

An Indianapolis gem offers world-class preservation and care for fine art and furniture

Written by Annie Mosbaugh Knapp

Easter Conservation Services, located at 1134 East 54th Street in The Shops at 54th and The Monon, originally began as a frame conservation service. Recalls proprietor Jean Easter, “My practice began while I was working at the Indianapolis Museum of Art and grew after I received the Indianapolis Arts Council Creative Renewal Fellowship Grant. I then studied in London with the frame conservator and staff of the National Portrait Gallery for two months. There, I learned the traditional methods used in making and conserving antique frames.”

When Easter noticed clients bringing in beautiful antique art framed using acid mats and window pane glass, she began educating them on the value and necessity of using acid-free materials and UVprotecting glass, and Easter Conservation soon found themselves one of the premier framers and conservators in Indianapolis.

Upon her return to Indianapolis from London, Easter left the museum to focus on her conservation business but continued to travel the world in search of knowledge. She received a grant from The American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, (AIC) to visit Cuba and learn their techniques, in

the process, gaining knowledge of various ways to handle paper treatments. Another grant from AIC led her to France for a month to learn French furniture-making techniques. “That was a tremendous eye-opener to work with gilded wood and metal, inlays and the opulence of period French furniture,” says Easter.

While Easter admits they don’t get a lot of calls for French ormolu furniture conservation, she and her staff are ready and able to work on anything that might come up. “We can conserve paintings, prints, photographs, and any wooden objects that come our way. Glass and ceramics are one of our specialties, as is getting back to basics–matting and framing the museum-quality way. Our staff attends educational seminars and workshops as far away as Amsterdam, Ireland and Italy, and as close as Connecticut, New York and Illinois. We never stop learning and applying the latest techniques to our conservation practice.”

Easter Conservation Services is happy to consult on any projects, whether large or small. Their services include hanging artwork in residences or offices, art sourcing and acquisition, and they also specialize in mirrors, both new and antiqued. slFor more information, visit easterconservation.com