National Occupation Code (NOC): 51101

Conservators restore and conserve artifacts belonging to museums, galleries and owners of cultural property. Curators recommend the acquisition of museum artifacts and gallery works of art and research their artistic history. Conservators and curators are employed in museums, art galleries, archives, libraries, government agencies and universities. Conservators may be self-employed.

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Job Duties for Conservators and curators

Conservators

• Examine artifacts, determine their condition, suggest methods for treating them and recommend preventive conservation techniques to their owners
• Restore and conserve paintings, photographs, books, papers, sculptures, furniture, pottery or other museum and art gallery artifacts as per particular field of specialization
• Provide advice on display and storage of museum and gallery artifacts to ensure proper maintenance and preservation
• Explore new conservation and restoration techniques
• Provide consultation to museums, art galleries or private individuals
• Supervise conservation technicians and other museum technicians.

Curators

• Recommend the acquisition of paintings, photographs, sculptures, documents and other museum and art gallery artifacts
• Conduct research into objects' methods of construction techniques, structure and materials to understand its physical and chemical makeup
• Develop storylines and themes and organize displays and exhibitions
• Coordinate the storage of collections and the setting up of displays and exhibitions
• Oversee the conservation, display and circulation of collections
• Supervise curatorial assistants and other museum technicians.

Alternate Job Titles

• Archaeology Curator
• Archaeology Museum Curator
• Architectural Conservator
• Art Gallery Conservator
• Art Gallery Curator
• Art Object Curator
• Art Objects Conservator
• Artifact Conservator
• Assistant Curator
• Assistant Museum Curator
• Aviation And Space Museum Curator
• Book Conservator
• Ceramics And Glass Conservator
• Conservator - Museum
• Contemporary Art Curator
• Contemporary Art Museum Curator
• Curator
• Ethnographic Objects Conservator
• Ethnology Curator
• Ethnology Museum Curator
• Fine Art And Polychrome Conservator
• Fossil Conservator
• Fossil Curator
• Furniture And Wooden Objects Conservator
• Herbarium Curator
• Historical Artifact Conservator
• Insectarium Conservator
• Insectarium Curator
• Invertebrate Zoology Curator
• Invertebrate Zoology Museum Curator
• Library And Archives Conservator
• Library Curator
• Metals Conservator
• Museologist
• Museum Curator
• Museum Objects Conservator
• Natural History Museum Curator
• Natural History Specimen Conservator
• Natural Sciences Curator
• Natural Sciences Museum Curator
• Ornithology Curator
• Ornithology Museum Curator
• Paintings Conservator
• Paper Conservator
• Photograph Conservator
• Photography Museum Curator
• Science And Technology Curator
• Science And Technology Museum Curator
• Sculpture Conservator
• Textile Conservator
• Vertebrate Zoology Curator
• Vertebrate Zoology Museum Curator