The Conservation Center

What The Conservation Center does

The Conservation Center is a full-service art conservation laboratory headquartered at 400 North Wolcott Avenue in Chicago, founded in 1983. The firm operates across 14 service lines spanning paintings, antique frames and gilding, furniture, objects and sculpture, photographs, rare books, textiles, works on paper, custom framing, digital restoration, fine art shipping and installation, climate-controlled storage, collection assessments, and archives digitization. Disaster response services are available 24/7 nationwide for artworks affected by fire, flood, and natural disasters. The laboratory occupies a restored 19th-century facility designed in collaboration with architecture firm Studio Gang, configured to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across conservation departments.

The company serves four primary customer segments: museums and cultural institutions (e.g., University of Notre Dame Raclin Murphy Museum, Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, Children's Museum of Indianapolis), private collectors (e.g., Jack and Sandy Guthman), galleries (e.g., The Mayor Gallery London at EXPO CHICAGO), and corporate collections (e.g., Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago). Pricing is quote-based and project-specific, with services initiated through inquiry forms routed to Client Services Representatives. Distribution is predominantly direct, anchored at the Chicago facility, supplemented by on-site disaster response deployments and a long-running exclusive sponsorship of EXPO CHICAGO spanning 11 consecutive years.

Revenue mechanics are entirely professional services in nature: treatment fees, framing commissions, storage and managed-services retainers, shipping/install project fees, and assessments. Marketing is built on a deep library of public case studies, an educational newsletter, press coverage, video content, and event presence. Ownership is private and independent (previously operating as Chicago Conservation Center), with no disclosed investors, parent company, or M&A activity. Certification as a Women's Business Enterprise (WBENC) and membership in Chicago Area Conservation are documented credentials. The firm is led by CEO Heather Becker, with named senior conservators across multiple specialties.

Name

The Conservation Center

Legal name

The Conservation Center, Inc.

Website

https://theconservationcenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Conservation Center is a Chicago-based, full-service art conservation laboratory founded in 1983, serving museums, galleries, private collectors, and institutions with multi-disciplinary preservation, restoration, framing, storage, and 24/7 disaster response services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Conservation Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921)

SIC

Services-Photofinishing Laboratories (7384)

akta.pro primary industry

Archives, Special Collections & Preservation Operations (Rare Materials, Conservation) (EDAEAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Archival Preservation & Conservation (Handling, Storage, Environmental Controls) (MPADAMAF)

Keywords

• Art conservation services
• Museum conservation
• Art restoration
• Cultural heritage preservation
• Fine art framing

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Conservation Treatment Services: Core service offering comprehensive conservation treatments for paintings, sculptures, antiques, textiles, rare books, photographs, and paper-based artworks. Services are customized per project and priced based on complexity, materials, and scope.
2. Custom Framing & Display: Museum-quality custom framing services collaborating with conservators to create archival framing solutions using advanced conservation materials and methodologies.
3. Fine Art Shipping & Installation: Professional art handling services providing safe pick-up, delivery, and installation of fine art, antiques, and heirlooms locally and nationally.
4. Fine Art Storage: Secure, climate-controlled storage solutions managed and monitored 24/7 by trained art handlers for fine art, antiques, and collections during renovations, emergencies, or long-term needs.
5. Digital Restoration: Careful scanning, retouching, and reproduction of photographs, documents, and books to create high-quality digital and physical replicas for safe handling and display.
6. Collection Assessments & Condition Reporting: Professional condition reports and onsite assessments by trained experts to identify issues and offer long-term care recommendations for corporate, private, and public collections.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Conservation Center provides full-service art conservation treatments for paintings, sculptures, antiques, textiles, rare books, photographs, and paper-based artworks, delivered through specialized departments under one roof. It also offers museum-quality custom framing, fine art shipping and installation, climate-controlled storage, digital restoration, archives digitization, collection assessments, and 24/7 nationwide Disaster Response services. Customers include private collectors, museums, galleries, institutions, and corporate collections.

Product overview

The Conservation Center is a full-service art conservation laboratory offering expert preservation and care across a wide range of materials and services. The company operates a multi-department structure providing 14 distinct but interconnected conservation services: Antique & Fine Furniture Conservation, Antique Frames & Gilding, Objects/Antiques/Sculpture Conservation, Paintings Conservation, Photographs Conservation, Rare Books Conservation, Textiles Conservation, Works on Paper Conservation, Custom Framing & Display, Digital Restoration, Fine Art Shipping & Installation, Fine Art Storage, Collection Assessments & Condition Reporting, and Archives Digitization & Preservation. Additionally, Disaster Response services are available 24/7 for emergency situations. The portfolio serves private collectors, museums, galleries, and institutions, with services ranging from customized conservation treatments and museum-quality framing to secure transportation, climate-controlled storage, and digital preservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Studio GangcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partnered with The Conservation Center on multiple projects including the design of their conservation laboratory facility and collaboration on the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts expansion project. Studio Gang designed both The Center's lab space and the new AMFA facility.
• Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Conservation Center worked with AMFA on several conservation projects while their building underwent an expansion and renovation campaign, partnering with Studio Gang for the new facility design. Conservation work included preparation of pieces for the new museum opening.
• Illinois Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican MuseumsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Illinois Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums to treat 'The Annunciation' painting, included in their five-part lecture series 'Rosa Mystica: A Journey of Renewal and Restoration'.
• EXPO CHICAGOcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor and exclusive conservator and framer for EXPO CHICAGO for 11 consecutive years. The Center provides on-site conservation and framing services during the international exposition featuring 170+ galleries from 75 cities and 29 countries.
• West Dean CollegeminorOthersStaff member Stephen Ryan studied furniture conservation at West Dean College in England. The college is referenced as a source of professional training for the company's conservators.
• Smithsonian Conservation InstituteminorOthersStaff member Rob Kleeman studied at the Smithsonian Conservation Institute as part of his conservation training. The institute is referenced as a source of professional education for the company's team.
• International Preservation Studies Center (formerly The Campbell Center)minorOthersStaff member Rob Kleeman studied at The Campbell Center (now the International Preservation Studies Center) as part of his conservation training.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Christie's: Global auction house with extensive in-house conservation operations including paintings, frames, and decorative arts. Competes for premium conservation work as part of integrated auction-house service offering.
• Sotheby's: Global auction house with a major in-house conservation department handling sale-prep, restoration, and collection care. Adjacent conservation capability at much larger scale as part of broader auction and advisory services.

Emerging players

• Hamilton Kerr Institute: University of Cambridge-affiliated conservation institute offering paintings conservation, frame conservation, and gilding services with a strong training mission. Comparable specialist depth in frames/gilding and paintings.

Direct peers

• Williamstown Art Conservation Center: Williamstown, Massachusetts-based regional conservation center affiliated with Williams College Museum of Art offering paintings, objects, paper, and frame conservation. Similar multi-disciplinary scope and institutional client focus.
• McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory: Oberlin, Ohio-based private art conservation laboratory offering paintings, objects, frames, and paper conservation. Closest for-profit multi-disciplinary private lab peer in terms of business model and service breadth.
• Intermuseum Conservation Association: Ohio-based nonprofit conservation laboratory serving museums and collectors with paintings, objects, and paper conservation. Comparable midwestern multi-format conservation services model.
• Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC): Massachusetts-based nonprofit specializing in paper and photograph conservation, digitization, and preservation training. Strong overlap on archives digitization, photograph conservation, and institutional client base.
• Midwest Art Conservation Center: Minneapolis-based nonprofit regional conservation center serving museums, galleries, and collectors across the Midwest. Comparable regional positioning and multi-disciplinary service mix, though nonprofit-funded.
• Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts (CCAHA): Philadelphia-based nonprofit conservation center offering paper, photograph, and book conservation along with preservation training. Most directly comparable peer in multi-format conservation services; differs in nonprofit/government-funded model.

Others

• Cadogan Tate: UK-headquartered global art logistics company offering shipping, storage, and art handling services that overlap with The Conservation Center's transportation and storage revenue lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-conservation-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Conservation Center