Conservation Internship for Diversity

Created and led by the National Gallery of Canada, in collaboration with the Art Conservation program at Queen’s University and the Canadian Conservation Institute, the NGC Conservation Internship Program for Diversity aims to increase the representation of professionals from diverse communities. 

Dedicated to Indigenous and Black students, and students from other cultural communities from across Canada, the program is designed to provide the best possible start for students pursuing a career in conservation, enabling them to develop a network with professionals in the field who have experience they can draw upon throughout their studies and career.

This initiative allows four students to benefit from the program before they go on to Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, to formally study art conservation as part of the Master’s program. This is the only training in Conservation in Canada at this level. Each intern will be provided with a $25,000 bursary.

Interns have the opportunity to become familiar with some of the complexities of conservation and restoration work, including research, technical examination, and the historic and ethical dimensions of interaction with art and artefacts. Over the course of three to five months, they are paired with various experts from the Gallery’s Restoration and Conservation Laboratory, and follow them in their daily work as observers. They are also introduced to Conservation Science and broader Heritage preservation issues at the Canadian Conservation Institute in Ottawa.

Students interested in pursuing a career as an art conservator who would like to learn more about the internship program can contact the Gallery at: [email protected].