BACC was thrilled to serve as a key partner in The Edward S. Curtis Orotone Conservation Project at ​the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) in San Diego.

MOPA holds 175 Curtis images in its permanent collection and 13 of those are unique orotone prints that were contained in original mounting material from the early 1900s. Although the orotone photographic prints themselves are in fair-to-good condition, issues with frame damage, dirt, and fear of further harm prevented MOPA from loaning and exhibiting them.

After securing a grant from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project, MOPA looked to BACC to restore this collection to its near-original condition.

Now an Assistant Conservator of Paintings at BACC, Bianca Garcia first landed at the Center as a Mellon Fellow in Paintings Conservation. Her areas of interest include pre-19th century paintings, Spanish Colonial art, and polychrome sculptures. When she is not conserving art at BACC, she serves as the Program Manager for the Andrew W. Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation, an initiative that supports opportunities for students who are from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in the conservation field.

Learn more about Garcia as she answers five questions about being an art conservator: