Meet the BACC BOARD: Anya Dani

As one of the few nonprofit regional conservation centers in the United States, and the only such center in the western region, the Balboa Art Conservation Center is undergoing transformational change as it shifts into a radically inclusive and accessible art conservation organization. The BACC Board helps nourish this shift while ensuring the organization's vision for inclusion has long-term systemic impact. 

The BACC Board of Trustees is led by Board President Dana Springs and boasts a board membership that is 50% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). In addition to its racial diversity, BACC board members are located throughout BACC’s service area, including Seattle, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. They bring a range and depth of expertise in community organizing, arts management and advocacy, fundraising, conservation, education, and financial management. Their diverse perspectives and skills are essential as BACC seeks to fulfill its vision for equity and healing within our own structure and workplace, as well as the communities we serve. 

Throughout 2023, we are highlighting each of our Board Members to better understand what excites them about being a part of the BACC Team at this transformative time. ​

Anya Dani (she/her/hers) is an objects conservator specializing in community-based conservation.  She is currently the Director of Community Engagement and Inclusive Practice/Lecturer at the UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage where she develops collaborative projects focused on preserving Black cultural heritage.  She is also a lecturer in the Museum Studies Department at San Francisco State University, a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), and a co-founder of the Black Art Conservators Group.  Previously, Anya has worked as a conservator for the Stanford University Archaeology Collections, the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, and the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.  She received both her MS and BA in art conservation from the University of Delaware.  She has particular interest in uplifting underserved communities through preservation, decolonizing collections stewardship, and increasing racial justice, equity, and inclusion in cultural heritage conservation. 

Although she’s moved around a bit, Anya mostly grew up in Delaware.  She currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two kids, and a cat.  She loves baking, lindy hop dance, and slowly nurturing her California native garden.  


BACC: How does your professional, community, and/or cultural work inform your role as a BACC Board Member? 
Anya: I’m a trained objects conservator who has worked at cultural institutions and universities both in the US and abroad, so I have a wide understanding of the conservation field and bring an insider’s view of conservation to the Board.  My international work (I lived in Japan for 10 years) has helped me realize that conservation can come in many forms.  I also have a background working on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in conservation.  I want to help the BACC Board incorporate DEIA values into everything that it does. 

B: What excites you most about being on the BACC Board? 
A: I am most excited about supporting BACC’s radically inclusive vision for conservation.  I believe that the conservation field needs to evolve in order to thrive, and BACC is a shining example of how to partner with communities and center equity in conservation.  I want to do whatever I can to help BACC expand its scope, to partner with historically underserved communities, and to help preserve a wider range of cultural heritage. 

B: If you could have one artwork or artifact (personal or otherwise) conserved by the BACC team, what would it be and why? 
A: Even though I’m a conservator, I’m not a paper or photo specialist.  So I would love for BACC to conserve some family crayon (early photography) portraits that I have at home.  They probably date to the late 19th century.  The photos are yellowed, brittle, and in much need of help.

---