San Diego Students Are Learning About Art Conservation Thanks to Local and National Philanthropy

BACC conservators work with students at Hoover High School to clean a statue by Donal Hord in the school library.

The Balboa Art Conservation Center (BACC) is gaining significant support for its Art Conservation Train-the-Trainer Program for educators. San Diego-based Price Philanthropies has awarded the nonprofit conservation center $25,000 to support the program, now in its second year. This comes on the heels of a $16,000 grant from Washington DC-based Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC). 

The Art Conservation Train-the-Trainer Program is part of BACC’s larger workforce development initiative, which is committed to building awareness among educators and students about conservation and its role in the larger arts ecosystem. By increasing knowledge of and access to preservation knowledge, BACC hopes to introduce a broader audience to the field and ultimately foster a more diverse conservation workforce. 

Building on Previous Successes

The program was successfully piloted during the 2022-2023 academic year. With funding from the Prebys Foundation, BACC partnered with three schools in San Diego to introduce students of varying ages to conservation principles. BACC conservators partnered with Hoover High School’s Sustainable Academy of Building and Engineering to work with students directly in the research and conservation of a Works Progress Administration (WPA)-era sculpture located in the school’s library (read more here). In partnership with Freese Elementary, BACC engaged with teachers in a train-the-trainer model, teaching them conservation and preservation principles and collaborating to integrate these concepts into their curricula. The third partnership, with Mesa Community College Museum Studies Program, was a hybrid in which BACC conservators worked with professors to develop curricula but also taught students directly (read more here). All three of these projects were highly successful, and BACC received the Creative Leadership Award from the San Diego Unified School District Visual and Performing Arts Department for the collaborations with Freese and Hoover High. 

Now in its second year and building on the success of training teachers BACC will expand the train-the-trainer model and develop and formalize curricula in conservation and preservation education for elementary and highschool classrooms in collaboration with teachers from Freese Elementary, High Tech High, and Hoover High. Participating educators will attend a conservation “bootcamp,”and be introduced to the field of conservation and preservation and collectively explore best ways to integrate cultural heritage preservation concepts into their curricula throughout the school year. During the academic year, students will have the opportunity to visit and tour BACC’s laboratories and put their new knowledge to use. 

BACC Executive Director Leticia Gomez Franco summarizes the urgent need for this programming, “It is critical that our region's youth understand the power they have to ensure the survival of our unique cultural heritage. From family heirlooms to public art sculptures, the culture that surrounds us will be safeguarded by the next generation. This program is inviting our youth to learn about the technical practice of art conservation and the fascinating intersection of art, history, and science through our most capable partners- teachers! This investment by Price Philanthropies and FAIC is an investment in preparing the future to safeguard our past.” 


About Balboa Art Conservation Center
The Balboa Art Conservation Center (BACC) provides art conservation and cultural preservation services for cultural institutions and the general public. The San Diego-based nonprofit is one of only eight regional nonprofit art conservation organizations in the country and the only one in the western region. Founded in 1975, BACC provides art conservation and cultural preservation services to cultural institutions and the general public, focusing on the care of works of art, cultural objects, and historic artifacts, technical imaging, and analysis while also providing educational opportunities for emerging conservators. Learn more at bacc.org.

About Price Philanthropies
The Price Philanthropies Foundation is a private family foundation working to improve life opportunities for underserved youth and families, and their communities. It was founded by retail entrepreneur and philanthropist Sol Price and his wife Helen and led today by Sol and Helen Price’s son and daughter in law, Robert and Allison Price.

About FAIC
The Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) supports conservation education, research, and outreach activities that increase understanding of our global cultural heritage. Our mission is to save cultural heritage for future generations, protecting it from decay and destruction. We advance research and education, lead treatment and collection care initiatives, and deploy conservation expertise to where it is most urgently needed. Our work empowers conservation professionals, strengthens cultural institutions, and engages diverse audiences as we work together to protect cultural heritage for humanity. Learn more at culturalheritage.org and follow FAIC on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.

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