ART BYTES
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City launches its newest podcast series. Art Bytes episodes are geared toward listeners who have an interest in art but don't necessarily know a great deal about it. Each standalone episode takes the listener behind the art on the walls and into the fascinating stories of how artists work, how art is made, and how the world of art is filled with diversity.
ART BYTES
Scott Heffley: Former Painting Conservator and Avid Collector
What would it feel like to take a paintbrush to a masterpiece? Scott Heffley knows. As a Painting Conservator for 34 years, he was up close and personal with masterpieces many times. But this world class conservator is also a world class collector of the quirky, the unique, and the kitschy.
What is the purpose of conservation? Well, good question. You know, you could break that down into two major areas. One is preservation. We use our, our scientific background and our, We use our, our scientific background and our, understanding of artwork to help preserve it. But then the other part is restoration. Where in my case, paintings, you know, paintings are hundreds of years old, often, and they've been owned by different people. They've perhaps been through wars.