Painted Cloths Workshop | Jan 6–8, 2025 | London, UK


Hosted at the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre, this National Trust-led initiative brought together conservators, curators, and researchers to explore the history, and treatment of painted cloths within the collections of the National Trust (England). Treatment and display options for these fragile, originally unmounted painted textiles were explored and discussed. With case studies from Coughton Court, Hardwick Hall, and Mottistone Manor, plus hands-on sessions on Mist-Lining, textile mounting, and interdisciplinary decision-making, this event highlighted the challenges and innovations in conserving these hybrid, often overlooked objects. Thanks to partners at the National Trust, Maritime Museum, Hamilton Kerr Institute (HKI), and all contributing experts, especially Art Conservation Education collaborators Tannar Ruuben and Joanna Strombek!


Conservation 2025: Reflections and Beyond | Feb 14–15, 2025 | Mumbai, India


Hosted at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) Museum in Mumbai, this inspiring two-day gathering of conservation leaders, Indian Conservation Fellowship Programme (ICFP) Fellows, and educators from India and beyond. Featuring talks, panels, and presentations on education, grant writing, and the future of conservation training was organised by CSMVS, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and Art Conservation Education. Thanks to speakers and organisers including Venu Vasudevan, Joyoti Roy, Savita Monie, Nikhil Ramesh, Satish Pandey, Maniyarasan R, Shilpa Raturi, Sreekumar Menon, Lisa Pilosi, Vinod Daniel and others.


Bridging Disciplines: The Transferable Skills of Conservators | Feb 7, 2025 | New Delhi, India


Taking the opportunity of being in-country, Kate Seymour was invited by Dr. Satish Pandey of the Indian Institute of Heritage to address the conservation Master students on how conservators’ skills extend beyond the lab into ethics, material science, critical thinking, and project management. This was a compelling session discussing the multidisciplinary value of conservation training with emerging professionals.


Mist-Lining Masterclass | Mar 26–28, 2025 | Porto, Portugal
Organised by 20|21 Porto and hosted at Museu e Igreja da Misericórdia do Porto (MMIPO), Kate Seymour (Art Conservation Education), assisted by Carlota Vieira, gave a three day masterclass to a group of 20 practicing conservation professionals on Mist-Lining for structural treatment of canvas paintings. Participants explored the full workflow of this non-invasive technique, including material selection, spray tent setup, practical lining, and low-pressure envelopes. Highlights included hands-on lining of mock-ups, selecting local materials for Mist-Lining, and ethical discussions. Thanks to MMIPO and 20|21 for their support!


Challenges and Current Issues in Movable Heritage | Apr 7, 2025 | Amersfoort, The Netherlands
The Erfgoed Academy team organised a one day session focused on museums and risk management, preventive conservation, and climate change for museum professionals. The group of 15 professionals gathered to discuss environmental challenges and strategies for resilience, including emergency preparedness and sustainability. Participants gained practical tools and strengthened emergency response networks. Thanks to Erfgoed Academy and all contributors.


Chemistry for Conservators Workshop | Apr 14-18, 2025 | Kraków, Poland
The Wavel Royal Castle, Kraków team invited Kate Seymour to provide a tailored  5-day intensive, refresher workshops focusing on integrating conservation science and practical treatments for their in-house conservators. The workshop was coordinated locally by Aleksandra Hola and facilitated by Karol Brzozowski. Each day focused on an interlinked topic, combining theory and hands-on practice covering dry cleaning, solvents, gel cleaning, consolidation, and varnish treatments. This workshop united conservators from multiple fields working on the same collection to deepen scientific understanding for heritage preservation. Thanks to Wawel Royal Castle for hosting and to the Wavel conservation team for their inquisitiveness!


2025 International Symposium on Conservation and Restoration of Paintings | May 12 & 13, 2025 | Beijing, China


Kate Seymour presented “An Alternative to Mist-Lining: Pretreatments and Interleafs,” sharing innovative, minimally invasive approaches to structural treatment. The presentation sparked rich discussions among international conservators and researchers. Thanks to The Palace Museum and IIC for organizing.


IIC-ITCC Painting Conservation Training & Symposium | May 14-23, 2025 | Beijing, China
This 10-day intensive program covering canvas paintings, murals, Thangkas, and scrolls what organised by the IIC-ITCC (International Training Centre for Conservation) in collaboration with the Palace Museum Beijing. Instruction was given by an international team including Kate Seymour, Alberto Dimuccio, Jennifer Porter, Amarilli Rava, Teresa Heady, and Marco Leona, each focusing on their own expertise. The programme combined lectures, case studies, and practical demonstrations leading to discussions and exchanges on best practices and cross-cultural conservation challenges between the 12 international and 12 Chinese participants.


ApoyOnline 5th Regional Conference 2025 | June 30 - July 4, 2025 / Panama City


Invited as part of the (online) panel discussion on Education & Training, Kate Seymour’s presentation “Education & Training in Conservation: Balancing Sustainable Practice” emphasized integrating practical skills, science, and ethics in conservation education. Within this presentation Seymour highlighted the approaches of organisations such as ECCO, EnCORE, and ICOM-CC. The talk called for greater accessibility and stronger global networks in conservation education. Many thanks to Beatriz Haspo for the invitation to join Silvana Lovay, Rob Waller, Henry Antonio Vílchez Chávez, Nora Kennedy and Jane Henderson for a scintillating discussion.


https://apoyonline.org/programs/apoyonline-regional-conferences/2025-panama-city-panama/

Getty Conserving Canvas Initiative – Mist-Lining Brazil Edition Workshop | CECOR, Belo Horizonte


Hosted by CECOR in Belo Horizonte, this workshop united conservation educators from Latin America, including Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Argentina, to explore and adapt the Mist-Lining technique—a structural treatment for canvas paintings using a fine mist of acrylic adhesives. Sixteen participants tested local materials, exchanged knowledge, and strengthened a Latin American network of conservators. Instruction was given by Kate Seymour, Joanna Strombek, Humberto Farias de Carvalho, and Edson Motta Jr. The workshop blended theory, hands-on application, and multilingual collaboration—laying the groundwork for future research, regional cooperation, and education in cultural heritage preservation. The programme included 5 half-day, virtual sessions in June followed by two weeks of practical sessions in early July. Huge thanks to our hosts at CECOR, especially Amanda Cordeiro, Camilla Camargos, Alessandra Rosado, and Luiz Souza, the instructors, and the Getty Foundation for their support in building a sustainable future for conservation in Latin America.

A video diary can be viewed on the CECOR insta account: https://www.instagram.com/cecor_ufmg/

Varnish Removal | 17-18 September | PCOI Belfast, Ireland

Fifteen participants gathered at The Vault in Belfast for an intensive two-day workshop dedicated to varnish removal from paint surfaces, expertly led by Kate Seymour of Art Conservation Education.

The workshop combined in-depth theoretical discussion with extensive hands-on practice, allowing participants to critically engage with both historic and modern approaches to varnish removal. Core activities included systematic solvent testing using the Solvent Star, controlled varnish reduction with gelled solvents and tissues, and a comparative evaluation of techniques such as Gel Compress Tissue versus loaded Evolon microfibre sheets.

Throughout the masterclass, participants explored the complexities of removing degraded varnish layers while maintaining ethical, safe, and reversible conservation practices. The discussions were thoughtful and technically rigorous, the techniques directly applicable to studio practice, and the learning environment notably open and collaborative.

A sincere thank you to Kate Seymour for her clear, expert instruction, and to Alison Pascoe, Ruth Decowell, and Angela McDowell from the Professional Conservators of Ireland (PCOI) for their excellent organisation and support in delivering such a successful event.

A strong example of how focused, advanced training continues to build confidence, critical judgement, and shared professional standards within paintings conservation.

More info at PCOI website

Mist-Lining Workshop – Florence Edition | Oct 6–8, 2025 | Florence, Italy


Organized by Fondazione Opificio ETS, this intensive 3-day workshop led by Kate Seymour and Francesca Bettini (OPD) offers emerging and experienced conservators hands-on training in Mist-Lining. The workshop includes lectures, demonstrations, and practical sessions focused on non-invasive structural reinforcement for canvases. Limited to 20 participants.


Getty Foundation’s Conserving Canvas project, held at the National Museum in Gdańsk on 20–21 October.

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t was a privilege to reconnect with colleagues and to see, firsthand, how the three workshops delivered through the programme have translated into tangible changes in participants’ practice and confidence when treating paintings on canvas. In particular, it was rewarding to reflect on the mist-lining workshop I co-led in 2024 with Joanna Strombek (SRAL), and to hear how this approach has been integrated into day-to-day conservation decision-making.

The discussions throughout the symposium were thoughtful, open, and deeply personal. They were shaped by the experiences of the museum’s in-house conservation team and by the three Ukrainian residents who joined the programme. Their perspectives, resilience, and generosity in sharing their experiences brought exceptional depth to the exchange and underscored the value of learning across institutional and national borders.

A fitting and meaningful conclusion to an initiative that continues to strengthen skills, professional networks, and collaboration within the field of paintings conservation.