Cranmer Art Group, New York, New York

This entry is a Draft

Cranmer Art Group

Overview/Mission

Our philosophy is to give every painting that enters the studio the same care and attention we would give works by major artists and to carry out every treatment to museum-quality standards. At the same time, our philosophy favors a light-touch and minimum-impact approach to maintain the delicate balance between restoring a work of art and interfering with the artist's intention. CAG provides conservation services with techniques and materials specifically geared towards solving the problems of contemporary and 20th century artwork, and offers unique understanding of the artistic goals and intentions of this period. Our approach has been developed through many years of practice and professional collaborations with many of the artists whose work we have treated.

History of the Laboratory/Studio

Founded in 1988 by Dana Cranmer, the studio was first located at x Spring St. in New York. In 1990, the studio moved to more spacious quarters at 21 Mercer Street. After ten years in that location, the studio moved to 45 Crosby Street, into what was formerly Richard Serra's drawing studio.

The focus of the conservators at CAG is on Contemporary Paintings, and the studio maintains close relationships with several artists and artists' estates, as well as foundations, galleries and private collectors.

Among the artists with whom we have extensive experience and/or working relationships are: Vija Celmins, John Currin, Willem de Kooning, Jim Hodges, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstin, Brice Marden, John McLaughlin, Robert Rauschenberg, Richard Serra, Christopher Wool, Jo Baer

Staff History

Conservators

Dana Cranmer, 1988-present Dana has worked in conservation since 1970 when she joined the conservation staff at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. She became conservator to the Mark Rothko Foundation in 1981 where she treated Rothko’s full oeuvre before the foundation dispersed the collection to museums in the US and Europe. She has served as conservator to museums and large private collections.

Mary H. Gridley, 1995-present Mary received a B.A. in Art History from Yale University (1980) and Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from the Courtauld Institute of Art London, England (1991). Since 1985 she has worked in conservation for various institutions including The Cooper-Hewitt Museum, The Victoria & Albert Museum, The National Trust (England), and Area Museums Services for South East England. She specializes in both paintings and works on paper.

Kristin Leigh Robinson, 2012-present Kristin received a BFA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2004) before going on to study paintings conservation at the Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts at NYU, where she received an Advanced Certificate in Conservation and a Masters degree in Art History (2012). During her time at the IFA she worked with various conservators in private practice in New York City, as well as at the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne and the Villa la Pietra in Florence.

Christine Frohnert, 2006-2102

Daisy Craddock, 1995-2005

Roxana Lehmann-Haupt, 1989-1996

Conservation Interns

1988 Julie Barten

Monica

Claire Gerhardt

Emma O’Donohue

Heather Galloway

Ann Baldwin

2000 Helen Im

2001 Wan-Ji, Karen Thomas

2002 Karen Thomas, Jean Dommermuth

2004 Laura Rivers

2005 Kelly Keegan

2006 Eliza Spaulding

2007 Sayaka Fujioka

2008 Jenifer Hickey

2009 Katharina Hoeyng

2009 Kristin Robinson

2010 Sophie Scully

2011/12 Rita Berg

2013 Annika Finn, Rebecca Gridley

2017 Sarah Mastrangelo

Further Reading & Viewing

Articles by Staff

Dana Cranmer

Mary Gridley

• "Unforgiving Surfaces: Treatment of Cracks in Contemporary Paintings." In Proceedings, Modern Paints Uncovered Symposium, Tate Modern London, May16-19, 2006, pp. 143-148;
• "Joan Mitchell: Cropping Paintings." In AIC Paintings Specialty Group Postprints Vol. 24. Philadelphia: American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2011. 3352.
• "Notes on the Treatment of Cracks in Canvas Paintings." In AIC Paintings Specialty Group Postprints Vol 27. San Francisco: American INstitute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, 2014. (in publication)