Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Barbara Stella. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Barbara, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have been interested in Art since when I was a little girl. Like most kids, I spent hours sitting at the table with my coloring book. Being born in Italy, I had the privilege of being surrounded by Art everywhere. I loved Art! Therefore, it came naturally to me to attend a high school of Art. I studied in Ravenna, Italy, a beautiful Byzantine city with treasures everywhere: beautiful architectural buildings, overwhelming mosaics, sculptures, and paintings. I loved walking in the town with my sketchbook capturing some detail of that beauty with my pencil and watercolor. In those years, I recall starting to see Art with a deeper consciousness. I remember standing in front of a painting from the seventeen century, wondering what the artist was experiencing when he was painting that artwork. I fantasized about life back then and how the world was different 400 years ago. That painting witnessed the past, and, after all those years, it was in front of me. I understood the value of that moment of connection with the past. I believe that my passion for preserving Art was born then. My love for Art brought me to study at the Academy of Art, but my real calling showed when I attended the conservation of paintings course. I fell in love with Art conservation! I decided to move to Florence to study Fine Art Conservation in one of the most renowned schools, the Institute of Fine Arts and Restoration, Palazzo Spinelli. During my 30-year career, I had the pleasure of being trusted with the restoration of prestigious artists such as Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro’, Salvador Dali’, Kenneth Noland, Fernando Botero, Rene’ Magritte, and many others. From ancient to contemporary Art, my life mission still continues!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I received my advanced degree in fine art conservation with a specialty in paintings from the Institute of Fine Arts and Restoration, Palazzo Spinelli in Florence, Italy, in nineteen ninety-one.

In the span of my 30-year career, I had the honor of performing treatments on artworks by prestigious artists such as Rembrandt, Monet, Salvador Dali, Kenneth Noland, Joan Miro’, Magritte, Picasso, Modigliani, Helen Frankenthaler, and more. On my website, you can read a list of some artists I have restored in the past.

I am a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation. I use methodologies approved by the AIC, whose guidelines and ethics I stringently follow. Continuing education is paramount to me, and I always stay up to date with new and innovative techniques that enable me to treat and preserve even the most challenging artworks.

I am fully qualified to use Modular Cleaning with aqueous solutions. I am one of the few Art Conservators in the US fully trained to use Nanotechnology in art conservation to treat sensitive artworks.

Prior to opening Stella Art Conservation in West Palm Beach 10 years ago, I managed my laboratory in Italy for 20 years, working for the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage, for museums, archbishops, art collectors, art dealers, auctions, and art galleries.

At Stella Art Conservation, we are specialized in museum-quality art conservation and restoration of paintings, sculptures, artifacts, and other artworks from ancient to contemporary.

We work with private and corporate art collectors, art lovers, museums, national and international galleries, art advisors, curators, fine art storage facilities, art dealers and auction houses, insurance companies, art appraisers, and interior design firms.

In 2020 and 2021, we won two awards: the Addison Mizner Award from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art and the international BUILD 2020 Home and Garden Awards.

Our state-of-the-art laboratory is highly secure and equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, instruments, and tools. The artworks are treated with the most modern equipment and in a controlled and safe environment.

Also, an isolated area in the studio is assigned only for disaster recovery services for art collections requiring treatment in response to fire, water, and mold.

One of the services we offer is collection maintenance to ensure the proper preservation of our client’s art collection.

Our collection maintenance program focuses on assessing and monitoring the conditions of the artworks while displayed in residence, in storage, or our laboratory. Hence, ensuring dry cleaning and preventive conservation procedure extends the life of the artworks.

Last but not least, I am a devoted wife and mother of 2 boys. My children are my inspiration. They make me always do my best, face challenges with the strength to give them a better future, and be a good role model and mentor, a “life” teacher when I am still a student.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I believe that in life, we need to have the courage to take risks to advance both on a personal level and in our careers. After having my firstborn son in Italy, my husband and I decided that although Italy is a great country, it was not offering our child a real future. So, we decided to move abroad. I had my own business for 20 years in Ferrara, Italy, when I decided to leave the Country. My art conservation business in Italy was well established and very successful. Therefore, many friends couldn’t understand the choice of leaving Italy and a successful business, chasing the unknown and starting from zero. Still, in life, you must have the courage to step outside your comfort zone and be willing to start everything again for a better future. Deep down, I knew it was the right choice for my family, and I decided to listen to my gut feeling, not other people’s fears. And indeed, in the beginning, it was very hard. Stepping out of one’s comfort zone is never easy but is the only way to make profound changes. I could not speak English at all, so not only I had to learn a new language, but I also had to build my business from scratch in a place where I was not known yet. However, I strongly believed in the American Dream, and despite the struggles and many uncertainties, I continued to work to develop my art conservation laboratory. Today, I am the President and Chief Art Conservator of a renowned art conservation studio, Stella Art Conservation in West Palm Beach. My expert team and I are committed to excellence to ensure that all our conservation works keep museum-quality standards, with the purpose of bringing the artworks back to their original glory as the artist intended. In February 2020 and 2021 we had the honor of receiving the prestigious Addison Mizner Award granted by the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art for the restoration of two challenging paintings. Looking back, I am grateful I had the courage and the resilience to take that risk because that enabled me to create a better life for my family. I have come to the world’s greatest Country where my children can have a better future!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I believe my role as an art conservator goes beyond the mere restoration of the artworks. It is an act of trust given to me to bring back to light the creativity of an artist. Since a little girl, I was so passionate about art that I felt I had an important mission: make sure we preserve our cultural heritage for future generations. Many years later, hundreds of paintings have returned to their original glory, maintaining the Artist’s original intent.
When restoring an artwork, I aim to use non-invasive, reversible techniques and materials with the philosophy that less is more.
Regardless of the sentimental or monetary value of the painting, I provide the highest standard of care to ensure the longevity of the artwork. I also believe in providing educational content through lectures, interviews, and articles to help art collectors better preserve their art for future generations.
Client satisfaction is also my greatest motivation. For example, a time when I received a painting in restoration, damaged by subterranean termites. The damage was so extensive that the client thought it was impossible to save it. The artwork is now displayed in their residence with no sign of the unfortunate event. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing the client’s reaction when receiving their painting back to its original beauty!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stellaartconservation.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stellaartconservation/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stellaartconservation/
• Linkedin: Barbara Stella
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDxRmwPeu1X6biV5gUvYt8Q