Antiquities Conservation

Susanne joined the Getty Museum in 2016. A native of Germany, she obtained a certificate in archaeological conservation from the Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum, Mainz, Germany in 1987. Among other positions, she served as objects conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (1990–2016). She worked on excavations in Egypt and Sudan, taught in the Luxor East Bank Groundwater Lowering Project at the American Research Center in Egypt field school (2008–2010), and explored preservation of metalwork in Nepal (supported by an individual grant from the Asian Cultural Council, NY, 2015). Her research interests include ancient Mediterranean and Nile Valley material culture, site preservation, relocation of monumental sculptures, and the study of ancient and historic metalwork. She is co-author, with Yvonne Markowitz, of Looking at Jewelry (Getty Publications, 2019).

Jessica joined the department in 2019. She earned her BA in neuroscience from Smith College and her MS from the Winterthur/University of Delaware program in art conservation. She completed graduate internships at the National Gallery of Art and the Walters Art Museum, where she also completed post-graduate training. She previously held the position of assistant conservator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, focusing on the treatment and display of the ancient Greek collection. She is interested in the technical study of ancient archaeological materials and fakes and forgeries. She is dedicated to public outreach and engaging museum visitors and the general public with conservation.

Nick Clemens joined the Antiquities Conservation department in 2024 after nine years as Preparator, mount maker and lighting designer at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, Canada. He holds a B.A. in History (Brock University, 2013) and an M.A. in Public History (The University of Western Ontario, 2015).

Ewout joined the department in 2024. He studied archaeology of the ancient Near East at the University Leiden and conservation and restoration of cultural heritage with a specialization in ceramics and stone at the Instituut Collectie Nederland (ICN) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He previously worked in preventive conservation and as an object conservator at the National Museum of Ethnology in Leiden and the Teylers Museum in Haarlem. Since the early 2000’s he worked on and directed conservation activities on numerous archaeological sites in Syria, Egypt, and Iraq, including the Iraq Emergency Heritage Management Training Scheme by the British Museum and more recently the Penn Nimrud Project. The focus of his research and work is in the conservation of gypsum, ceramics, and stone, site preservation and the preservation of cultural heritage from the ancient Near East.

Colleen joined the department in 2024. She received her MA in art conservation from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and BA in Russian and Eastern European studies from the University of Michigan. Colleen worked in objects conservation at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (de Young museum, Legion of Honor museum) and at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum before joining Getty. Colleen has worked on archaeological sites in Peru, Greece, Turkey, and Mongolia, where she was also the project leader for a US State Department-funded program providing professional development in conservation. Colleen is interested in the preservation and technical study of organic materials and advancing global cultural heritage preservation through international collaboration.

Erik’s focus is the conservation of large-scale stone sculpture. He holds a BA in classical archaeology from the University of Evansville and an MSc in conservation for archaeology and museums from the Institute of Archaeology, University College, London. He has previously worked for the British Museum and Institute of Archaeology on the ‘Ain Ghazal Statue Project and has undertaken and directed conservation activities on archaeological sites in Italy, France, and Turkey. In addition to working with the permanent collection, he has undertaken several long-term collaborative projects with various national and international institutions, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (Naples), the Pergamon Museum (Berlin) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien (Vienna).

Timothy Skornia joined the Antiquities Conservation Department in 2022. With 18 years of metal fabrication experience and 9 years in museum mount making, Timothy brings advanced fabrication skills to the Department. He is a certified welder and holds a BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. Timothy has engineered multiple custom rigging apparatus and transportation fixtures to ensure the safety of art during movement and installation.

Marie joined the J. Paul Getty Museum in 2003. She is a 1994 graduate of the art conservation program at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She majored in the conservation of 3D objects and minored in paintings conservation. She gained experience at various museums and archaeological sites, and is currently involved in the planning and installation of special exhibitions and loans, international collaborations, and various in-depth studies involving conservation and technical research. Her study of a Romano-Egyptian red-shroud mummy in the Getty collection culminated in co-authoring the publication Herakleides: A Portrait Mummy from Roman Egypt (2011). She manages the international collaborative panel painting project and database known as APPEAR: Ancient Panel Painting, Examination, Analysis and Research.