Paintings Specialty Group

Erica ESH James graduated from the Winterthur/UD Program in 1999 with an M.S. in painting conservation; in 2021, she graduated with an M.A. in Liberal Studies with a focus on philosophy (aesthetics) and classics from Villanova University. She has continued her study at Villanova where she is currently a graduate student in classical studies. After completing conservation fellowships sponsored by both the Getty and Kress Foundations in 2002, she became a conservator in private practice. In 2007, she returned to institutional work for five years, and now continues her conservation work privately with institutions and private collectors. In addition, Erica works as a philosophy instructor in a community college setting instructing in western philosophy (ancient), logic, as well as the Humanities. Erica has been a board member on several conservation boards, published in the field, and is currently the assistant editor for the Paintings Specialty Group AIC Postprints. She has been a peer editor for the Villanova journal Concept since 2018. Erica is a member of the Society of Winterthur Fellows, a board member of the Philadelphia Area Conservation Association, and is a Professional Member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC).

bio coming soon

Elizabeth Robson is the owner of ER Painting Conservation and Restoration, as well as the Paintings Conservator for the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. She was previously the Andrew W. Mellon Conservation Fellow with the Chrysler Museum of Art and Hampton University Museum, as well as a post-graduate fellow in paintings conservation at Colonial Williamsburg. She graduated from the Garman Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State College in September 2019. She completed her third-year internship at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, FL. She graduated with a BA in Art History and French from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. Her pre-program internships included multiple positions at Colonial Williamsburg within the objects, furniture, and archaeological conservation labs. Elizabeth also interned at The Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia and at the private practice Curtis Fine Art Conservation in Williamsburg before beginning her graduate studies. She spent her first summer during graduate school in Brussels, Belgium where she completed an internship with the International Platform for Art Research and Conservation, and her second summer at the Saint Louis Art Museum working on 18th-century wallpaper.

Cristiana Acerbi Ginatta received her Master in “Conservazione e Restauro dei Beni Storico Artistici” from Palazzo Spinelli in Florence, Italy. As a hired specialist and as a volunteer she has professionally treated numerous collections to prevent the occurrence of damage, to address age-related conditions as well as to salvage artifacts affected by natural disasters, such as floods, fires, tornadoes and hurricanes, and by man-caused accidents. She holds FEMA and Community Emergency Response certifications, and have been actively involved with TX-CERA in training and response to regional disasters. She has lectured on Management of Museums and Cultural Institutions at Università Luigi Bocconi in Milan, Italy.

bio coming soon

Gregory Bailey graduated in 2011 from Buffalo State College with an M.A. and C.A.S. in Art Conservation with a focus on the conservation of objects. Since that time, he has been awarded a Kress Fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a Mellon Fellowship at the Walters Art Museum, where he also went on to work as Associate Conservator. He is the 2016-2017 recipient of the Booth Family Rome Prize in Historic Preservation and Conservation.  From 2017 to 2019, Greg served as Objects Conservator for the Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery.  Greg returned to the Walters Art Museum in 2019 as Senior Objects Conservator.  Greg is a Professional Member of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC), for which he also serves on the Board of Directors. Greg is Associate Editor for the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC) as well as Associate Editor for Studies in Conservation.

After graduating from Mary Washington College with a BA in art history and historic preservation, Ryan moved to DC, where he got his first job working for a small association management firm. After that he worked at a national arts advocacy organization before coming to AIC as a Membership Assistant. He is currently the Membership Manager. Ryan likes living in DC where he enjoys learning about its history, its local politics, and its public transportation system. In his spare time, he likes to cook, travel, and finish the many DIY projects he has going on in his apartment.