Art facility goes forward

With the completion of a $10-million fund-raising campaign, work is going forward on the Smithsonian Institution's first art conservation facility created to allow the public to watch the preservation process.

The 10,200-square-foot Lunder Conservation Center will occupy the top floor of the building in Washington that houses the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Portrait Gallery.

A jointly administered facility housing conservation staff for both museums, the Lunder Center will provide expanded space for conservation projects in five labs and studios, while floor-to-ceiling glass walls will enable visitors to view the processes used to examine, evaluate, clean and treat artworks. In addition, the center will offer educational programs and outreach initiatives.

The Lunder Conservation Center is set to open in July 2006, when the building, a National Historic Landmark, reopens after renovation.