STEFAN DEDECEK
Stefan Dedecek joined the McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory in 1996 and works as the head conservator of paintings and decorative surfaces. He holds the position of Conservator of Paintings and Polychrome Surfaces.
He received his Master of Science degree and the certificate in Paintings Conservation in 1993 from the University of Delaware/Winterthur Museum Conservation Program. His broad expertise and set of outstanding conservator’s skills were acquired during his diverse education and extensive professional practice.
He has worked for numerous conservation institutions in the United States, in Argentina, and in Europe. The most prestigious institutions include: the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York as an Andrew Mellon Fellow in paintings conservation, where he studied under the guidance of the distinguished conservator Dr. Hubert von Sonnenburg, and at the R.M.S. Shepherd Conservation Studio in London, the premier art conservation laboratory in the United Kingdom.
Stefan’s expertise is the conservation of Old Masters and traditional easel painting as well as including polychromed and decorative objects. He has treated many New Deal commissioned murals, frescoes and painted plaster walls for the U.S. General Service Administration, notably at the U.S. Federal Courthouse in Erie, PA and at the Howard Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse in Cleveland, OH – both award winning projects.
At McKay Lodge Conservation Laboratory, Stefan performs advanced treatments of paintings executed on various supports including canvas, plaster, wood, metal, and glass. He is familiar with a variety of painting techniques and he excels in difficult cleaning problems and in high quality inpainting.
Apart from the hands-on painting conservation he conducts numerous on-site inspections, reporting, material testing, consulting, and provides technical expertise for museums and private collections.
EXPERTISE
Conservation of Paintings and Decorative, Polychromed Surfaces
Specialty: European Paintings from the 14th to the 18th centuries
Conservation of Wall Paintings on Plaster, Frescoes
PRESENT POSITIONS
1996 – Present, Head of Paintings Conservation
McKay Lodge Fine Arts Conservation Laboratory, Inc.
10915 Pyle-South Amherst Road
Oberlin, Ohio 44074
PAST EMPLOYMENT IN CONSERVATION
June 2001 – Aug. 2001, R.M.S. Shepherd Conservation Studio, London, UK
Visiting Conservator
Sept. 1995 – June 1996, Paintings Conservator in Private Practice
Buenos Aires, Argentina
February 1995 – August 1995, Visiting Paintings Conservator
Intermuseum Laboratory
Intermuseum Conservation Association (ICA) , Oberlin, OH
Sept. 1994 – January 1995, Paintings Conservator in practice with
Barbara Buckley, Paintings Conservator
Claudia Deschu, Objects Conservator
Philadelphia, PA
Sept. 1993 – August 1994, Andrew Mellon Fellowship in Paintings Conservation
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, NY
June 1993, Contract Assistant Conservator
Vaclav Potucek, Northern Bohemia
Conservation of Renaissance limestone polychrome reliefs.
GRADUATE INTERNSHIPS IN CONSERVATION
Sept. 1992 – Aug. 1993, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Graduate third-year internship in paintings conservation.
Summer 1992, Old Customs House, New York
Conservation treatment of gilded reliefs in the Art Nouveau interior.
Summer 1991, Abbey de Camon, Arriege, France
Conservation of wall paintings in Southern France under the supervision of
Mr. Olivier Nouaille of the Paris Conservation Institute.
EDUCATION
1990 – 1993, Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum/ University of Delaware Art
Conservation Program Master of Science in Art Conservation:
Major: Paintings Conservation; Minor: Paper Conservation
1988 – 1990, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota
1986 – 1990, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, B.F.A., Minneapolis, Minnesota
LANGUAGES
Fluent in Czech (native)
Fluent in English
Capable with Spanish