Stephen Bonadies, Senior Deputy Director for Conservation and Collections, has a unique perspective on VMFA’s diverse permanent collection and the opportunities that Canvas provides. Why Canvas? “Canvas is a great vehicle for people to connect with a great institution. We want to engage a new generation of leaders as an institution and touch people throughout their lives.”
Bonadies’ extensive knowledge and passion for conservation helps ensure that each of the museum’s collections are preserved, accurately depicted, and available for all visitors to enjoy in the way they were meant to be displayed.
Conservation is a critical function of any art museum and requires deep expertise and understanding of many disciplines, including history and science. Bonadies began his education in Chemistry, but was inspired by a professor during his undergraduate studies to explore art conservation. After focusing his school work on these courses and spending a brief study abroad in Italy, Bonadies was hooked on conservation as a career. His career spans many years engaging in conservation work with museums in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. Prior to joining VMFA in 2009, Bonadies spent 27 years at the Cincinnati Art Museum.
He has led the efforts on many collections since his arrival, including the reinstallation of the Fabergé Galleries in 2016. In addition to that project, Stephen highlighted the Worsham-Rockefeller Room as one of his favorites. “The entire room was packed in crates and we had to determine how to assemble it back together without ever seeing the original room,” he recalled. Bonadies led the 10-month project by engaging special experts such as architects, wood conservators, and paper conservators in order to accurately display the room. “We wanted the collection presented in a way that resonates with our visitors and allows them to step into the space.”
Bonadies spends his time with a wide array of collections and believes that being part of Canvas is a great way for people to explore the wide range of artwork inside VMFA.