A platform for research and dialogue in technical art history and material culture.

Materia: Journal of Technical Art History is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal devoted to the technical study of art and cultural objects, bringing together conservation, conservation science, art history, and related fields.

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Latest publication

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Issue 5 · Digital edition

Explore the newest issue in an interactive format with high-resolution, zoomable images.

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01

Open access

Every issue is free to read online and available for offline study.

02

Peer reviewed

Rigorous scholarship across disciplines, methods, and institutions.

03

Material led

Close attention to objects, evidence, process, and making.

Look closer. Together.

A platform for research and dialogue in technical art history and material culture.

Latest publication

05

Issue 5 · Digital edition

Explore the newest issue in an interactive format with high-resolution, zoomable images.

Open the web edition ↗

A platform for research and dialogue in technical art history and material culture

Materia: Journal of Technical Art History is an online, open-access platform devoted to the technical study of art and cultural objects. Bringing together the disciplines of conservation, conservation science, art history, and related fields, Materia is among the first peer-reviewed publications dedicated solely to this steadily growing field of interdisciplinary research.

Read latest issues

All of Materia issues are available for free in interactive online format as well as offline PDF

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Embracing the need for accessibility and flexibility

Through its digital format as well as dedication to free readership and no submission fees, Materia hopes to address the increased need for accessibility and flexibility when it comes to the ways in which we consult our research material. The digital format allows Materia to better showcase technical studies and discussions of digital art and cultural heritage, such as audio, video, and web-based mediums. The journal has been founded with the goal of bringing together scholars of varying backgrounds, while also seeking the widest possible engagement with our readership.

Our Mission

Why Materia Matters

Materia: Journal of Technical Art History is a digital, open-access peer-reviewed journal for the technical study of art objects. We hope to cater to a broad readership, ranging from conservation specialists, academic and museum professionals, or anyone interested in the materiality of artworks. Among our contributors we count practicing conservators and conservation scientists, as well as art historians and researchers within the fields of material culture, archaeology and social anthropology. Acting as a scholarly forum for the bridging of these diverse yet interrelated disciplines, Materia aims to highlight the benefits and value of examining our cultural heritage through a material lens.

Editorial Team

Bianca Garcia, Balboa Art Conservation Center (San Diego, CA)

Caroline Kirmer, Château Dufrense (Montreal, Canada)

Courtney Books, St. Louis Art Museum (St. Louis, MO)

Cynthia Prieur, PhD., University of Victoria (Victoria, BC)

Douglas MacLennan, J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, CA)

Emma Jansson, PhD Stockholm University (Stockholm, Sweden)

Julianna Ly, Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland, OH)

Julie Ribits, Cincinnati Art Museum (Cincinnati, OH)

LaStarsha McGarity, Tuskegee University Legacy Museum (Tuskegee, AL)

Lucia Bay, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston, MA)

Morgan Wylder, Balboa Art Conservation Center (San Diego, CA)

Roxane Sperber, Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields (Indianapolis, IN)

Sami Norling, National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC)

Sophie Church, Buffalo State University (Buffalo, NY)

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Materia is a volunteer-run project fiscally sponsored by a 501c3 nonprofit. All donations will support the creation of Materia's open-access Journal of Technical Art History issues and help sustain its continued presence on this website and in library collections.
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