Bethany Jo Mikelait
Bethany is a conservator of fine art, accredited in 2020 by the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators (CAPC), specializing in the conservation and restoration of paintings, murals, and painted surfaces or polychromy. Bachelor of Fine Art (2005) and Master of Art Conservation (2015) from Queen’s University, Kingston. Internships completed at the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI), and the National Gallery of Canada, and pre-program training completed at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Over six years of post-graduate apprenticeship training completed at Restorart Inc in Toronto. Current part-time conservator at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
Bethany currently serves as Secretary on the CAPC Board of Directors, and previously served as Vice-President of the Canadian Association for Conservation (CAC) from 2021-2023. Memberships maintained with the Canadian Association for Conservation (CAC) and the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) since 2013. AIC Professional Associate designation (PAIC) achieved in 2020.
Bethany was selected as a participant in the Conserving Canvas Initiative, an international training project focused on structural treatments of canvas paintings, funded by the Getty Foundation. She received training in 2023 at C2RMF, Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France, to learn historical lining techniques that have been used for hundreds of years in the restoration of paintings, but the knowledge of which is being lost to time in an era of modern materials and minimal interventions.
In her spare time, Bethany enjoys doing decorative arts like stained glass, mosaics, and pottery, and also performing oratorios at Roy Thomson Hall as a member of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir.
Bethany is accredited by the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators.