Adam Novak at work in the Novak Studios conservation studio

Founder and Head Conservator, Novak Studios

Adam Novak

Master of Science, Art Conservation — Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation

Professional Associate, American Institute for Conservation

Adam Novak is the founder and head conservator of Novak Studios, specializing in modern and contemporary works on paper, including drawings, watercolors, prints, and mixed-media works.

He holds a Master of Science from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation and has more than twenty years of professional experience. Before founding Novak Studios in 2020, he spent five years as paper conservator at a Chelsea conservation studio devoted to modern and contemporary art on paper, and he has worked in the New York art market since 2015. His earlier background includes special collections conservation at Harvard and fellowships at the Harvard Art Museum and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

At Novak Studios, Adam provides conservation treatment, condition reporting, collection assessment, and preventive-care guidance for works on paper.

Education

  • Master of Science, Art Conservation — Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC)

  • Bachelor of Arts, Art Conservation — University of Delaware

Publications

  • Greenhalgh, A., Novak, A., et al. "To Print on Air: Robert Rauschenberg's Hoarfrost Editions." Facture, Volume 4. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 2020.

  • Novak, A. and Keynan, D. "Recapturing the Subtleties." The Book and Paper Group Annual, Vol. 36, 2017.

  • Novak, A. "Aquazol as a Heat Set Adhesive on Paper." The Book and Paper Group Annual, Vol. 33, 2014.

  • Novak, A. "pH Strips versus pH Meters." The Book and Paper Group Annual, Vol. 33, 2014.

Catalogue Raisonné Contributions

Professional Experience

Owner and Head Conservator, Novak Studios LLC — 2020–present. Supervises a part-time Assistant Conservator and graduate interns.

Paper Conservator, Daria K. Conservation LLC — 2015–2020.

Paper Conservator for Special Collections, Harvard Library — 2011–2015.

Project Paper Conservator for Special Collections, Harvard University Library — 2010–2011.

Fellowships

Baird Research Fellow, Harvard Art Museum (2009–2011); Craigen W. Bowen Fellow in Paper Conservation, Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies, Harvard Art Museum (2008–2009); Paper Conservation Fellow, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (2007–2008).

Teaching and Professional Service

Guest Lecturer and External Treatment Supervisor, WUDPAC (2025–27); Seminar Instructor, Modern & Contemporary Works on Paper, WUDPAC (scheduled February 2027); Guest Lecturer and Internship Supervisor, Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, New York University (2021–25); Membership Committee, American Institute for Conservation (current); Awards Committee, American Institute for Conservation (2026–2028); General Session Selection Committee, American Institute for Conservation (2018, 2019); Speed Mentor, AIC Annual Meeting (2025).

Selected Treatment Experience

Adam’s treatment experience includes works by Paul Cézanne, Edgar Degas, Vincent van Gogh, Gustav Klimt, Edvard Munch, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Egon Schiele, Amedeo Modigliani, Marcel Duchamp, Joan Miró, René Magritte, Georgia O’Keeffe, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Gerhard Richter. See the full selection of artists treated on the Studio page.

Professional Affiliations

Professional Associate, American Institute for Conservation (AIC); member, International Council of Museums, Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC); member, International Association of Book and Paper Conservators.

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