Conservator Tour: Frames and Gesso

Back by popular demand, senior conservation technician for paintings and frames restorer Dave Piurek leads a tour centered around gesso, focusing on gesso’s importance as the structural and aesthetic base of some of the CMA’s most ornate frames. Piurek discusses the techniques of pastiglia, burnishing, punchwork, recutting, and compo, and brings hands-on examples for guests to get a closer look.

Dave Piurek is the frames restorer and senior technician for paintings at the Cleveland Museum of Art, responsible for the conservation and restoration of the frames in the CMA’s collection. Dave earned his BFA in painting from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, after which he worked at the Ringling Museum of Art in the conservation department for 14 years, developing his skills with gilded finishes. In 2012, Dave began work at the CMA, where he specializes in water gilding and frame restoration.