Today we’d like to introduce you to Kamila Korbela.
Kamila, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my fine art conservation business while I had a full-time job at LACMA as a Paintings Conservator. After almost 15 years in the museum world, I got so frustrated with the conditions museum workers face that I decided to take on the challenge of building my own company from scratch. I was working 50+ hours/wk and eventually gained enough traction to turn my side hustle into a full-time business. My partner and I went all in and purchased a building on Venice Boulevard, which is where most Conservation magic happens nowadays.
I knew the exact career I wanted ever since I was a child and my professional path was unusually linear for our times. To advance my education and career I moved eight times in ten years. I’m happy to have pursued my career opportunities in so many different countries in Europe, as it has helped me to grow personally and professionally in so many ways. In 2013, I took a big leap and moved from Central Europe to Southern California for a job. I was recovering from a bad breakup and was ready for a big change. It was hard to leave my friends and family in Europe, but it was the best decision I ever made. I met my husband in San Diego and we eventually moved to Los Angeles when I was offered a position at LACMA. We are both transplants to SoCal but realized Los Angeles was our home the day we arrived.
My experience in the museum field gave me the knowledge, connections, and confidence needed to launch my own conservation business at the expense of having a steady life. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I am relieved and grateful to have settled down in a city I feel a profound love for and to continue to grow and thrive within the business I own alongside the person I love (and our Shiba Inu Voltaire).
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My company’s biggest mission is to offer museum-quality treatments to everybody and promote the profession through education and outreach. My clients are museums and NPOs that don’t have conservators on staff, as well as collectors and individuals with one or more artworks in need of care. One of my biggest challenges is to differentiate my business by educating prospective clients on the differences between museum-grade conservation and restoration. It is a problem that my profession has been dealing with for decades now. The term Conservator is unprotected in the US, which means that anyone can call themselves a conservator even without formal training. It got worse with the triumph of social media platforms like Instagram that create a distorted image of the conservation profession. There are unqualified practitioners with millions of followers and it makes me cringe every time a video pops up in my facebook timeline. Even museums hire these people to save money, but the reality is that those restorations need to be redone earlier or later. An example that went viral recently is the botched restoration of a 500 years old sculpture of Saint George in Spain – it cost the institution another $30.000 to re-treat the sculpture. You really get what you pay for.
We do have the peer-review membership status with the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC) and I am a proud Professional Associate, but what we really need are mandatory accreditation standards for Conservators and the protection of the title „Conservator“. In these days with excellent degree programs and post-grad experiences, a Master‘s degree should be the standard.
Please tell us about LA Art Labs.
I am an award-winning and accredited German Art Conservator and my business LA Art Labs is primarily devoted to museum-quality conservation and the study of paintings, sculptures, and painted objects. We enshrine the highest attainable standard in compliance with the American Institute of Conservation (AIC) code of ethics and guidelines for practice. As the principal art conservator, I am a Professional Associate of AIC and now also Specialist Advisor for the Getty‘s Conserving Canvas Initiative.
I also carry out research into the methods and materials used by artists. One example is my ongoing research project about Frank Stella‘s works of art at LACMA that we are currently seeking further funding for. Another part of my work that I am extremely passionate about is the cooperation with contemporary artists. I offer pro bono consultations and studio-visits. Talking about the creative process with the artist and witnessing studio processes is not only a privilege and informs my treatments of contemporary art, I am also helping to proactively preserve an artist‘s legacy by offering material advice and creative process adjustments in favor of the longevity of an artwork.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My dad tragically died when I was a teenager. Some of my fondest memories revolve around him and his support. I was a competitive fighter and had a black belt in Taekwondo when I was younger; we trained almost every day and traveled together to enter competitions in national and international martial arts tournaments. I repeatedly won the German Championship and placed fourth at the World Championships in my age and weight category. I slowed down with training when my dad got sick and quit Taekwondo for good after his death. It‘s a time I will always cherish and just thinking back on it gives me a feeling of comfort and happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: Laartlabs.com
- Phone: 8582578730
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/laartlabs
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