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Introducing Materia.
An open-source, peer reviewed journal
We are pleased to announce the inauguration of Materia: Journal of Technical Art History. This biannual publication, the first issue of which is set to launch in the spring of 2021, will provide an online, open-access platform devoted to the technical study of art objects. Bringing together the disciplines of conservation, conservation science, art history, and related disciplines, Materia will be among the first peer-reviewed publications dedicated solely to this steadily growing field of interdisciplinary research.
First issue: Spring 2021
The inaugural issue will launch in the Spring of 2021 on the Getty Research Institute’s Quire online publication platform. The call for proposals for the spring 2021 issue has closed, but please check back for more submission information related to future issues.
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About
Materia: Journal of Technical Art History
Materia is co-edited by a group of conservators and art historians based in Europe and North America, and is supported by a specialist international advisory board consisting of academics, conservators and museum curators. The core members of our team are colleagues of long standing, having either studied or worked together within the fields of conservation and technical art history.

While our careers have taken us to different parts of the world, we have all been frustrated by the unprecedented lack of access to research materials as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Widespread library and university campus closures has meant restricted access to non-digitized and non-open source publications, making it difficult for many to pursue any kind of detailed study outside of  academic spheres.
Embracing the need for accessibility and flexibility
Through its digital format, Materia will embrace the increased need for accessibility and flexibility when it comes to the ways in which we consult our research material. The journal has been founded with the goal of bring together scholars of varying backgrounds, while also seeking the widest possible engagement with our readership.

Materia working group was formed with the aim of developing the first online, open-access, peer-reviewed publication for technical art history.
Our Mission
Why Materia Matters
Materia: The Journal of Art Technical Studies’ aims to be the first digital, open-source 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 will 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.

Through its focus on object-based study, Materia will present interdisciplinary content, spanning from technical case studies and discussion pieces, to feature length articles with an added emphasis on art historical contextualization and new theoretical frameworks. In addition, Materia hopes to provide a much-needed platform for the primary research undertaken by students and emerging professionals within the fields of conservation and technical art history. Until now, these valuable contributions have often remained unpublished and thereby inaccessible to the vast majority scholars and practicing conservators. In remedy of this, Materia aims to act as a publication outlet for researchers at all career stages, while also offering an opportunity for students to learn and partake in the process of peer-review by assessing each other’s work.

In line with current sustainable and eco-driven incentives, Materia aims to be a completely online-based and open access resource, which will also encourage greater exchange and accessibility on an international global scale. Through this focus on accessibility, we hope to provide a timely and valuable contribution to the burgeoning field of technical art history. To date, there is no independent, non-museum affiliated publication devoted solely to this steadily growing academic discipline. Crucially, Materia will support and facilitate the interdisciplinary collaboration between art historians, conservators, and conservation scientists
Editorial Team
​Bianca Garcia, Balboa Art Conservation Center (San Diego, CA)
Courtney Books, St. Louis Art Museum (St. Louis, MO)
Cynthia Prieur, Queen’s University (Kingston, ON)
Emma Jansson, Stockholm University (Stockholm, Sweden)
Julie Ribits, Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)
Lucia Bay, Philadelphia Museum of Art (Philadelphia, PA)
Morgan Wylder, Balboa Art Conservation Center (San Diego, CA)
Roxy Sperber, Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields (Indianapolis, IN)
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