The Met Names Michael Gallagher Deputy Director for Conservation and Sherman Fairchild Chairman of Paintings Conservation

Daniel H. Weiss, President and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, announced today the appointment of Michael Gallagher as Deputy Director for Conservation and Sherman Fairchild Chairman of Paintings Conservation. The new, two-part role builds upon Mr. Gallagher’s current leadership responsibilities as The Met’s Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge of Paintings Conservation—a position he has held since 2005—by also tasking him with oversight of the Museum’s conservation and scientific research departments. He will assume the position on April 1, 2018.

In making the announcement, Mr. Weiss said, “The Met’s conservation and scientific research departments are global leaders in their fields, and our increasing number of conservation activities and ambitions merit a separate and distinct voice within the Museum’s leadership. During his distinguished tenure at The Met, Michael Gallagher has excelled as both a preeminent paintings conservator and highly respected manager, making him an exceptional fit for this new position.”

Mr. Gallagher said, “It is a privilege to work every day alongside my talented colleagues on maintaining one of the greatest art collections in the world. I look forward to helping ensure The Met remains at the forefront of conservation and scientific research.”

Since its founding in 1870, The Met has dedicated substantial resources to the preservation and technical study of its collections, housing state-of-the-art facilities within its Fifth Avenue building. The Met’s renowned conservation practice consists of five major areas—Objects Conservation, Paintings Conservation, Paper Conservation, Photograph Conservation, and Textile Conservation—the first four of which are supported by and named for the Sherman Fairchild Foundation. The Museum also maintains specialized studios for arms and armor, Asian art, costume, and book conservation. The Department of Scientific Research, established in 2004, is responsible for investigating the material aspects of works of art in The Met collection. Scientists in the department collaborate with the Museum’s conservators and curators to study, preserve, and conserve works, as well as pursue innovative research in analytic techniques, preventive conservation, and treatment methodologies.

Michael Gallagher joined The Met in October 2005 as the Sherman Fairchild Conservator in Charge, Department of Paintings Conservation. In addition to his managerial role, he specializes in the conservation of old master paintings and has published and lectured on many that he has conserved, including works by Bassano, Cranach, Giaquinto, Le Brun, Perino del Vaga, Reynolds, and Velázquez.

Prior to joining The Met, Mr. Gallagher was Keeper of Conservation at the National Galleries of Scotland from 1999 to 2005, where he oversaw more than two dozen staff members in the Conservation and Registrars’ Departments and was directly responsible for the conservation of a number of major paintings. He previously served as a contractual conservator for the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin from 1995 to 1999 and as an assistant conservator (and then associate conservator) of paintings at the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, from 1992 to 1995, following a paintings conservation fellowship at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

Born in Liverpool, Mr. Gallagher was educated in the conservation of easel paintings at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, a department of the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge.