Biography

My name is Bianca Garcia and I am the Program Manager for the Andrew W. Mellon Opportunity for Diversity in Conservation. I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and discovered a love for art conservation while in high school. This led me to the University of Delaware where I received a BA in Art Conservation and a Minor in Art History. My various internships informed my passion for paintings conservation and taught me that every object holds a life story, from its creation to its present condition and all its caretakers along the way. It is this intangible component that I seek to discover in every treatment. I received my MSc in Paintings Conservation from the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation, and currently work at the Balboa Art Conservation Center in San Diego, CA, as Assistant Conservator of Paintings. I first became involved with the Mellon Diversity Program in 2018 as an invited instructor and soon after became Program Manager. My experiences working in different institutions and parts of the country have taught me about the diversity of people and experiences other than my own. My own personal path as an immigrant and Latina conservator allowed me to recognize the importance of this program and the need for mentorship opportunities as we seek to increase diversity in the field of conservation.