ABOUT
Textile Conservator & Researcher
Head Conservator
Livi van de Star MSc. is a textile conservator with over ten years of experience in the preservation, conservation, and restoration of cultural heritage. She holds a Master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage and a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Conservation. Her wide-ranging experience spans museums, religious institutions, galleries, private clients, conservation studios, and laboratories across Europe and the United States.
Credentials
- Postgraduate Certificate, Applied Conservation, University of Amsterdam
- MSc., Conservation & Restoration of Cultural Heritage, University of Amsterdam
- Member, American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
- Member, International Council of Museums (ICOM)
- BA, Art History & Mathematical Statistics, Wake Forest University
Selected Collaborators & Clients
Institutional partners in conservation treatment, technical research, and public programming across Europe and the United States.
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
The Rijksmuseum
The Autry Museum of the American West
The Museum of African American Art (MAAA)
The North American Textile Conservation Conference (NATCC)
The American Institute for Conservation (AIC)
The Getty Museum
The National Holocaust Museum
Conferences & Symposiums
The studio regularly contributes to professional conferences and symposia, sharing case studies, technical research, and approaches to public engagement in textile conservation.
The 2025 NATCC Annual Conference
"Lessening the Loss: Cleaning Methods for Fugitive Early Synthetic Organic Dyes (ESODs)" presented findings regarding ESOD stain mitigation, focusing on pH manipulation to target pH sensitive bonding mechanisms. Published in the conference preprints.
The 2025 AIC Annual Meeting
"WANTED: Cleaning Methods for Fugitive Early Synthetic Organic Acid Dyes on the Run" shared the results from an interdisciplinary research project aiming to identify effective rigid gel cleaning methods for dye stain migration. Published in the conference postprints.
The 2024 Stichting Ebenist Conference: Divine Interventions
"Mixed Materials: A Treatment Roadblock or an Opportunity?," a poster detailing a novel, reversible, and minimally invasive mounting system that utilized magnets to reattach four silk panels into an 18th century tabernacle.
The 2024 Stichting Ebenist Conference: Divine Interventions
"Renewing Devotion: Transforming a Wooden Statuette through the Treatment of its Textiles" explores a treatment case study of a c. 1800 mixed media statuette. This case study explores themes of interdisciplinary conservation and a mixed media approach to treating degraded textiles.
Textieldag Conference 2022
"Investigating the use of 3-dimensional Digital Image Correlationon 3D Textiles" addressed the challenges of storing and displaying complex, three-dimensional textile objects and explored the use of open-access Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to measure strain in garments. Full thesis research available at: https://scripties.uba.uva.nl/search?id=c9223447
5&Under Alumni Art Talk 2024, Wake Forest University
"The Road to Conservation" presented several paths within the field of collections care to undergraduate students.
The studio also develops tailored workshops and public programs on textile care, preventive conservation, and the ethics of treatment for institutions and community organizations.
Research Topics
Methods of Magnet Mounting for Mixed-Materials
Rigid Gel Cleaning Methods for Early Synthetic Organic Dyes
Investigating the Solulability of 20th Century Gelatin-Based Sequins
Strain Measurement on 3D Textiles Using Digital Image Correlation (DIC)
The Emergence of Open Lab Art Conservation: Applying the Postmodern Influence of Cesare Brandi on the Field of Conservation
Historical Case Study on Civil Rights Era Art: An Expose of Pollock
In addition to ongoing research, the studio maintains a full range of conservation services for historic and contemporary textiles, garments, and mixed-material objects.
Schedule a Consultation
The studio provides preliminary assessments and preservation guidance for historic textiles, garments, banners, and mixed-material objects.
Contact the Studio