Art conservator Rosa Lowinger spoke about the intersection between her career and her Cuban cultural roots during a discussion about her latest book, “Dwell Time: A Memoir of Art, Exile, and Repair” on Thursday evening.
The event drew in a crowd of about 25 community members and students to the Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum. Moderated by architect Kelly Sutherlin McLeod, the conversation touched on the personal and professional parts of Lowinger’s life.
Lowinger’s family moved to Miami when she was 4 years old. Despite the vast cultural shift, Lowinger said she adjusted to the U.S. much quicker than her parents.
“My parents were like most Cuban immigrants; very nostalgic for Cuba and unable to really call themselves American for the longest time,” Lowinger said.
“I remember thinking, ‘Everybody else is trying to get in here [the U.S.] and they can’t. We’re really privileged.’”
Lowinger initially pursued a career as an artist but didn’t continue because she believed her work lacked a message. She was unfamiliar with art conservation until a professor suggested she switch to the field.
After training at the Institute of Fine Arts at New York University, Lowinger proceeded to work on restoration at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
She is also the founder of RLA Conservation of Art & Architecture, a woman-owned conservation firm that specializes in sculpture, historic buildings and artifacts.
Lowinger’s latest release marks her second published book alongside “Tropicana Nights: The Life and Times of the Legendary.” She was motivated to share her story to inform people about the work of art conservators while unpacking her family’s history.
“There’s been almost nothing written about conservators that isn’t either some kind of fanciful, over-romanticized picture,” Lowinger said.
“I thought that one of us has got to write a book about conservation and I’m going to do it.”
After years of conceptualizing the book, Lowinger said it finally came together during the pandemic lockdown in 2020 and was finally published earlier this month. It takes on a unique structure, with chapters named after common materials like marble and bronze.
The book delves into Lowinger’s dedication to the craft of conservation, her Cuban-Jewish family’s intergenerational trauma from immigration and healing from her relationship with her mother.
“I would find myself just so furious every time I had to deal with her and I write many instances in the book when she behaved terribly,” Lowinger said.
“What happens over time is you understand the damage, you understand the person and then you come to some repair.”
Michael Davis attended the event to support Lowinger, who has done restoration on a few of his public artworks. He recently heard her speak about the book at another event in Los Angeles, but noticed she was much more vulnerable during her discussion at Kleefeld.
“I was expecting things to be pretty much the same, but tonight she was more open and talked about very intimate stories about her mother,” Davis said.
“It was very exciting to hear her add anecdotal information.”
Fourth-year interior design student Sean Diaz hoped to learn more about historical conservation at the event and was surprised to learn about the similarities he shared with Lowinger.
“It ended up being way more fascinating than I even expected,” Diaz said.
“Not only am I interested in conservation, but my family is also Cuban, so I’m really glad I came to this.”
The Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum will continue to host events and exhibits throughout the year, with weekly Tuesday Talks and Drawing Sessions on Thursdays.