About Us

Toronto Art Restoration Inc. (TARI) provides conservation and restoration services, such as assessments and treatments, for historical and modern works of art – paintings, sculptures, works on paper, monuments and architectural arts, including murals. We work with private clients, the Canadian government, and corporate organizations. We seek to preserve artifacts so they may live on to be enjoyed for years to come while refreshing the original aesthetic qualities of the artwork.

TARI is a member of The Canadian Association for Conservation of Cultural Property (CAC-ACCR), The Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP-ACECP), The Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO), The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC), The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and The Canadian Association of Personal Property Appraisers (CPA).

Client List

GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

The National Gallery of Canada

Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC)

The Government of Ontario Art Collection

Archives of Ontario

The Superior Court of Justice

Canadian Parlament Buildings – Public Works

Infrastructure Ontario

CIBC Commerce Court North Heritage Building

RBC Royal Bank of Canada Art Collection

Equitable Bank

North York Civic Centre

Scarborough Civic Centre

Toronto Public Library

City of Toronto

City of Orillia Town Hall

City of Brampton

City of Burlington

City of Cambridge

City of Brantford

Region of Waterloo

City of Windsor

Strathcona County, Alberta

Cadillac Fairview

Exhibition Place

Coca-Cola Canada

Bell Canada

Toronto District School Board (TDSB)

Massey College Art Collection

Saint Joseph’s Hospital

Providence House

Unity Health

McMaster Museum of Art

Guelph University

Upper Canada College

Ridley College

Pickering College

Shangri-La Hotel

Several Masonic Lodges throughout Ontario

Wilfrid Laurier University

GALLERIES AND PRIVATE COLLECTIONS

The Sobey Art Foundation

The Power Plant

Art Gallery of Peterborough

Art Gallery of Hamilton

Mercer Union, Centre for Contemporary Art

Idea Exchange Art Gallery

Opera Gallery

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Neugerriemschneider Gallery (Berlin)

Revolver Gallery

Albertz Benda New York Gallery

Eart Contemporary Art Gallery – China

RELIGIOUS CENTRES 

St. Augustine’s Seminary

Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Stratford, ON

Saint Volodymyr Cathedral, Toronto, ON

Our Lady of Lourdes, Toronto, ON

Beth Sholom Synagogue

Holy Martyrs of Japan, Bradford, ON

Prince of Peace, Scarborough, ON

Saint Agnes Kouying Tsao, Markham, ON

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Toronto, ON

Church of the Ascension, Toronto, ON

St. Boniface, Toronto, ON

Saint Mary’s, Toronto, ON

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Toronto, ON

Manresa Jesuit Spiritual Retreat Center, Pickering

Saint Vincent de Paul, Toronto, ON

Holy Family Church, Toronto, ON

Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of St Vladimir

The Archdioceses of Toronto

The Archdioceses of London

PROJECT MANAGEMENT GROUPS

PCL

Kalaman Art Collection Management

QuadReal Property Group

Norr Architects

WZMH Architects

CBRE Limited

GWL Realty Advisors

TATER Art Projects

L. E. Glazer Architect Limited

Heritage Restoration Inc.

Historia Building Restoration Inc.

Roof Tile Management Inc.

Cunningham Lindsey Canada Limited

Athena Art Finance Corp.

Dundee Goodman Private Wealth

Ebcor Group Ltd

Artcast Inc.

Madorin, Snyder LLP

First General

FPDR Ltd. Ecclesiastical Designers

Winmar Property Restoration Specialists

INTEGRICON Property Restoration and Construction Group Inc.

Heritage Specialists

ALICIA H. COUTTS: DIRECTOR AND HEAD CONSERVATOR

Since the founding of Toronto Art Restoration Inc. in 2011, the business has grown under Alicia’s direction and guidance to include such clients as The National Gallery of Canada, The Museum of Modern Art, and The Archives of Ontario among a large number of private and government collections. Alicia earned her Master’s of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax before studying conservation in Florence at the Studio Arts College International. Since then she has gained accreditation by the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals and has extensive experience providing consultations and restoration services for fine art collections, historical monuments, and public artworks throughout Canada.

Alicia is a determined advocate for diversity and inclusion in the preservation of Canadian and Indigenous heritage. As the Toronto Regional Representative for the Canadian Association for the Conservation of Cultural Property (CAC-ACCR), she founded the CAC-ACCR Diversity Grant to increase support and recognition of underrepresented communities within heritage conservation.

Sjoukje van der Laan: Head Conservator

SjoukjeSjoukje van der Laan is the second head conservator at TARI, a role she manages whilst simultaneously overseeing the quality control of the company’s junior conservators. She completed her Doctorate, Master’s Degree, and Pre-Master’s Degree in Art Conservation & Restoration of Cultural Heritage & Science from the University of Amsterdam. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from The University of Groningen.

Sjoukje’s work history is extensive and varied. In Europe she has worked for Karin van der Lem, the conservation studios of S.M.A.K., and the Kunstmuseum Luzern, while her North American credits include the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and several regional museums through Ontario.

In addition to her work at TARI, Sjoukje works as a contract conservator for the Art Gallery of Ontario.

EMILY JOYCE: Paintings Conservator

Emily earned her Master’s degree in Art Conservation at Queen’s University, after receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons.) from the same institution. During her studies she has specialized in painting, as both an artist and conservationist, as well as the history of art. She completed a certificate of Traditional Material and Methods of Painting through the San Gemini School of Preservation Studies in Italy, where she studied the science of artistic materials. Before joining TARI, Emily held placements in other academic, laboratory and private practice conservation settings, including an eight month placement at AE Henry Studio in Montreal, where she worked under Anita Henry. She has worked on a range of pieces by celebrated Canadian artists such as Jean-Paul Riopelle, Tom Thomson, Lawren Harris, Alex Janvier, and Michael Snow. Outside of the TARI studio, Emily is also an art teacher. Inspired by her conservation studies, she has developed courses and workshops that teach artists about the function and practical chemistry of paint materials, and how to increase the longevity of their paintings. She teaches this course at the Toronto School of Art and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre in Kingston.

MAKI IKUSHIMA: PAINTINGS CONSERVATOR

Maki graduated from Queen’s University with a Masters in Art Conservation. Prior to this she earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree from the Ontario College of Art and Design. After training at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto and Rustin Levenson Conservation Studio in New York City, she worked as a conservator in the studios of Janice Passafiume and Anita Henry. Maki gained further museum experience working at The McMichael Canadian Art Collection and the Musée des beaux-arts du Canada. Over the course of her career she has conserved a wide range of paintings, both large-scale historical works and smaller personal pieces, by such celebrated artists as The Group of Seven, Norval Morriseau, Jean-Paul Riopelle, and Paul-Émile Borduas. 

RACHEL STARK: OBJECTS CONSERVATION SPECIALIST

An accomplished objects conservator, Rachel has extensive experience working across Canada in the arts and culture sector and has held conservation contracts at a number of major museums. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Hons.), she then went on to complete the Fleming College Cultural Heritage Conservation and Management program, specializing in the conservation of cultural objects. Rachel has worked at the Royal British Columbia Museum, The Reynolds Alberta Museum and The Royal Ontario Museum in addition to her international work during which time she brought her skills as a conservation and collections manager to Turkey and Italy. She has given presentations on conservation treatments at multiple Pacific Conservation Group conferences and the Archeological Institute of America conference.

Rachel was a leader in the post-fire disaster management conservation of a collection of First Nation Potlatch regalia (owned by the Kwakwaka’wakw Nation, of Alert Bay BC). Through this experience, Rachel collaborated with the community to develop a temporary exhibit for the Royal British Columbia Museum.

Benjamin Oakley: Head Installation, Packaging and Transportation Specialist

Benjamin Oakley has been working as a professional museum technician and art installer in Toronto for over 15 years. He is a passionate visual artist who has developed the plans and construction of major exhibitions at The Art Gallery of Ontario, The Gardiner Museum, The Textile Museum, The Power Plant as well as other public and private collections. Benjamin has installed artwork for many renowned international artists such as Julian Schnabel, Joni Mitchell, Brian Jungen, and Michael Snow.

Benjamin’s extensive art handling experience, knowledge, and personal communication skills have helped him to gain the trust of many international artists. He has been appointed to fabricate, install and travel with their artwork as an additional safety procedure for traveling exhibitions. In addition to the fabrication and installation of artwork, Benjamin builds high-end custom conservation crates for transportation and storage as well as museum quality vitrine.

Aside from his position at Toronto Art Restoration Inc. Oakley holds a lead installation technician position at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

DR. JOHN M J FARRUGIA: BRONZE CASTING, RESTORATION AND CUSTOM STEELWORK 

Dr. John Farrugia earned a Bachelor of Arts from St Francis Xavier University, a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design University and a Master of Fine Arts and Doctorate in studio sculpture and art history from the Edinburgh College of Art and the University of Edinburgh. After his studies, John was a professor of sculpture at the Edinburgh College of Arts and later at the Edna Manley College of Visual & Performing Arts. At both locations, he was also the Director of the bronze foundry.
After his return to Toronto in 2011, John opened his bronze casting and restoration workshop, Craganrock Studio Inc. John has been working closely with TARI since 2014 as he performs involved bronze treatments, such as complete striping and re-patination, in addition to building custom hardware and restoring sculptural armatures.

In addition to his work with TARI, John maintains a strong private client base. He also works as a specialist contractor to Artcast Inc. and regularly exhibits his artwork.

Joseph Farrugia: Historical Researcher and Appraiser

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For more than five years, Joseph has worked exclusively for TARI performing fine art historical research as well as authentication, provenance, cultural heritage and financial appraisal studies. After completing his appraisal certification with the Canadian Personal Property Appraisal Group, Joseph honed his skills working with several corporate entities and private Canadian and international clients. Joseph completed his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design and studied Art History at the University of Canterbury, a subject that he also taught for several years.