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
Sjoukje 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
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.