Behind the Scenes: Gallery Conservation Tour

Benedict Hall is opening up the conservation studio at Southampton City Art Gallery on Wednesday 23 September, for a tour that takes you behind the scenes of how the city's fine art collection is actually looked after. Most of us only ever see the finished paintings hanging on the gallery walls, so this is a rare chance to see the other side of things — the studio where the work is kept, cleaned and restored.

Hall is the gallery's conservator, and he'll be leading the tour himself. He'll take you into the studio to show you some of the projects he's been working on recently, and talk through what goes on behind the scenes to preserve and restore the city's fine art collection. It's a look at the practical, hands-on side of running a gallery: the cleaning, the stabilising, and the careful work that keeps old paintings from falling apart. If you've ever wondered what happens to a piece of art when it's taken down from the wall, this is where you'll find out.

The tour runs from 11am to 12pm at the gallery on Commercial Road, Southampton, SO14 7LP. It costs £8.00, and since it's led by the conservator himself, you'll be hearing it straight from the person who does the work every day.