Heidi Sobol

Bio

Heidi Sobol obtained her Bachelor of Fine Art from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University in 1996 and her Master of Art Conservation at Queens University in 2000.  Heidi has worked throughout North America, including the National Gallery of Canada and as a practicing paintings conservator in the private sector in Halifax, Nova Scotia. During her time in the Maritimes, Heidi provided the burgeoning arts community with an outlet to have their paintings conserved. Part of her time there was split with the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University where she taught a upper level course in the history of materials and methods in the art history department.

As the senior conservator of paintings, Heidi is responsible for the paintings at the ROM - whether they are constructed on flexible or rigid supports. The flexible supports are artworks like the paintings displayed in the Sigmund Samuel Gallery of Canada or the Daphne Cockwell Gallery dedicated to First Peoples art & culture. Rigid support artworks include the wall murals located in several galleries of the ROM, including the large early 14th century wall paintings in the Bishop White China gallery. Her conservation interests include technical art historical research and aqueous cleaning mechanisms of paintings.

The paintings conservation lab's main objective is to bring paintings in need of treatment off the "operating table" and in front of the public's eye. "The diversity of the ROM's painting collection is outstanding", remarks Ms. Sobol. "Every world culture department has hidden gems - these paintings in a way define the breadth of our collection."