Kari Miller Fenwood established her interest in art and restoration in childhood, working with Arthur Tanis, an architectural restorer and chemist in Michigan. From him, Kari learned to meticulously research how a building was made, including the tools and techniques originally employed. Kari learned to make period elements; during a twelve-year apprenticeship, they worked on several Dutch windmills and a variety of period furniture pieces. (CV follows.)
To aid individuals and institutions in the restoration and conservation of fine art. To make fine art and to teach fine art and conservation. The making of historical and original museum frames and their restoration. To keep alive renaissance gilding and fresco techniques. I have extensive restoration experience with:
Paintings – oil and acrylic on linen, panels and frescoes. Works on paper – drawings, pastels, prints and watercolor. Books – complete restoration and conservation including re-binding. Wooden objects – gilded objects, furniture, sculpture, and tools. Textiles – cotton, linen, silk and wool. Native American and Folk objects. Sculpture – marble, wood, metal, ceramics and glass. I began working in restoration with Arthur Tanis who was an architectural restorer and chemist in Michigan. The work I learned with Mr. Tanis was to meticulously research how a building was made, the tools and techniques employed. I learned how to make period elements, the historical context of the creation of the building, and how to examine the chemical content of the components. We worked on several Dutch windmills and pieces of historic furniture during my twelve years of apprenticeship. I worked under Mr. Tanis from 1966 to 1978. Arthur Tanis was my grandfather so this allowed me an opportunity as a young child to begin this work. I was forever shaped by this work and the world of restoration and historic research. After receiving my BFA at Aquinas College, I moved to New York City and had several internship opportunities. I worked with artisans in the framing and furniture community as well as exploring work with several institutions in New York and Washington DC. My first internship with the Institute for Art and Urban Resources afforded me a closer look into the art world and how our Federal government supports our cultural heritage. I then had an internship with The Smithsonian Institute, focusing on the conservation of works in wood and metal. As a young woman I worked mainly in furniture and frame restoration in New York where I learned techniques in gesso, gold and lacquer. I have made and restored frames shown in many American museums. I designed frames for several periods of artwork particularly utilizing Dutch and Renaissance influences. I found working with living artists regarding the conservation and materials used was a wonderful way to support living artwork. My painting and paper conservation experience and skills were honed under the influence of Joel Zackow, Alverez Restoration, and Fodera Fine Arts. I shared many projects with these three restoration companies from 1982 through 1995. I left the New York area in 1995 to move back to Michigan with my three young sons. This was a pivotal change in my life. I was able to raise my sons and hone my skills in a quieter life surrounded by family. I have a great love of all materials and a large repertoire of restoration bench skills and experience. I have been able to be involved with smaller colleges and museums in the Michigan area, where a restorer’s skills are greatly needed. |
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Experience |
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Memberships |
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Art Students League of New York
American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works Art and Antiques Advisor Group Disaster Restoration Professionals Period Art and Antiques |
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Institutions and Collections |
Art Institute of Chicago
Smithsonian Institute of Art
Metropolitan Institute of Art
Biltmore Estate
National Portrait Gallery
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Saint Louis Art Museum
Wadsworth Athenaeum
Vassar Art Museum
Whitney Museum of American Art
Morgan Library
Janet Marquesee Fine Art
Salender O’Rielly Fine Art
Julian Schnabel
Nigel Van Wieck
Holland Museum of Art
Hope College
Muskegon Museum of Art
Kari Marita Schneider graduated from Hope College in 1999 with a BA in Studio Art and a minor in Art History. During that team she worked for Kari when the company was Kari Miller Restoration. She came back to the team in 2015 and has been the lead studio assistant since. Her skills allow her to do a variety of tasks, and she has special expertise in ceramics.
Marc Wyss Miller has spent nearly 30 years working in Germany where he raised his family and served the military community. He’s a jack of all trades, and a master organizer. Multiple skills in painting and finish work.
Walker Wesley Glass has been working with his parents, Kari and Peter, since a child. Growing up around the art business inspired him to take up the family tradition. He has particularly honed his skills and made them his own in gesso and gilded craft. He is very experienced in French polish and other furniture finishing knowledge. He loves doing complex Veneer’s and solving restoration challenges.
Bart Robert Bultman is pursuing a writing career. In 2015 he joined the team, bringing his writing talents to help take care of researching, appraising, as well as compose reports, web pages, and social media content.
Special thanks to Kallie Walker Photography // kalliewalker.com