Supporting Emerging Talent

Traineeships/Career Kick Start Programme

Mircea Maria Gerard Foundation and Associazione Bastioni Partnership for the Development of Emerging Conservation and Restoration Talent

Mircea joined the Bastioni Association in 2014 while still working on his studies in conservation and restoration in Florence at Lorenzo de Medici Institute/Marist College. He was always asking at the beginning “Why do I have to pay to work. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?”. The answer Luke would give him was “No. Just do what you love and you’ll get good enough at it that someone, someday will want to actually pay you for your work. But for now just keep on doing what you love.”

When establishing the foundation, we wanted to keep this ethos of work at doing what you love and building up skills through mentorship. And so we set up a programme to support emerging talent to support them both financially but also and more importantly, through apprenticing with established conservators who are members of the Associazione Bastioni. To watch and learn from the best and brightest in their field.

And so we have now welcomed 9 recent conservation graduates each for a 3 month internship/traineeship at the Association Bastioni studios in Florence,Italy and virtually all are now on their way and working in their specialisation as cultural heritage conservators.

Luna Jasmine Gordon – Luna joined the Emerging Talent Programme while studying the conservation and restoration of paintings at the Istituto Palazzo Spinelli in Florence. Originally from the United States, she has been gaining hands-on experience in conservation and restoration since 2019 beginning with a two-year apprenticeship in Germany, working on paintings, polychrome sculptures, and frescoes. After moving to Florence to continue her studies, she completed an internship at the Bastioni Association from April to July 2024 through the Mircea Maria Gerard Foundation Scholarship. Luna graduated from Spinelli in 2025 as a restoration technician specializing in paintings on mobile supports. She is currently working as a curator on several exhibitions at Frilli Gallery and with the Pneuma Art Foundation in Florence.

“My internship at Bastioni, supported by the Mircea Maria Gerard Foundation Scholarship, was a wonderful opportunity to learn from many deeply skilled restorers who cross its threshold. Each one shared their wisdom—ranging from how to run a studio in Florence to navigating complex cleaning and conservation treatments. The variety of experts who passed through the studio during my time there opened my eyes to the richness and complexity of this profession. It’s rare to find such a concentration of knowledge in one place. Bastioni is a truly special environment, and I’m incredibly grateful to have spent time there.”

Vera Malkova – Vera graduated in Art History from the Lomonosov Institute at the Moscow State University, in 2019 and immediately moved to Florence Italy to begin gaining experience in conservation and restoration. Vera took the opportunity offered by the Foundation to join the Bastioni Association as a 3 month intern from October -December 2023. She is now an active and busy independent conservator/restorer in Florence and a full member of the Association. Vera wrote about the unique inspiration that learning hands on in an active and vibrant environment can bring

“At the Bastioni Association I have found not only talented and such diverse professionals who work on paintings, sculpture and scientific objects, but also support – I can always ask for advice, I feel involved and I feel the ground I stand on. Among other things, the laboratory itself is a great place to work with art: it is a great fortune to work in the very centre of the city, next to a church dating back to the 12th century and historic buildings.”

Giulia Girardi is a graduate of the Universita di Ferrara and a conservator and restorer specializing in stone. Following being granted the Mircea scholarship for 3 months in mid 2023 Giulia is now an active independent conservator in Florence and a full member of the Association. As she wrote to us just after completing her grant, Giulia wrote

“ The experience of these three months, made possible by the Mircea Maria Gerard Foundation, has been precious and exciting, for this I thank you infinitely for the opportunity granted.
The Bastioni Association has confirmed itself, both from a working and human point of view, as an exceptional and extremely passionate environment, which has contributed to consolidating my devotion towards this wonderful work and world of the Restoration, Conservation and Research of Cultural Heritage.
I am therefore honored and happy to continue this path within the association, as it is of great personal and professional enrichment.”

Sofia Forconi is a graduate of the Liceo artistico Porta Romana and Sacred Art School both in Florence, Italy and is a specialist in conservation of painting on wood and especially fabrics. Sofia was selected for a grant and training from January-April 2023.

Sofia Bovo – Sofia graduated from the Istituto Palazzo Spinelli in Florence where she studied as a technician for the restoration of cultural heritage specialised in stone, mosaics and archaeological finds. She was granted a 3 month extended internship under the tutelage of Chiara Piani. Since then, she completed her Bachelors Degree and is pursuing her Master’s Degree in Conservation at the prestigious HES-SO Institute in Switzerland with a focus on Archaeological and Ethnographic objects conservation.

Rosalba Giordano, a graduate of the OPD (Opificio delle Pietre Dure) in Florence completed her studies and was granted 3 months of training and support in 2022 and continued as a member of the Association Bastioni . Rosalba is now a drawing, painting and sculpture teacher at the Academia del Giglio in Florence and also freelance. All the while since becoming a proud mother!

Imogen Woollard received her Master’s degree in the conservation of oil paintings on canvas and wood in Florence. She returned to the UK after her internship in 2021 at the Bastioni studios sponsored by the MMG Foundation and extended from the standard 3 month to 6 months of support and collaboration work with the members of the Bastioni Association.

Elisa Paolini is a graduate of the University of Florence in Art History and conservation/restoration from the Spinelli Institute offered the MMG Foundation traineeship at the Association Bastioni at the end of 2020 and beginning 2021. She continued her work as a collaborator on multiple conservation projects thereafter in Florence, Umbria and France.

Camilla Puccetti was awarded one of the first opportunities under the Foundation’s development programme in 2020 after just previously graduating from Spinelli Institute (Florence Italy).. Following her experience at the Bastioni she decided to continue her studies at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (OPD) in Florence where she is specializing in restoration of glass, terracotta, porcelain, plaster, wax, metals and alloys.

Interested in taking part in the MMG Foundation New Talent Development Programme?

Just contact us and let us know a little more about you and when approximately you’d like to start an apprenticeship (3 months virtually full time commitment period), and we’ll review your credentials and revert back to you if you might be a good fit for the programme.