CEO
The Conservation Center
Industry:
Art Services
Member since:
2004
Membership Type:
Full
Heather Becker, Chief Executive Officer, The Chicago Conservation Center, is an artist, author, and entrepreneur. She studied painting and art history on scholarship at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and the International School of Art in Italy. As an extension of her painting career, she went into the field of art preservation. In 1989 Becker developed a national business plan for The Chicago Conservation Center, Inc. and in August 2003 she purchased The Center from the founder.
With the addition of new departments and projects, the company has become the largest private art conservation company in the country. In an effort to bring art back into public education, Becker co- founded the largest mural preservation project in the country’s history, restoring hundreds of early twentieth century murals in Chicago.
After years of research, Becker authored a book on Chicago murals and art preservation entitled, “Art for the People” (Chronicle Books) in 2002. In addition to her passion for writing, Becker has educated various industries and audiences on the technological advancement of art conservation and the preservation of historical works of art throughout the country. She has spoken at venues such as The J. Paul Getty Museum, The Art Institute of Chicago, Art Basel Miami, and Risk Insurance Management Society (RIMS).
In 2004 Becker was awarded “Small Business Person of the Year” for the State of Illinois by the Small Business Association (SBA). In 2006 she was elected to the Board of The Chicago Network. In 2007 The Chicago Conservation Center was awarded the “Chicago Landmark Award for Preservation Excellence” by the City of Chicago.
She has exhibited her figurative oil paintings nationally and in Europe for over two decades. Becker exhibits her figurative oil paintings and drawings at Zolla Lieberman Gallery in Chicago. She has studied the ancient practice of Ashtanga yoga for the last seven years. For nearly a decade Becker has volunteered for Operation Sunrise, a not for profit organization dedicated to helping children with cleft lip and palate and other facial birth defects in medically under-served countries around the world.