Mark Julian Rabinowitz FAIC FAPT FAAR ‘11

Mark Rabinowitz co-founded History & Conservation Associates, LLC in 2023.

He has decades of experience in the assessment, testing, and treatment, of major historic and artistic works in the US, Canada, Europe, and the Caribbean. First trained as a sculptor, he has worked on preservation of collections, monuments, sculptures, historic structures, fountains, industrial artifacts, and historic sites. 

Significant structures and artifacts he has worked on include: George Washington’s Mount Vernon; the Carnegie Library, Washington, DC; and Astor Library, NYC, the Atlantis Space Shuttle in Cape Canaveral, Fl, A-12 CIA spy plane, and 2 Saturn V rockets, the Egyptian Obelisk in New York City, the US Capitol, US Dept. of Commerce, the US Dept. of Justice, Senate and House Office Buildings, and US Supreme Court buildings, Washington, DC. He was principal conservator for restoration of the exterior stonework at the West Block of the Canadian Houses of Parliament, Ottawa, CA.

Monuments include assessments and treatments of the Grant, Lincoln, Jefferson, and WWI Memorials on the National Mall, Ad Astra for the National Air & Space Museum, the Manship Armillary Sphere at the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, Washington Square Arch in NYC, monuments in Arlington and other National Cemeteries around the country.

Architectural elements include the restoration of major components of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall, dismantle and relocation of 3 carved mantels for the British Decorative Arts gallery, the All Angels pulpit and Lagrange Terrace Column for American Wing Courtyard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and relocation and treatment of several outdoor sculptural fragments for the Brooklyn Museum, assessment, removal,treatment and installation of ancient mosaics and mediavel stonework from the Princeton University Art Museum, Toledo Art Museum, and the Cloisters.

He as treated or assessed buildings, collections, and works of art for The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Museum, The Brooklyn Museum, the Smithsonian Institute, The National Gallery of Art, Crystal Bridges Museum, The Morse Museum, The Hispanic Society Museum, The Mariner’s Museum, Princeton University Art Museum, Toledo Museum of Art, and The Ringling Museum.

Historic house museums he has worked in include: the Biltmore Estate, Asheville, NC, John D. Rockefeller’s Kykuit, Tarrytown, NY, Doris Duke’s Rough Point, Newport, RI, Cheekwood, Nashville, TN, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Miami, FL, The Ringling Museum of Art and the Ca d’Zan, Sarasota, FL,  Planting Fields, Long Island, NY.

Major public sculpture collections that have been assessed and treated include The City of New York Dept. of Parks, Columbia University, Perez Art Museum Miami, Cheekwood, Smithsonian Institution, National Air and Space Museum, Cities of Miami Beach, Jacksonville, FL, Asheville, NC, Alexandria, VA, Coral Gables and Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

Fountain assessments and restorations include those in City Hall Park, Madison Square Park, Central Park, Grand Army Plaza, all in NY, NY, Cheekwood, Nashville, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, Biltmore Estate, Asheville NC, Hillwood, Washington, DC, Town of Palm Beach, FL, City of Coral Gables, FL, Town of Oak Bluff, MA, and private clients in Newport, RI and elsewhere,

Collection care and management assessement and planning projects have included: City of Calgary, Canada public art, US Capitol campus metals, the collection of artifacts from the carving of Mount Rushmore, ND, assessment and planning for the archeological collection, California State Dept. of Parks, environmental conditions study and collection care assessment, Blair House, US State Dept, Washington DC, and others.

His sculpture is held in private and public collections including the City of New York, Commune of Lasa, and Sant’ Ambrogio, Italy, Town of Greenwich, Connecticut. For a portfolio of his artwork please CLICK HERE

Professional Experience

History & Conservation Associates, LLC Principal                                                                             2024

Christovich Visiting Professor and Interim Director Historic Preservation Program, Tulane University   2023-2024

EverGreene Architectural Arts, Inc. President – Principal Conservator                                           2018-2023

Conservation Solutions, Inc. Vice President – Principal Conservator                                            2003-2018

Private Practice/Chief Conservator Brooklyn, NY                                                                   1989-2003

New York City Parks Department, New York, NY, Chief Consulting Conservator-overseeing treatment of all outdoor monuments, Established city wide conservation treatment program that is still in operation                                                        1997-2003

Central Park Conservancy, New York, NY, Deputy Chief of Operations for Preservation - overseeing treatment of built environment including outdoor monuments, bridges, buildings and walls. Established monument conservation treatment program that is still in operation                                                1991-1997

Fine Arts Sculptor, New York, NY                                                                                           1975-1991

Education

Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI  Bachelor of Fine Arts, Sculpture, 1975

Professional Recognitions

American Academy In Rome (AAR), Fellow 2011

American Institute for Conservation (AIC), Professional Associate 1995; Fellow 2004

Association of Preservation Technology (APT) (International, NE, and DC Chapters) Fellow 2021

Teaching

Tulane University, Christovich Visiting Professor of Historic Preservation, Interim Director, Historic Preservation Program 2023-2024

Central Park Conservancy & New York City Parks Foundation Monuments Conservation Training Programs. Developed and initiated internship programs that trained conservation- and historic preservation graduate students through the study and treatment of outdoor monuments and historic structures. Started first in Central Park in1992 and later citywide in1997, both programs are still in operation today.

Columbia University Historic Preservation Dept.  Guest Lecturer, Prof. R. Pieper Class, Metals, 2016, 2017, 2018 and “Understanding Carrara Marble Cracking in American Monuments circa 1910”, New York, NY, 2011

Roger Williams University, Guest Lecturer, Historic Preservation Program 2016

Tulane University Historic Preservation Program. Guest Lecturer, Prof. Laura Blokker 2015, 2016, 2017

New York University Conservation Center, Guest Lecturer, Outdoor Sculpture Conservation, Prof. Judith Wolfe, 2014

University of Texas, San Antonio, Guest Lecturer, Historic Preservation Theory, Prof. Bill Dupont, 2013

New York University Conservation Center, New York, NY, Guest lecturer on stone carving techniques, Prof. Shelly Sass,1995-2001

Fashion Institute of Technology Restoration Department, New York City, NY, Lectures on monuments conservation, 1998-2002

Long Island University Brooklyn Campus, NY, Adjunct Associate Professor, Sculpture, 1994-95 

Lacoste School of the Arts in France, Provence, France, Professor of Sculpture, summer and fall semester, 1990

Penland School of Crafts, Penland, NC, Instructor in Sculpture, summer, 1979

Publications

“Conservation of the Iwo Jima Monument Parris Island for the United States Marine Corps” Claudia G. Chemello, Paul Mardikian, Joseph Sembrat, Mark J. Rabinowitz. NCPPTT, Fredericksburg, TX June 4-6, 2019.

“The 180 Wellington Building Mosaic Conservation” Caldwell, K., Sembrat, J., Rabinowitz, M., Bourdeau, J., Baker, W., and Stein, E, The Association for Preservation Technology International (APT) Bulletin - The Journal of Preservation Technology 2019,

“The Space Age in Architecture” Joseph Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz, Caroline Guay, Tom McDowell, NCPTT published 2015

“Restoration of the Aluminum Night Doors at the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, Washington, DC” Justine Bello, Mark Rabinowitz, Joseph Sembrat. Proceeds of Aluminum: History, Technology and Conservation Washington, DC – April 7-9, 2014, Published by Smithsonian Institute, 2019

“Zinc Statuary in America, History and Conservation” Mark Rabinowitz, Carol Grissom, proceedings of the ICOMOS, SIIF International Conference on Metals in the Outdoors, Paris, France, Dec. 2014.

“Investigating and Restoring Decorative Finishes on Architectural Metals” Joseph Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz, Justine Bello, Journal of Architectural Conservation Volume 18, 2012 – Issue 3

 “Conservation of Marble Statuary at the New York Public Library” Mark Rabinowitz, John Carr. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Stone Deterioration, Columbia University, New York, 2012

“Outside the Canon, A Review of Unique Approaches to Stone Conservation” Justine Bello, Daniel Lane, Mark Rabinowitz, Joseph Sembrat. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Stone Deterioration, Columbia University, New York, 2012

“Removal of Microbiological Fouling on Adair Marble at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial” Mark Rabinowitz, Roy Cullimore, S. Caitlin vonHedemann, George Wheeler. Pierre de Jardins: proceedings of the ICOMOS, SIIF International Conference on Conservation of Stones in Gardens, Paris, France, 2011.

“Surface Preparation and Coating Application Practices for the Conservation of Large-Scale Metal Artifacts” Joseph Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz, Patricia Miller, and Justine Bello. Metal 2010: proceedings of the International Conference on Metals Conservation, Charleston, SC. 11-15, October 2010.

“Overcoming Challenges to Decorative Metal Finishes” Joseph Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz, Patricia Miller, and Justine Bello, Traditional Building, Vol. 22 No. 6, December 2009, pp 70-71.

“Enzymatic Decolorization of Bacterial Pigments from Culturally Significant Marble.” Nick Konkol, Chris McNamara, Joe Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz, and Ralph Mitchell. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2009.

“Ximenes – Fatio Musuem, Saint Augustine Florida” Patty Miller & Mark Rabinowitz, Traditional Masonry Magazine, Spring 2008.

“Let Us Raise a Standard to Which The Wise and The Honest Can Repair….”: The Preservation of Washington Square Arch, Robin Gerstad, Mark Rabinowitz. Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, 2005.

“The Use And Effectiveness of Dispersed Hydrated Lime In Conservation of Monuments And Historic Structures”  Patty Miller, Joe Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz. Post-Prints 2005 International Lime Symposium, Orlando, FL, 2005  

 “Surface Repairs to Architectural Terra Cotta” Mark Rabinowitz Traditional Building, 2004.

“The Conservation of the Alabama Confederate Memorial” Mark Rabinowitz, Camille Bowman. Traditional Building, 2004.

“Conservation of the Brooklyn Memorial Arch”  Mark Rabinowitz, Traditional Building, 2000.

“John Crawford Sculpture” Mark Rabinowitz, Queens Art Center, 1999.

“Restoration of the Bethesda Terrace Tile Ceiling” Mark Rabinowitz, Peter Champe. Bulletin of the Association for Preservation Technology, 1999.

“Central Park Conservancy Monuments Conservation Program” Mark Rabinowitz, Cultural Resources Management, U.S. Department of the Interior, NPS, 1995.

“Man Carves a Wood Horse” a short film for Sesame Street, Mark Brugnomi 1984.

Presentations

“Conserving the Past; Designing the Future” with Lewis Gleason, ICAA Conference, Charleston, SC 2023

“Restoration of 2 Cast Stone Fountains” Traditional Building Conference, Palm Beach, FL 2022

“Conservation of a 1960’s Concrete Mural” Preserving the Recent Past 3, Los Angeles, CA 2019

“Conservation of the Masonry at the West Block” AIC National Conference, Chicago, IL 2017

“Jewel Box: Creation and Preservation of the Dalle de Vere Walls of the Bacardi Complex Building, Miami Florida”  Mark Rabinowitz, Stained Glass Symposium, Washington National Cathedral, Washington DC, June 19-20, 2015.

“The Space Age in Construction” J. Bello, C. Guay, T McDowell, M. Rabinowitz, J. Sembrat. Mid-Century Modern Structures Symposium, NCPTT, Saint Louis, MO. April 2015.

“The Re-Gilding of the Sherman Monument…Try, Try Again” Michael Kramer, Mark Rabinowitz, APTNE Annual Conference, New York, NY, 2015.

“Zinc Statuary in America, History and Conservation” Mark Rabinowitz, Carol Grissom, ICOMOS, SIIF International Conference on Metals in the Outdoors, Paris, France, 2014.

 “Conservation of Marble Statuary at the New York Public Library” Mark Rabinowitz, John Carr. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Stone Deterioration, Columbia University, New York, 2012

“Outside the Canon, A Review of Unique Approaches to Stone Conservation” Justine Bello, Daniel Lane, Mark Rabinowitz, Joseph Sembrat. Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Stone Deterioration, Columbia University, New York, 2012

“Hurricane Damage and Conservation Challenges at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens”

Joseph Sembrat, Mark Rabinowitz and Justine Posluszny Bello. Association for Preservation Technology Annual Conference, Victoria, British Columbia, October 2011

“Conservation within Historic Landscapes.”  On the Ground: Putting Preservation into Practice, hosted by the American Public Garden association and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, Miami, FL, 2011.

“Removal of Mircobiological Fouling on Adair Marble at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial”

Jardin des Pierres: ICOMOS, SIIF International Conference on Conservation of Stones in Gardens, Paris, France, 2011.

“Stone Treatment at the New York Public Library.”, ICOMOS, New York, 2009

“Conservation of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Daffodil Terrace from Laurelton Hall,” with John Griswold. American Institute for Conservation Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, 2008

“When the Museum Building is the Collection: Issues of Conservation, Maintenance and Collections Care for Museums Where the Structure and Associated Features (Interiors, Gardens, Outdoor Sculpture) Are Major Components of the Collection,” Program Chair. Building Museum Symposium 2007, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Washington, DC , 2007.

“The Stabilization, Conservation Treatment and Exhibition Mounting of Two Saturn V Command Modules,” with Joe Sembrat and Patty Miller. Second Symposium on Corrosion & Preservation of Historic Artifacts, Smithsonian Institution Museum Support Center Theatre, Silver Spring, MD, 2007.

“A Paradigm Shift in Industrial Artifact Conservation—The Conservation of the Saturn V Rocket Located at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX,” with Joe Sembrat and Patty Miller Symposium on Corrosion & Preservation of Historic Artifacts, Suitland, Maryland, 2006

“Gilding the Sherman Memorial” Gilding at the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C., 2006

“The Restoration of Hurricane Damage at Vizcaya” Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Miami, FL,2006

“The Use of Internal Armatures in Zinc Sculpture Restoration” American Institute for Conservation Annual Meeting, Objects Specialty Group, Providence, RI, 2006

“Introduction to Masonry Conservation” Florida Trust for Historic Preservation 2006 Conference, St. Augustine, FL, 2006

“The Use And Effectiveness of Dispersed Hydrated Lime In Conservation of Monuments And Historic Structures,” with Patty Miller, International Lime Symposium, Orlando, FL, 2005

“Diagnosing and Prescribing Treatments for Historic Masonry,” with Patty Miller, The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation:  Ximenez-Fatio House Museum, St. Augustine, FL, 2005

“Let us Raise a Standard to Which the Wise and The Honest Can Repair... : The Preservation of Washington Square Arch, “ with Robin Gerstad. APT Conference, Galveston, TX, 2004

“Specifying Appropriate Restoration of Historic Lighting.” Illuminating Engineering Society, New York, NY, 2003

“Sculpture, Creating, Caring and Collecting.” Brookgreen Gardens, SC, 2002

 “The Re-gilding of the Sherman Memorial.” American Institute for Conservation, Annual Meeting, Architecture Specialty Group, Dallas, TX, 2001

“Options in Training Sculpture Maintenance Personnel.” Program Chair. Heritage

Preservation/SOS!, Washington, DC, 1996

“Central Park Masonry Arch Restoration Program.” American Institute for Conservation, Objects Specialty Group, Norfolk, VA, 1995

“Bronze Casting and Conservation.” Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH, 1994

“The Conservation of Outdoor Bronzes.” National Park Service, Maintenance of Outdoor Sculpture, Chicago, IL, 1992

“Losing Games: Conservation Issues of Outdoor Statuary as Playground Equipment,” with Providencia Velazquez. American Institute for Conservation, Objects Specialty Group, Buffalo, NY, 1992

Awards (selected)

Palladio Award, Traditional Building Magazine 2024 Richmond Old City Hall, VA

DC Preservation League 2023, DC Police Memorial

DC Preservation League 2022, Jefferson Memorial

Washington Building Congress 2022, NASM Mural Conservation

DC Preservation League 2022, US Capitol Stone Restoration

Preservation North Carolina 2020, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Winston-Salem, NC.

DC Preservation League 2020, Carnegie Library 

Florida Trust for Historic Preservation 2019, Terra cotta restoration, Ca d’Zan, John and Mabel Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota, FL.

Historic Preservation Project 2018 ENR With Grunley Construction, US Capitol North Extension, Washington, DC.

Project of the Year American Public Works Association-Florida Chapter 2017 Mizner Memorial Fountain Restoration, Palm Beach, FL.

Award of Excellence, Conservation Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals 2016 180 Wellington St Mosaic

US GSA Award, 2015 Clara Barton Office

New York Landmarks Conservancy, 2015 Lucy Moses Preservation Award, Egyptian Obelisk and High Bridge, New York, NY 

DC Preservation League, 2014, Cardozo School Restoration 

New York Landmarks Conservancy, 2014 Lucy Moses Preservation Award, I Miller Building Sculptures, & Building E Sailors Snug Harbor, New York, NY 

DC Preservation League, 2013, National Academy of Sciences Restoration 

President’s Award, American Society of Landscape Architects, 2013, DC War Memorial

AIA Honors Award, 2013, New York Public Library

DC Preservation League, 2012, DC War Memorial

Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, 2011 Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Restoration/Rehabilitation Coral Gables Museum, Coral Gables, FL

New York Preservation League, 2011 Award for Excellence, New York Public Library, New York, NY

New York Landmarks Conservancy, 2011 Lucy Moses Preservation Award, New York Public Library, New York, NY 

Winner of the American Academy in Rome Mark Hampton Prize in Historic Preservation & Conservation 2010-2011

City of Paterson Historic Preservation Commission Historic Preservation Awards, “Outstanding Public Archaeology” 2010, Allied Textile Printing Mill investigation, Paterson, NJ,

Dade Heritage Trust, 2009 Outstanding Restoration of Historic Site Flagler Memorial, Miami Beach, FL

New York Construction, 2004 Best of 2004 Award Restoration Award of Merit —Washington Square Arch, New York, NY

Greenwich Village Historical Society, 2004 14th Annual Village Awards for the Restoration of the Washington Square Arch, New York, NY 

New York Landmarks Conservancy, 2004 Lucy Moses Preservation Award, Washington Square Arch, New York, NY

New York Landmarks Conservancy, 2003 Lucy Moses Preservation Award, Conservation of sculpture in New York, NY

New York Art Commission, 2002,  Award for Excellence for Conservation of Sculptures in New York City, NY

Heritage Preservation/SOS!,2002 Best Conservation Treatment, for Oak Bluff Soldiers' Memorial, MA

Heritage Preservation/SOS!, 2000 Best Conservation Treatment, for Brooklyn Memorial Arch, NY

New York City Dept of Parks, 2000 Best Monument Restoration, for Brooklyn Memorial Arch, NY

New York Landmarks Conservancy, 1995 Lucy Moses Preservation Award, for Restoration of Winterdale Arch, Central Park, NY, NY

New York Art Commission, 1993 Award for Excellence, for conservation of sculptures in Central Park, NY, NY, 1993

Antica Libera Corporazione Dell'Arte Della Pietra, 1984, Maestro D'Arte Della Pietra, (Master of the Ancient Arts of Stone), Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Italy,

Sculpture Exhibitions (selected)

Trabia Gallery, New York, 1989 Solo Exhibition

Bridgewater Gallery, New York, 1985 Solo Exhibition

Propect Park, Dante Park at Lincoln Center, New York, 1990-1992 Temporary Exhibition

The City of Greenwich, CT  Permanent Collection, Byram Park

The City of New York, NY Permanent Collection, Central Park, several locations

Commune di Lasa/Laas, Alta Adige, Italy Permanent Collection, Gymnasium

Commune di Sant’ Ambrogio,Valpolicello, Italy Permanent Collection, Parco di Fiera

Travel Grants & Carving Symposia

LASA/LAAS, Alta Adige, Italy, Residence with materials and workspace to carve a large scale marble sculpture 1986

Saint’ Ambrosio, Valpolicella. Italy, Residence with materials and workspace to carve a marble sculpture 1982

Service

EverGreene Architectural Arts, Inc. Member of the Board of Directors 2021-Present

Advisory Committee President’s Room Ceiling Plaster Preservation, Architect of the Capitol 2017

Advisory Committee for Robert Chaler Ceiling Restoration. Vizcaya Museum & Garden 2014

American Academy in Rome, Jury Chair, Historic Preservation & Conservation award 2013

Association for Preservation Technology, Appointed Member of the Board of Directors, 2008-2009 Student Scholarship Program co-chair

Conservation of Washington Square Arch, Program Chair. Expert Advisory Committee, City Parks Foundation/New York University, 2001

New York City Art Commission   Conservation Advisory Group, 1993-1997

SOS!, Heritage Preservation Inc. Outdoor Sculpture Maintenance Advisory Group, 1995-1996