Strategic Conservation
We are an innovative style of fine art conservation consulting company, preventively preserving public artworks by focusing on the methods and materials used in their fabrication and design. In this way, future deterioration from exposure to the environment and the public can be anticipated and prevented with appropriate material choice, artwork placement, and maintenance planning. We consider this “strategic conservation”, ensuring the long term preservation by limiting damaging agents from the very beginning of the artwork’s conception.
Public Art Management
While preventive design is the the best method of preventing future deterioration, most public art collections have already been curated, installed, and in the public domain for years, if not decades. In this case, strategic conservation is not applicable, and proactive management of existing collections is the next best step in collection care. As part of our services, we work with municipalities, counties, and other public institutions in taking stock of their collections, determining treatment priorities, providing maintenance recommendations and anti-vandalism protocols, and training city staff in long-term care.
Art Valuation
Separate from collection consulting, we provide Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) compliant appraisals for both public artworks and Post-War/Contemporary sculpture. To prevent conflict of interest, appraisals are performed unassociated with larger collection surveys, or any associations are fully disclosed as part of the appraisal assignment.
Italo Scanga, Figure Holding the Sun, 1988. City of San Jose, CA
About the Founder
SG Art Services was started by Sarah Giffin in 2026 following a decade-long career working in art conservation in private practice. She began her conservation training with a focus on archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, but later shifted her focus to modern/contemporary and public art in order to better care for the artwork held by the current collector market. Over those 10 years, Sarah has worked for a wide variety of public and private clients across the state of California and in various locations in Florida, Alaska, Oregon, Arizona, and Tennessee with collections ranging from archaeological to ultra-modern. Sarah has a particular passion for public art, believing that every community is deserving of easily accessible artworks and that urban revitalization starts with community engagement in the artwork around them. SG Art Services intends to further this mission by ensuring proper care and management of public art collections to maintain its aesthetic appearance and increase community pride and engagement with the works.
In 2019, Sarah received her Professional Associate designation with the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) through a peer-reviewed qualification process. Sarah expanded her practice in 2025 to include fine art appraisals by participating in the Appraisers Association of America’s (AAA) Comprehensive Appraisal Studies Program, completed in 2026. She is an Associate Member of AAA and is Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) compliant through November 2027.