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All Monumenta staff have completed OSHA 10 training and a Qualified Rigger Course
ABIGail mack
Sculpture Conservator and Co-Owner of Monumenta
Abigail has a Master of Arts and a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Art Conservation from the State University of New York College at Buffalo and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has been working in museums since 1989 and is a Professional Associate of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historical and Artistic Works.
Abigail’s private art conservation studio is located in the Hudson Valley of New York. Her practice includes the treatment and preservation of fine art sculpture and historical objects from museums and private collections with a focus on modern and outdoor sculpture. Of particular interest to her is striking a balance between the preservation of the physical object and the artists’ intent for appearance. To this end, Abigail is actively involved in efforts to develop more durable coatings for painted outdoor sculpture. She works closely with artists’ foundations such as the Calder Foundation, Louise Nevelson Foundation, and Tony Smith Estate to balance the aesthetic intent of sculpture with conservation and long-term preservation.
Abigail has published and lectured at national and international venues on specific conservation research, conservation treatment, and general preservation issues. Current effort include co-teaching a Getty Conservation Institute course for Conservators entitled Surface Treatment Strategies for the Outdoor Painted Sculpture.
For more information on Abigail, visit her website here.
Ellen rand
Conservation Specialist and Co-Owner of Monumenta
Ellen Rand is a metalsmith and master patineur, and has worked concurrently in the fields of sculpture casting, fabrication, and care since 1987. With her 30 years of experience working directly with artists, artists’ estates, art foundries and fabricators, she has a unique understanding of how historical and modern artworks and patinas are produced. This experience is invaluable in the context of preservation. Over the last two decades Ellen’s focus has been preservation of existing works.
Ellen combines profound sensitivity to an artist’s intent with the technical knowledge to create it; skills include welding, chasing, patination, gilding. She has taught patination at fine art fabrication firms in Italy, China, and Thailand and consults on projects in the U.S. Past foundry experience includes directing the Restoration, Maintenance, & Conservation Department at Tallix, Inc.
Project management is a core competency of Ellen’s; since 2006 her company has undertaken significant projects for public and private clients and can handle all aspects of a job from design through final installation.
Ellen prides herself on her ability to communicate effectively with everyone from senior administrators through ‘on-the-ground’ personnel, essential to accomplishing the best work on time and on budget. Owners and stewards of artworks trust her assiduous oversight of every detail.
Chris DiFrancesco
Production Manager & Conservation Specialist
Chris has worked as a conservation technician since 2004 for Rand Atelier. As its first employee, he has been intimately involved with all aspects of the business and its development. For Monumenta, his wide-ranging experience in the arts and management is a key element behind the scenes - from project management, operations, and logistics to financial management, tax, and compliance matters.
Chris is an honors graduate of the University of California (BA, Music) and is a professional musician who tours the USA and Europe several times a year.
Peter Kirkiles
Senior Conservation Technician
Peter is a well-known metal fabricator and artist who has 30 years of experience in sculpture and architectural fabrication shops, as well as being, most recently, co-owner of 21B Design. He has a BFA from Tufts University and and MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
Peter maintains his own studio practice at www.peterkirkiles.com
Frank Ingrao
Senior Conservation Technician
Frank is Monumenta’s lead painter. He brings exceptional finishing acumen to the team. His hard earned skills come largely from a lifelong pursuit of custom car design and fabrication - augmented by a highly successful career in construction finishing. Frank also maintains a thriving career as a performing musician who has worked for decades with notable regional and national acts.
Always good music on when Frank is in.
Sarah Montonchaikul
Assistant Objects Conservator
Sarah is a graduate of the NYU Institute of Fine Arts Conservation Center, where she trained as an objects conservator with experience in archaeological material and modern and contemporary art. Before joining Monumenta in 2023, Sarah held a contract with Smithsonian American Art Museum to design and implement a synthetic plastics identification and condition survey. She is also a current supervising conservator at the Archaeological Exploration of Sardis (Sart, Manisa, Turkey).
Sarah is particularly interested in understanding how the choices made by conservators and allied collaborators influence the relationships that we have with artworks and artifacts. Her practice is informed by the careful consideration of how these choices are made, why they are made, and who has the power to make them.
Louise Dewhirst
Studio Manager & Conservation Technician
Louise recently retired from 38 years of practice as a General Dentist. Her BS is in Psychobiology from the University of Southern California and her DDS is from the University of California, San Francisco. Louise’s lifelong love of art and her dental skills with metals, resins, mimicry and color matching brought Abigail to hire her as a part time conservation technician starting in 2008. She also worked with Rand Atelier on maintenance of the sculpture collection at NY’s Empire State Plaza.
Louise is pleased to be a part of the Monumenta team. She knits, has an Airbnb guesthouse, and is working on hiking all 35 of the Catskill peaks over 3500 feet.
Rafi DiFrancesco
Sculpture Conservation Technician
Rafi splits his time between Monumenta and SUNY Purchase where he is working on a Bachelor’s degree in Arts Administration. He takes after his father and is a talented musician with proficiency in percussion and keyboards