For Art UK's 'Being...' series, we take a look at a day in the life of a professional or volunteer working in the arts, heritage or museum sector.

What's your role?

I am the Conservation Officer at Swansea Council's Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. It's a part-time role; two days a week and I usually work on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The role entails caring for the Glynn Vivian permanent collection, which is made of 12,000 artworks including easel paintings, drawings, prints, ceramics, works on paper, sculptures, textiles and more.

The Gallery was opened in 1911, built with the bequest of Richard Glynn Vivian to house his art collection 'for the enjoyment of the people of Swansea'. I am a specialist easel painting conservator. I carry out regular checks on the condition of artworks, remount and frame works, monitor the light, temperature and humidity in the Gallery spaces, while also conserving and restoring artworks, which can sometimes take many months or even years to complete.

What's your morning routine?

I'm up at 6.30am for a quick cup of tea, and in the car and driving at 7am.

What's your journey to work like?

I have a two-hour drive from home to work, across the beautiful countryside of mid-Wales – I'm a Radio 4 addict and always enjoy the Today programme to catch up with news and affairs.

What's a typical morning at work for you?

Firstly, I catch up with emails. Generally, there is a mix of general emails, loan requests, updates from the scientists, professional networking emails and requests for meetings. I informally catch up with other members of staff to see if anything urgent needs attending to – which can include the environmental controls, any issues that have arisen and visits from researchers.

I start my day back in the studio to continue conservation work. My biggest ongoing project is a sixteenth-century Venetian painting, Belshazzar's Feast, attributed to a follower of Paolo Veronese (1528–1588). The painting was given to the Gallery in 1920 by John Dyer, a wealthy Swansea businessman, who had made money as a flour merchant, and it is one of the most important early Italian paintings in the collection.

I am in the process of carrying out a full restoration of the painting, and we are also doing scientific and technical investigation to find out more about the painting, the artist's working methods and the materials used. For the scientific investigation we are working in partnership with scientists at Swansea University who are examining tiny paint samples using electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry, scanning electron microscopes, and Raman microscopy.

'Belshazzar's Feast' during treatment (detail showing cleaning test)

We are also working with National Museum Cardiff where it has recently been X-rayed and examined with Infrared reflectography. Infrared reflectography can reveal carbon-based underdrawings, which are often hidden beneath thin layers of paint. This can help identify the artist, their technique, and the painting process.

'Belshazzar's Feast' after varnish removal

Over the past few years, we have been meticulously recording the restoration process for an exhibition we are planning for 2026. The exhibition will include the painting, photographs of the restoration process, information about the materials and techniques used to create the painting, and details of where the pigments came from, particularly focusing on the mines and the conditions for the miners.

What's for lunch?

Usually, I walk into Swansea city centre for a bit of food shopping then a quick sandwich at my desk.

What's a typical afternoon like?

After lunch, I am back in the studio. Usually, I am working on Belshazzar's Feast, but I currently have another painting in the studio with a more immediate deadline, so I am prioritising that. It is a large painting called Ceridwen, by Christopher Williams, which will be included in the exhibition 'Tigers and Dragons: India and Wales in Britain' at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in May 2025.

I have just started examining, documenting and photographing it before I begin the treatment. The exhibition is co-curated by independent curator Zehra Jumabhoy, and has both a historical and contemporary element – it examines the past, while forging a future. It spotlights Wales-based practitioners alongside art from South Asia and its diasporas.

The show will juxtapose South Asia's historic fine art traditions (gleaned from the Imperial encounter) alongside colonial-era art and artefacts, with modern and contemporary paintings, sculptural installations and new media. Artworks will be sourced from private and national collections as well as special commissions.

What do you do after work?

On Wednesdays I stay overnight in Swansea with a friend, we cook dinner together and sometimes go to see a film. On Thursdays I drive back to Aberystwyth and enjoy going to the local Arts Centre for a film, music or theatre.

Jenny Williamson in the Glynn Vivian's Indigo display, 2022

Jenny Williamson, Conservation Officer, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

This content was supported by Welsh Government funding

'Tigers and Dragons: India and Wales in Britain' opens at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery in May 2025

Do you work or volunteer in the arts, heritage or museum sector? Would you be kind enough to share an example of your day for our 'Being...' series? Please get in touch with Art UK at pitches@artuk.org as we'd love to hear from you.