Alicia Coutts is an accomplished scholar with a passion for fine art, historical methodology and restoration. A graduate of The Ontario College of Art and Design, she furthered her education at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. There, she was awarded a MFA with honors.

Ms. Coutts' thesis, The Lost Synagogues of Poland, which investigated the transformation of secret buildings for utilitarian uses in post­WW2 Eastern Europe, sparked her interest in preservation. In Italy, she studied the Florentine method of restoration at SACI (Studio Arts Centers International). Her major in painting restoration produced the thesis The Destruction of Cultural Heritage in a Time of War, leading to strategies for conservation and preservation. At SACI Alicia studied under restorers from the Opificio delle Pietre Dure – one of the most renowned laboratories in Europe. She was recruited directly from this program to a position in the studio of Florentine restorer Roberta Lapucci, who specializes in the methods and materials of Caravaggio. Afterwards, Alicia worked with a team of archaeological restorers to preserve the Picenian Belmonte tombs at the Centro di Restauro della Soprintendenza Archeologica della Toscana, in Florence.

Upon returning to her home town of Toronto, Alicia has dedicated her career to the preservation of cultural icons and the investigation of historical arts. Her private practice has been contracted to clients such as Massey College, St. Joseph’s Hospital, FPDR Ltd. Ecclesiastical Designers, The Archdioceses of Toronto, The Superior Court of Justice, CBRE Limited, Dundee Goodman Private Wealth, Upper Canada College, and several religious organizations and private collections as a restorer, conservator and artist. In addition, she was featured in Toronto Life Magazine’s “Best Of” professionals article.