 Since 2003, the IMA has systematically researched the provenance of artworks created before 1946 and acquired after 1932.The IMA's conservation department was established in 1970 by the museum's first full-time conservator, Paul Spheeris, and quickly became known as a regional center for conservation.In 1978, the department began providing consulting services to regional institutions, taking on contracts from across the Midwest.