Conservation scientists in museums and galleries have a clear understanding of the damage that light can inflict on an object, but what of the designers that create exhibitions to display these precious items? Light for Arts Sake provides a basis for a level of professional expertise for lighting practice in museums.

Rather than portraying conservation and display as having diametrically opposed objectives, the central concept is that the interaction of light and art media is the source for both the visual experience and the degradation of the artwork. Optimal solutions derive from understanding and controlling the interaction process, and the need is for the level of understanding among lighting professionals to be brought closer to that found among conservation scientists.