Some of the leading names in Canadian and international heritage conservation are coming to Queenston as part of the Willowbank School of Restoration Art’s annual lecture series, which is making its return this fall.

Among the featured speakers are Jean Dendy, an art conservator at the Royal Ontario Museum; Hussain Ali, a specialist with the Aga Khan Foundation known for documenting the UNESCO-listed Lahore Fort in Pakistan; and Montreal’s Mallory Wilson, winner of the Jacques Dalibard Prize and founder of the non-profit Entremise, among others.

The fall series opens Sept. 27, going until Nov. 22, kicking off with Willowbank instructor Nathan Schafer, whose talk will explore the role of craft knowledge in social sustainability.

Also set to speak are Halifax architect Brian MacKay-Lyons, celebrated for weaving contemporary design into historic settings, Toronto’s Mark Laird, regarded as one of the world’s foremost landscape historians, and Brett Sherlock, a Niagara-on-the-Lake-based international consultant and former Christie’s specialist.

Katie Houghton, Willowbank’s executive director, said the lectures highlight how heritage work is increasingly connected to contemporary issues.

“These are some of the top people in the world who plan and do the work that enables us to enjoy and understand our history through preserving and restoring important sites — including Willowbank,” Houghton said in a media release.

The lectures will take place Saturday mornings from 10 a.m. to noon in the Bright Parlour at the Willowbank school in Queenston. Talks won’t take place on Oct. 11 or 25.

Tickets are $25 per lecture or $150 for the full series and can be reserved in advance by e-transfer to willowbank@willowbank.ca. Admission will also be available at the door, but organizers recommend booking ahead to secure a spot.

The full list of dates, speakers and lecture topics follows:

• Sept. 27 — Nathan Schafer: Craft knowledge and social sustainability
• Oct. 4 — Mallory Wilson: Heritage conservation and social justice
• Oct. 18 — Brian MacKay-Lyons: Contemporary design in historic settings
• Nov. 1 — Hussain Ali: Recording and documenting “place” and “place-making”
• Nov. 8 — Mark Laird: Botanical art of the past, and environment today
• Nov. 15 — Jean Dendy: Art conservation and architectural conservation
• Nov. 22 — Brett Sherlock: Stories from the international world of auctions

The Willowbank School of Restoration Arts is located at 14487 Niagara Pkwy.