The MRCG was formed in 1980 by art conservation and restoration professionals with the purpose of bringing together those individuals in the Midwest region (and beyond) interested in the preservation of historic and artistic works and to promote fellowship and exchange of ideas on a professional level.

[1] The first meeting of the Guild was held at the Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) on Saturday, October 25, 1980.

The program consisted of an organizational meeting, museum tours, and two slide presentations.

[3] The Guild was organized in recognition of the pressing concerns of "museum curators and private collectors alike to preserve great works of art against the ravages of time and the environment, as well as to uncover increasingly sophisticated forgeries.

In 1993, the MRCG began producing its Membership Directory, which appeared yearly until it became an online resource with updates every few months.