Steps away from busy Second Avenue in downtown Seattle, Washington, one can find a natural reprieve on the plaza of the Henry M. Jackson Federal Building. This "contemplative retreat" as described by the artist Isamu Noguchi is an outdoor sculpture…
When most people think of the term "conservation", environmental conservation might come to mind rather than art. Sometimes the conservation of nature coincides with the conservation of art, as in the case of the portrait of Gifford Pinchot, first Chief of…
At the beginning of 2018, we shared our conservation assessment of Seaflower completed by Conservator of Modern Art Bob Lodge who specializes in painted outdoor sculpture conservation and coatings research and refinishing. Seaflower was created by artist James Surls…
Stone specialist Marcin Pikus was asked by All Hallows Guild to provide much needed conservation work to significant Medieval stone features in Bishop’s Garden, a part of the 59 acres of the grounds of Washington National Cathedral. Marcin Pikus holds a…
While stainless steel outdoor sculpture does not rust like weathering steel or mild steel, it still has issues with corrosion. Stainless steel outdoor sculpture therefore still requires regular conservation maintenance and treatment. One such sculpture is Ainsa I, 2013 by Spanish…
Public art should be, as the name implies, available to the public. But sometimes public access to art is not healthy for the art. Take the case of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN carved in white marble by Jacques Jouvenal and erected in…
Mosaic Conservation, Mural Conservation: Art Conservators often perform tests before beginning a large project. Tests might involve creating mock-ups before treatment, cleaning small areas on an easel painting, or in some instances, removing a section of the artwork. The latter…
Public Art Conservation, Coatings Research and Refinishing, Outdoor Sculpture Conservation: In an open atrium located by the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at 7th and M Street Northwest in D.C., Transit, 2007 an abstract sculpture by artist Wendy M. Ross…
Stone Conservation, Sculpture Conservation, Architectural Features Conservation; In 1908 Scottish-American sculptor John Massey Rhind carved four Tennessee pink marble sculptures for the front of the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. These four large sculptures represented Industry, Agriculture,…
Each year conservators and museum professionals from across the United States and other countries attend the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC) Annual meeting, and each year, a new topic is selected and papers are solicited…