Save America’s Treasures Helps Sculpture
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| Louise Nevelson, Atmosphere and Environment XII (1970), West Entrance, Philadelphia Museum of Art, before conservation. Courtesy Fairmount Park Art Association. Photo: Howard Brunner ©1992. |
The new guidelines for the Save America’s Treasures program have been posted at www.cr.nps.gov/hps/treasures/index.htm. The 2006 deadline will be Tuesday, April 18.
In Philadelphia, the Fairmont Park Art Association has taken advantage of Save America’s Treasures funding to help conserve artist Louise Nevelson’s Atmosphere and Environment XII (1970). The total project cost for the Nevelson conservation treatment is $326,086. Funding sources in addition to Save America's Treasures are The Getty Foundation, The Locks Foundation, and in-kind support from the Fairmount Park Art Association and Philadelphia Museum of Art. The conservation, which is taking place off-site, began in the summer of 2005 and is scheduled for completion in late 2006. The sculpture will be reinstalled at its original location at the West Entrance to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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| Fountain of Time, by Lorado Taft, in Chicago. Photo: Brook Collins, Chicago Park District Photojournalist |
To support the conservation of the Fountain of Time by renowned sculptor Lorado Taft, the Chicago Park District received a $250,000 grant from Save America’s Treasures, $100,000 from the University of Chicago, funding from the B.F. Ferguson Fund of the Art Institute of Chicago, and private donations. The Chicago Park District also provided much of the funding for the two-phase project, which has been undertaken for 15 years. The total project cost will be approximately $2 million. Major treatment of the 127 foot long sculpture included structural repairs, reconstruction of missing elements, and recreation of the original exposed aggregate surface.
For another Save America's Treasures sculpture story, see the article about Columbia, Missouri's Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.
SOS! encourages all sculpture owners to take advantage of this conservation funding. SOS! staff is available to review any applications before they are submitted to Save America’s Treasures. Visit www.cr.nps.gov/hps/treasures/index.htm for grant guidelines and contact Jill White with any questions at jwhite@heritagepreservation.org.