FPAA: Conservation and Preservation

J. Otto Schweizer, All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors (c. 1934)

Einar Jonsson, Thorfinn Karlsefni (1918)

The Fairmount Park Art Association works to preserve and protect Philadelphia's public art through a variety of conservation and advocacy activities.

Outdoor Sculpture Conservation

Concern for the condition of Philadelphia's bronze and marble sculptures led the Fairmount Park Art Association to initiate a pilot Sculpture Conservation Program in 1982, the first of its kind in the nation. With generous support from the Mabel Pew Myrin Trusts, a select group of sculptures of historic and artistic significance were identified (including Abraham Lincoln [1871] by Randolph Rogers, the Cowboy [1908] by Frederic Remington, and Three-Way Piece Number 1: Points [1964] by Henry Moore) to receive initial conservation treatment by professional conservator Steve Tatti. These works are now part of an ongoing maintenance program to arrest further deterioration and improve the appearance of selected sculptures.

Because of prevailing wind patterns, Pennsylvania receives the most acid rain of any state in the nation. Not only does acid rain affect wildlife, lakes, and forests, but it also has a tremendous impact on Philadelphia's outdoor sculpture. Even "durable" materials are no match for acid rain.

Each spring, the Art Association works with conservator Tatti to conduct annual maintenance on approximately 30 works. The Art Association's maintenance procedure has its origins in the Renaissance and involves a general condition inspection of the sculpture, the removal of surface grime and graffiti, washing, and the application of a special wax coating by trained professionals. The sculptures are cleaned, protected, and stabilized to protect them from further corrosion.

In addition to its annual maintenance program, the Art Association works with the City and other agencies to support the preservation of Philadelphia's public art for future generations. Recent projects include the completion of an extensive conservation treatment of Martin Puryear's Pavilion in the Trees (1993) with the Fairmount Park Historic Preservation Trust and initial conservation treatment of Sylvia Shaw Judson's Mary Dyer (1960) with the Friends Center and Norton Art Conservation Inc..

Photos (L-R)

J. Otto Schweizer,
All Wars Memorial to Colored Soldiers and Sailors (c. 1934).
Before and after conservation treatment.
Photo: Franko Khoury

Einar Jonsson,
Thorfinn Karlsefni (1918).
Before and after conservation treatment.
Photo: Franko Khoury.

Conservation technician Kurt Solmssen performs annual maintenance on Fingerspan (1987).

Photo: Mark Garvin

Conservator Doug Martenson applies wax to help protect Mary Dyer (1960).

Photo: Mark Garvin

In the Public Interest

The Fairmount Park Art Association works in cooperation with civic organizations throughout Philadelphia to preserve and protect the city's outstanding collection of public art. When the famed mural, The Dream Garden by Maxfield Parrish, was threatened with sale and removal, the Art Association became actively involved in efforts to secure the artwork in its original location in the Curtis Building. The Art Association worked with the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts to represent the public interest in the complex regulatory and legal proceedings to save the mural. Learn about this mural and how it was saved for Philadelphia.

The Art Association also seeks protection for public artworks by supporting their nominations as "historic objects" by the City of Philadelphia Historical Commission. Designations include Walker Hancock's Pennsylvania Railroad Memorial in 30th Street Station; Auguste Gaul's Eagle in the former Wanamaker's Department Store; and Frank Edwin Elwell's Dickens and Little Nell in Clark Park

Maxfield Frederick Parrish,
The Dream Garden (c. 1916).

Photo: Lonnie Graham

SOS! (Save Outdoor Sculpture!)

The Art Association is the local coordinating agency for SOS! (Save Outdoor Sculpture!), a national survey project conducted by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American Art and Heritage Preservation. SOS! was created to inventory and assess the condition of the nation's outdoor sculpture and to encourage communities to accept responsibility for the ongoing care and professional conservation of their sculptures. Working in cooperation with the City of Philadelphia Art Commission, the Art Association recruited and supervised volunteers to survey more than 700 outdoor works in the Philadelphia area. This information, together with that collected by SOS! volunteers nationwide, was entered into a database at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC to create a permanent, comprehensive record of the nation's outdoor sculpture.

SOS! volunteers measure George Lundeen's Ben Franklin (on a bench) (1987). Bronze. Gift of the class of 1962; owned by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania.

Photo: Gary McKinnis.