This summer, our conservation team had the opportunity to work on two significant outdoor sculptures by Bay Area artist Beniamino Bufano: Peace in San Francisco and Hand of Peace across the Bay in Walnut Creek. Bufano’s artwork can be found in public places throughout the Bay Area. He was an
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Born in 1899 in Garden Valley, Idaho, artist James Castle gained worldwide renown, with his works in the collections of institutions such as the Smithsonian Institute and the Whitney Museum. A major figure in American folk art, he was also deaf, communicating primarily through his art, which relied on humble
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Maintaining commercial buildings, especially older ones, can be full of surprises. Frequently, the focus is on interiors: lighting, air quality, access, and so on. It’s the exterior that is sometimes forgotten about and as a result can develop conditions that take us off guard. Falling hazards due to loose façade
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Recently, our principal David Wessel talked with Kenneth Varner, president and chief executive officer of Cypress Lawn, to get his take on the role of historic structures in cemeteries.
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Upon landing in Hong Kong on our way to Cambodia, I checked my email. Waiting for me was a message from the Cambodian Visa Department. My heart sunk; what could be wrong? I was sure my papers were in order and we were all set for our visit to Siem
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As a conservator, I started out conserving historic building materials and finishes, but that’s morphed into working with art and sculpture, too, like the murals in Coit Tower and the gypsum-and-latex door surrounds by Tom Otterness for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Recently I’ve had the opportunity to
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I remember the first time I walked into David Ireland’s house, not long after the 500 Capp Street Foundation hired us to handle the conservation of this building that was also a major work of art by an amazing artist. I was immediately drawn in by the warm, lustrous, amber-colored
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It was almost 25 years ago when a client called us and asked if we could stop by their building in downtown San Francisco—they had something to show us. When we arrived, the building engineer brought out a large piece of terra cotta masonry that was found on the sidewalk
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The de la Montanya Monument was constructed in 1909 to house the remains of the prominent de la Montanya family. Unfortunately, the family dispersed, and the descendants did not have the ability to maintain their ancestors’ resting place. It should come as no surprise that the cost of restoring a deteriorated
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Conservation work is moving forward on the murals, stucco, and lobby-mounted oil canvas paintings up at Coit Tower in San Francisco. ARG/CS conservators are working with Anne Rosenthal Fine Art, the < a href="http://www.sfartscommission.org/">San Francisco Arts Commission, and SF Recreation and Park Department on the project, and we are blogging
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The San Francisco Arts Commission has undertaken conservation treatment of the interior murals at Coit Tower, one of the most important troves of WPA-era artwork in the country. This work is starting on the heels of an extensive repair project for the building, led by the San Francisco Recreation and
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A little-known fact: San Francisco Lodge No.3 is the longest continuous running lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE). The BPOE was founded in New York City in 1868, and the San Francisco Lodge No. 3 came into being five years later. Since 1925, the city’s Elks
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