San Francisco War Memorial Opera House |
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As the heat of the summer reaches its peak and the July summer fun continues, there is a huge increase in live entertainment. Part of the magic of the performing arts is the beautiful theater in which the spectacle takes place. There are many historic and elaborate theaters throughout the United States which John Canning & Co. has had the pleasure of restoring and decorating. From local Connecticut theaters such as Shubert Theater,in New Haven, to the iconic Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the restored architecture and exciting detailing gives every audience a renewed spirit of love for the music, dance, and acting on stage.
The restoration and beautification of theaters involves a multi-step process of material and archival analysis, specification, and implementation. Each step is necessary to produce the desired result. Due to the varied architectural designs of each theater, different skills and objectives are personalized to the specific project. Whether it be plaster consolidation and conservation cleaning at the Fox Theatre Institute, in Atlanta, GA or decorative painting and finishes at Stadium Theater in Woonsocket, RI, John Canning & Co. adapts its techniques to best serve the client’s needs.
Other projects which have had a great impact on the community and the performing arts themselves include the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House in CA, where John Canning & Co. gilded and glazed 500,000 linear feet of the theater. Beyond the Opera House’s rich art reputation, it is a historic site because of its involvement in organizing the assembly for the United Nations in 1945. Restoring such historic sites provides great value to the community and impacts the surrounding area. There has also been restoration work done on university theaters and entertainment spaces such as Rackham Auditorium at the University of Michigan and Connecticut's Yale University’s Morse Recital Hall. Plaster restoration was one of the scopes of work that was implemented during both of these university projects.
Historic theaters such as the 19th century Philadelphia Academy of Music in PA are especially important to restore and preserve due to their societal significance and rich history. The decoration in historic theaters shows the lavishness and idealisms of the arts in that day and age. In restoring the intricate details inside these buildings, Canning is able to uncover the grandeur of the past for the audience and performers alike.
As a contributor to the visual arts through architectural preservation, we are committed to helping places of artistic growth thrive through a renewed and fresh approach. Theaters are places of creativity and therefore need to inspire the imagination through the beauty of their design. John Canning & Co. takes this notion seriously in every project implemented on both concert halls, theatres and auditoriums alike.
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Latest Articles & Announcements |
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How to Restore Traditional Paint in Historic Buildings |
Throughout history, architectural painting is an important part of the record we use to understand a culture’s appreciations and beliefs. Whether it is a wall mural or a non-decorative coat, paint has, and always will be, instrumental to the proper finish and attractiveness of a building. However, paint can fade and peel, requiring its refinishing and restoration.This blog looks at a few factors of paint restoration that should be kept in mind to preserve the original beauty of a historic building when Restoration is required.
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The Restoration of St. Mary's Chapel at Boston College |
The second oldest building on the Boston College campus, St. Mary’s Hall underwent an addition, renovation and restoration. The existing large chapel included restoration of finishes and the addition of an air conditioning system. John Canning & Co. worked on the restoration of the finishes by initially providing consultation services to develop cleaning and conservation solutions for the cast stone, decorative plaster, and murals throughout the hall and chapel. This blog takes a peak into the St. Mary's Chapel restoration.
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Do you have a Traditional Building 2023 Calendar? If you flip to the month of July on your Traditional Building 2023 Calendar, you will notice that this month features to the work of John Canning & Co. The spotlight project for July was implemented in Norwalk, CT. at the San Joselito’s Chapel, located inside a former convent. This historic building was built in 1895 and is the style of English Gothic Revival.The Chapel was transformed through the application of decorative paint, incorporating the colors red, turquoise, and blue throughout the design. Stenciling, gilding, and freehand artwork gave the interior a renewed grandeur of color. The decorative process took San Joselito’s Chapel from having a plain white interior, to being covered in decedent, Spanish inspired illuminations. While originally asked only for a consultation on possible designs, John Canning & Co. dedicated time to completely transform the chapel’s interior. For more information on the project visit our website.
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This month we celebrate the birthday of architect Russell Sturgis. Sturgis was born July 7th, 1805 and is accredited with starting a unique variation of the Victorian Gothic style. One of his most prominent works, Battell Chapel at Yale University, is a perfect example of his adaptation of the Victorian Gothic design scheme. Incorporating gothic features like ribbed vaults and Victorian ornate details, Sturgis created a masterpiece that is marveled at over a century after his death. John Canning & Co. had the pleasure of implementing restorative work including gilding, plaster repair, decorative painting, and a historic paint analysis. For more information on the Chapel and its restoration visit John Canning & Co.’s website.
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The August issue of the Traditional Building Magazine features the 2023 Palladio Award winning projects. John Canning & Co. has had the pleasure of collaborating with Robert A.M. Stern Architects to restore Schwarzman Center at Yale University. This project is a 2023 Commercial Palladio Winner for restoration and renovation. The project included the restoration of ornamental plaster in The Presidents Room and the wood restoration of Yale’s great dining hall The Commons. Restoration work was also committed in The Rotunda Gallery and The Underground Dining Area. Given Yale’s rich history as an Ivy League university, it was an honor to revitalize the grandeur of Schwarzman Center for the students and faculty alike. For more information on this Palladio Award winning project and all the other 2023 winning projects you can read the online issue here.
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A further reason that July is a special month for Theater preservation, is that from July 16th-19th, the League of Historic American Theatres held their 47th National Conference. This conference brought together historic theater architects, artists, and enthusiasts to discuss, learn, and observe the iconic auditoriums of America. The event included a theatre tour for the attendees so the guests could receive close-up access to these beautiful buildings. John Canning & Co. continues to support LHAT and was at this years conference. We were happy to see everyone during the conference and especially those that stopped by to visit us during the expo. We continue to provide support and commitment through our work in theatres and our sponsorship of LHAT and hope to see you at their next event. For more information on LHAT’s mission or if you are interested in attending a future conference, please visit the event website.
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Interested in seeing more of our work? Follow us on TikTok! |
Have you followed our TikTok yet? Come see our work in motion on our TikTok account. We post new videos every week and feature several of our different trades in action. Follow along at the link below. |
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We understand the importance in sharing our expertise and knowledge in our field. Besides the monthly newsletter and blogs we post, we also develop and share downloadable resources to help guide you in your conservation, preservation and restoration projects. Check out the Resources page and see if any of the resources can help answer some of your questions and provide a better understanding of some of the intricacies in the preservation field.
Check out our Featured Downloadable Resource below.
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Because this month has a special focus on theater restoration and design, we are highlighting our Theatre Restoration Guide. Preserving auditoriums and performance centers can be a complicated challenge. We hope this guide acts as a helpful step in the right direction for any questions you might have. Whether you are a theater owner searching for a contractor, or a architect researching a project, this resource will give an in-depth introduction into the wonderful world of theater restoration.
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APT 2023 Annual Conference October 9-14th Seattle, WA |
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As a national nonprofit preservation organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America's historic places and is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more or get involved. |
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The American Institute for Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation work together to promote the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. Partner with us to further that mission. |
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION #PerfectingPreservation #jcanningcrew |
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