Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom at the US National Archives that the art piece was meant to simulate (left), watercolor rendering of US National Archives visitor center curved wall dome design (top middle), mockup of the dome in progress (bottom middle), illusionary painting application in progress (top right), and detailed mural painting in progress (bottom right) for the dome at the US National Archives visitor center. |
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This month, is often recognized for the celebration of American Independence Day on the 4th of July, in honor of that we are revisiting a special project we executed at the current home of the Declaration of Independence – the US National Archives. As a part of this project, Canning was commissioned to create a custom illusionary art piece and mural for the dome in the visitor orientation plaza. This mural was meant to simulate the upper portions of the display entablature and coffered ceiling in the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom exhibit space. Through planning and analysis of the existing dome in the plaza, it was determined that executing the mural directly on the curved dome would cause visual distortion. Canning proposed inserting a new curved wall to provide enough vertical space for an illusionistic painting (trompe l’oeil) art piece. This art piece now greets guests in the visitor orientation plaza, providing them with a glimpse of what is to come when they enter the Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom to view our nation’s most important documents. Canning specializes in decorative painting & finishes techniques, as well as fine art restoration and commissioned works. Learn more about this project, some of our services and blogs that might be of interest through the links below.
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Latest Articles & Announcements |
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| 4 Steps for Cleaning Historic Murals |
The process for cleaning historic murals starts far before any physical cleaning is actually done to the piece. Steps need to be taken to research, assess, and document the mural to make sure that any changes made to the piece are absolutely necessary and well documented in case they need to be reversed at a later date. This blog takes a look at the 4 main steps necessary in the process for cleaning historic murals. |
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| Common Characteristics of Historic Stone |
Due to its strength and durability, stone has been a key element in all types of buildings and structures since the beginning of architecture and construction. Not only is it a particularly useful element, but the wide variety of colors and textures of stonework found all over the world gives rise to an extensive list of various aesthetics. Many common characteristics of historic stone fall from this commonality of strength and beauty among different types of stone. Read more about the common characteristics of historic stone at the link below.
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This month we celebrate the birthday of famous architect Alexander Jackson Davis, one of the two architects involved in the design of the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, Connecticut. Davis was born on July 24th, 1803, and worked on many notable projects during his lifetime. We were fortunate to have worked on the restoration, stabilization, repair, reattachment, and ornamental plaster casting in the Grand Hall Gallery of the Wadsworth Athenaeum.
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APT and Main Street America are hosting a three-day virtual workshop called, “Decoding Building Code Challenges.” The workshop will be held on August 2nd-4th, and is geared toward building code officials, design professionals, building owners, preservationists, and main street professionals. Each day will cover a new topic, including code overviews, fire safety, and how to apply the codes in real life scenarios. If this sounds like something for you, you can to learn more about the event and registration here.
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We had a great time at the League of Historic American Theatres National Conference! The conference ran from July 10th-13th in Cleveland, Ohio, and was LHAT’s first in-person conference since 2019. We loved seeing everyone in person at the service provider expo and sharing our knowledge of preservation with other industry professionals. We want to extend an enormous thank you to LHAT for hosting such a wonderful conference. It is always a pleasure to share about a field we are so passionate about.
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The National Trust for Historic Preservation is hosting their PastForward National Preservation Conference virtually from November 1-4, 2022. This year’s conference will focus on historic preservation climate action, inclusion and diversity through preservation, and understanding preservation’s role in real estate development, with an over-arching them of “Moving from Vision to Action.” Learn more about the conference, including how to register, here
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Check out the Canning 45th Anniversary Retrospective...
All last year we continued to share and expand this page to celebrate our 45th Anniversary, with project highlights, fun facts, stories, photos and more. If you haven't had a chance yet, check it out! |
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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The Association for Preservation Technology (APT) is the premier cross-disciplinary organization dedicated to promoting the best technology for conserving historic structure and their settings.
APT 2022 Conference November 7–12th Detroit, MI |
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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. PastForward 2022 Conference November 1–4th Virtual |
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION #PerfectingPreservation #jcanningcrew |
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