«lIly.e OI.ommonfu.ea:Jtly of ~55UlyuUtt5 Massachusetts Art Commission State House Room 10 Boston, MA 02133 tel. (617) 727-2607, ext. 517 fax (617) 727-5400 Peter L Walsh ANNUAL REPORT Chairman Bonita A. Rood YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1996 Arlene E. Friedberg Paula M. Kozol Katherine B. Winter The Massachusetts Art Commission respectfully submits the Annual Report for the year ending June 30, 1996. The Art Commission is charged under General Laws chapter 6, sections 19 and 20 with "the care and custody oj all historical relics in the State House, and oj all works oj art." As the appointed curators, it is the responsibility of the Art Commission to insure that this growing museum quality collection is professionally handled, properly maintained and appropriately displayed. The Commission receives annual legislative appropriations for its programs, distributed through the Bureau of State Office Buildings. We are pleased to report on another busy and successful year of activities. ART CONSERVATION PROGRAMS I. Paintings and frames, August-December 1995. The Art Commission continued its program of conservation and preservation of the State House art collection with the cleaning and professional treatment of several portraits and their frames. Contracts were issued in August to Carmichael Conservation, Methuen, and Gianfranco Pocobene, Malden, for treatment of eleven easel paintings which exhibited a variety of conservation conditions including discolored varnish, grime, stains, and abrasion. Contracts were also awarded to Susan Jackson, Harvard, and Trefler & Sons, Needham, to address ten frames which had experienced chipping and other damage to plaster and gesso decoration, abrasion, loss of gold leaf, and discolored over-painting. Paintings and frames were returned from conservation studios by early December. Due to their age or installation location in the State House, three paintings were reframed under plexi­ glass to protect them from accidental damage. Each painting was then professionally photographed in a variety of formats for publication and reference files before reinstallation in original display locations. To date, 74 portraits in the collection have received professional treatment since the inception of the Art Commission's program in 1987. Gift of Robert B. Severy. The Art Collections Manager is pleased to report another generous gift of Mr. Robert Severy, Weymouth resident and long-time employee of the Department of Personnel Administration, who sponsored the treatment of three paintings, all from the State Library: Charles Carleton Coffin, in memory of his nephew, Alexander K. Severy (1972- 1994), Caleb B. TiIIinghast in memory of co-worker Arthur A. Milano (1939-1994), and Josiah Benton, in honor of Gasper Caso, State Library employee since 1957 and Director since 1982, retiring this year, and Joanne M. Swirbalus, State Library employee since 1963 who continues to serve as Business Management Specialist. Mr. Severy's gift of $4,030 brings his overall contribution to the Art Commission's programs since 1992 to over $10,000. On behalf of the Commonwealth, we are most grateful for his continued support. h r. ~,.. C ' ... r.. ' l~ . ~ 'i''''''''':-\I ,",' II';:; ~ ..... St. u (J '-* J I Ct. J "" S House , Boston f'lJR 702M3 (Y)lj I 1'1Q(P " 2 Annual Report of the Art Commission June 1996, continued, page 2 II. Nurses Hall mural consultation - January 1996. Surface cleaning of the Robert Reid murals in Nurses Hall in 1994 revealed problematic conservation conditions, and it was unclear whether further treatment could be undertaken without removing glazes disputed to be original. Perry Huston, of Perry Huston & Associates, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, conducted additional inspection and evaluation of these murals in early January in an attempt to identify original execution technique and the possibility of later restoration efforts. Preparation, ground, paint and varnish samples were taken for analysis by the conservation laboratories at Winterthur Museums in Delaware. In his report to the Art Commission Mr. Huston agreed that the present appearance of the murals is inappropriate due to the advanced discoloration of the varnish layer. It is his opinion that much of the over- paint and the glazes in dispute were not original, and that the murals probably received undocumented restoration after their installation 1901-1904. Further testing was recom­ mended , however, in order to develop specifications for conservation. The Art Commission hopes to address these issues again in the coming year. c m. Maintenance of exterior bronze monuments - April 1996 Annual maintenance was conducted by professional conservators from Daedalus, Inc., Cambridge, on all exterior statues and plaques at the State House. The bronze monuments are inspected, cleaned, and a new coat of wax is applied each year over an acrylic "Incralac" coating already present to protect the acrylic and prevent repeat corrosion due to exposure to the elements. In addition to this short-term maintenance, each statue is on a longer, seven-year treatment cycle whereby the old Incralac coatings, having become brittle from exposure, are stripped and fresh acrylic is applied to the monument before it is waxed. This year, the statue of General Joseph Hooker received this treatment as part of its annual maintenance. Routine inspection and care in this manner will reduce the need for extensive and costly conservation treatments in the future. IV. General Hooker statue pedestal, December - May 1996 The Art Commission issued a bid in September for the cleaning, t"e-pointing and re-caulking of the General Joseph Hooker statue pedestal. Moisture seepage from gaps in the top of the pedestal had caused deterioration of the mortar between the granite blocks and staining due to salts and other pollutants migrating from the interior. Spalling on the front of the granite face stones, and gaps between the statue base and the top of the pedestal indicated potential instability in the monument, and investigation into the condition of the masonry core was planned. I ~ Annual Report of the Art Commission June 1996, continued. page 3 Due to the early arrivai and severity of this year's wimer weather. however, masons from A & .r Conti. Inc., Boston, were unable to implement services beyond the mortar removai phase of their work in December. Services resumed in May with an attempt ro pull OU l one of the cap stones in order to investi gate the condition of the core. Although the stone co ul d nOt be moved , masons were able to determine through test drilling that the top ponion of th e core had disintegrated. and that th e two anchor pins which secure the bronze statue to the pedestal were loose. Recent additional spalling on the front of the statue provided add itional evid ence that there is movement in the stones . Based on this evidence and the advice of conservators, the Commission concluded the monument was unstable and might need extensive and immediate rehabilitation. Plans were made to remove the bronze monument so that the entire pedestal could be assessed and repairs undertaken during summer 1996. NEW ACQUISITIONS Two new objects were added to the art co ll ection during the past fiscal year. A plaque honoring major corporate and civic contributors to the President John F. Kennedy Memorial statue was installed on the west wing plaza on September-27, ] 995 . It is the gift of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Commission which presented the statue to the Commonwealth on May 29, 1990. This plaque is catalogued as object #1995 . 1 On April 8, 1996, the Department of Public Health unveiled a bronze plaque to Dr. Frank H. Parker, of Malden, Superintendent of Penikese Hospital, Buzzard's Bay, from 1907-1921. Dr. Parker and his wife Marian are honored for their dedicated care and treatment of those suffering from Hansen's disease (leprosy) and quarantined at the Massachusetts State Leper Colony. The plaque is installed in Nurses Hall , and is catalogued as #1996. J. The Art Commission continues to assist sponsors by reviewing all plans and specifications of all art objects and memorials proposed for the collection in order to assure that the highest quality memorials may be added to this historic and commemorative collection. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES Research and public assistance The Art Commission is frequently consulted for information and research assistance on the State House and other local collections, art history, publ ic art, conservation and other art related matters. The Art Collections Manager routinely addresses inquiries from around the country to building tenants regarding the history of the building, its collections, artists represented, and programs for care. In addition, the Commission's photograph archives serve both print and electronic media, providing dozens of images each year for educational , historical , biographical and general entertainment purposes. Annual Report of the Art Commission June 1996, continued, page 4 Art Commission - board of commissioners Four members of the Massachu setts Art Commission were re-appointed by Governor William F. Weld during the past year. Arlene E. Friedberg, Paula M. Kozol , Peter L. Wal sh, and Bonita A. Flood were each re-appointed to five year terms ending in th e year 2000. After fourteen years, Arlene Friedberg, stepped down as Chairman of the Art Commission. Originally appointed by Governor Edward King in 1982. Mrs. Friedberg secured the first annual appropriation for the Art Commission in FY'85 and hired the first Art Collections Manager in 1984. Under her dedicated leadership the Art Commission completed an inventory and published the first illustrated catalogue of the State House art collection in 1986. These efforts were followed by the development and implementation of a comprehensive painting, sculpture and mural conservation program which began in 1987, and continues to the present day . "The Art of Sav ing history", a film by the Art Commission, documented in these programs 1987. Under Chairman Friedberg the Art Commission also developed its first by­ laws, and "Art Acquisitions Guidelines" to assist persons- and groups proposing objects to the collection.