Van witt Fine Art specializes in the restoration and conservation of historic murals.

Mural Restoration of "History of Brown County"

Project: Remove, repair and restore 1961 mural by Ron Allerton
Client: Brown County Historical Society, Hiawatha, Kansas
Mural size: 7 x 20 feet
Project completed: February 2010

This mural had been adhered to a wall in the basement of the historical society in Hiawatha, Kansas.  VWFA was tasked to remove and restore the historic mural from the wall. 

The mural was clearly in need of restoration due to mold and water damage, blistering cleavages, flaking, and oxidation. The center of the painting was especially brittle, as the canvas had at one time been folded in half.

After cleaning the verso losses were filled and inpainted  with reversible conservation paints. After restoration, we applied a coat of protective varnish to saturate the brittle paint.

To prepare the restored mural for installation, we rolled it onto custom-made panels and gallery-wrapped finished edges. The remounted work was installed in the newly restored Citizens Bank building in Hiawatha, Kansas.

We were honored and delighted to be involved in the restoration and conservation of this historic work.

Mural  Restoration of "Comedy Fresco"

Project:
Client: Westport Public Schools
Mural Size: 15x7 feet
Project Completed: September 2006

Mural Restoration of "Agricultural Life"

Project: On-site restoration of 1956 mural by Frederick James
Client: National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, Kansas
Mural size: 7 x 20 feet
Project completed: January 2007

This historic work had been donated to the National Agricultural Center in 2004. the Frederick James mural was adhered to a wall weighing in at over a ton. The curved 20 foot wall had been cut into three sections  for transport to the new location. The resulting damage was massive: large chunks of losses left gaps and jagged edges at the cut line. VWFA was tasked with the reconstruction of the cement and plaster wall and restoration of the mural.

The losses in the canvas were filled and leveled resulting in one smooth, continguous surface. Reversible restoration materials were used to ireconsrtuct the losses. A final protective and reversible layer of varnish was applied to protect the mural.

Mural Restoration of "The Allegory of Tulsa"

Project: Remove, repair and restore 1918 mural by Willaim Steene
Client: Private Collector
Mural size: 5 x 15 feet
Project completed: September 2010

This historic 15 foot mural had been rolled up in a warehouse for decades. VWFA was tasked to clean and restore the mural of years of acumulation of airbourne grime, old adhesive, and discolored varnish on the verso.

After cleaning blistering cleavages and flaking losses were consolidated and in-filled and leveled then losses were inpainted with reversible conservation paints and applied solvents to saturate the brittle paint.

To prepare the restored mural for installation, it was lined onto custom-made acid free panelsand gallery-wrapped prepared by Signature Canvas, Kansas City.  The mural was transported in a flatbed truck and will be on display at Pierson Gallery in Tulsa Oklahoma.

 This historic Mural hangs in the Norton County, Kansas mural. The mural had been tacked to the wall using hunderes of flat head nails. VWFA was asked to retore the mural nail of the hundreds of nail heads that had been been inflicted on the mural. This task was performed with museum standard materials on location.