Southeast Corner Mural and Walls (2016)
The southeast corner of the balcony was in very poor condition due to water ingress from a leak in the roof that had caused the Bartlett mural to delaminate from the east wall due to crumbling plaster beneath it.
As the first phase of the "Restore a Treasured Chicago Jewel" capital campaign, the southeast corner of the balcony was completely restored in the fall of 2016. It was in very poor condition due to water ingress from a leak in the roof that had caused the Bartlett mural to delaminate from the east wall due to crumbling plaster beneath it. There was also extensive plaster damage surrounding the Christ Blessing the Little Children window.
Kelly Plastering repaired the damaged plaster. Afterwards, Amber Schabdach of The Conservation Center conserved the mural. First, the 30 - 40 puncture holes in the mural (caused by previous efforts to reattach it) were repaired with tiny canvas patches. Japanese paper was adhered to the back of the patches to help secure them in place. Then the mural was re-adhered to the plaster archway and the painted surface was gently cleaned using a mild solution of buffered ammonium citrate solution. A clear varnish was applied to protect the original paint and to provide a surface for paint retouching on missing or faded areas of the mural. The result is brightened colors and previously obscured details now revealed. Of note is the discovery of real gold leaf used for the angel halos.
Northwest Corner Project (2013)
Repaired water damage to the northwest corner beneath the balcony.
The plaster surrounding three windows (and on the ceiling above) located in the northwest corner of the first floor of the sanctuary had been damaged by water leaking from a radiator above. In March 2013, Kelly Plastering repaired the damaged plaster and replicated the damaged decorative trim and crown molding, creating a custom mold of the pomegranate trim to fabricate the replacement piece. Architectural conservator Bob Furhoff performed a finishes analysis to identify the original paint colors used in the sanctuary. These historic colors were replicated when the northwest corner was painted following completion of the plaster repair, restoring the original color scheme that hadn’t been seen in decades.