On March 13–16, 2019, the Preserving the Recent Past 3 conference in Los Angeles will offer a national forum to share the latest strategies for identifying, protecting, and conserving significant structures and sites from the post-World War II era. The conference takes place Wednesday, March 13 – Saturday, March 16, 2019 at the University of Southern School of Architecture, Los Angeles,…
EverGreene’s Emily Sottile, Director of Sacred Spaces co-authored a recent blog with Mark Cousineau, of Henniger’s Religious Goods. St. Peter in Mansfield is a large, Romanesque church, in the heart of Ohio. Its architecture lends itself to decoration, with vaulted ceilings, intricate capitals, and traditional entablature. In 1944 St. Peter’s commissioned artist, John Bernat to paint the interior of the…
Join us at the upcoming 2019 APTNE Annual Meeting & Symposium: Restoring Historic Theaters in the 21st Century at the Loew’s Theater in Jersey City on Friday, February 1st. EverGreene’s Founder and Chairman, Jeff Greene, will speak with Michael Schnoering, FAIA of Mills & Schnoering Architects, LLC will discuss Flexibility and Function in Fantasy Architecture: Exploration of Historic Theater Restoration at 11:15- 11:35 AM, not…
Join APT WGLC, SAIC and EverGreene Architectural Arts on December 7, 2018 for a workshop focused on gilding techniques. This workshop will begin with a tour of the Auditorium Theatre to see a completed gilding restoration in situ. The tour will be followed by a presentation and hands-on workshop of gilding techniques and applications at the School of the Art…
Join EverGreene’s Emily Sottile, Director of Sacred Spaces at the Preserving Brooklyn event at Green-Wood Cemetery for a lively discussion! Some of the very best work in historic preservation – the restoration of old structures and monuments that give a city its character and history – is being done right here in Brooklyn. Whether at Green-Wood, with its tens of…
Conservation Treatment of Milestone Objects Related to the Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11 Speakers: Claudia Chemello, Terra Mare Conservation, LLC Paul Mardikian, Terra Mare Conservation, LLC Joseph Sembrat, Conservation Solutions, a division of EverGreene Architectural Arts Lisa Young, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Chair: Malcolm Collum, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum The Smithsonian National Air…
Due to its success last year, APTNE and EverGreene Architectural Arts are again offering the plaster workshop for those who could not make it! Join us at EverGreene Architectural Arts in Brooklyn for an intensive half-day workshop focused on plaster systems, with a restoration clinic, visual presentations, studio demonstrations and group hands-on activities. Gain an understanding of investigating, documenting, designing,…
Join Archtober for our inaugural family-friendly Building of the Day tour at 3:30pm on October 15th, 2018! Guided by a CFA Design Educator and a Rockwell Group architect, families will learn about this unique theater, discovering its historic and contemporary significance as Broadway’s littlest theater! This tour is only for students in grades 5-8, accompanied by an adult. In 2015,…
From Concept To Completion In this course, students will gain insight into the full process of professional mural design on-site at EverGreene Architectural Arts. The course will begin with an overview presentation by designer Kevin Enright, who will provide a comprehensive look into mural design, including research methods, color analysis, measurements, working with architects and clients, stencil cutting, and many…
This coloring book showcases some of our most important projects spanning across the US over the last forty years. Unlock your inner artist, for an opportunity to be featured on our online sites. Entering the contest is easy. Just share your designs and trivia answers on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK or TWITTER, with the hashtag #EAA40Color! Answers to the trivia questions can be found on the project pages here…
What goes through your head as you walk through the threshold of a brand-new opportunity…fear, excitement, anxiety? In my case it was fear mixed with thoughts on how I would get through the locked door (don’t worry, I eventually got in.) When I first started my internship at EverGreene Architectural Arts, I was quite intimidated by the level of skill…
My first week working at EverGreene Architectural Arts, I was tasked with researching churches in Pennsylvania. I was dismayed to learn that many of the churches were closing down. Declining populations combined with the recent church scandals and a general decline in religious beliefs led to the decay and neglect of these beautiful, historic, churches that once instilled civic pride.…
EverGreene has had the privilege of restoring numerous artworks by legendary black Americans. This month, we take a closer look at some of these murals and the artists who created them as well as a new project, the restoration of Civil Rights activist Medgar Evers’ home. Each of the projects, by contributing to the African-American historical narrative has contributed significantly…
…and what’s next for Evergreene Architectural Arts Forty years gives you quite a perspective on the trends and changes in the landscape of how we think about ornament, design, preservation, conservation, art integration into the built environment, and applied industrial design effects on everyday life. I started EverGreene in 1978 when I was twenty-four years old and all I wanted…
Join us on Thursday, June 14, 2018 for the annual New York Construction Awards, presented by Anchin, in cooperation with the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York (ACEC-NY), the American Institute of Architects–New York Chapter (AIA New York), the Subcontractors Trade Association (STA) and Willis Towers Watson. Designed to highlight rapidly growing and innovative Construction, Design (Architecture &…
May 23, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE EverGreene Architectural Arts Inc. Acquires Heritage Preservation Leader Conservation Solutions Inc. (CSI) New York, NY – EverGreene Architectural Arts Inc., the nation’s largest specialty contractor of architectural arts, announces today the acquisition of long standing partner Conservation Solutions inc. (CSI.) CSI is an internationally recognized heritage preservation firm providing conservation services to public and…
Join us as we inaugurate a restoration campaign for Louise Nevelson’s 1977 masterwork Chapel of the Good Shepherd. 6:00 to 7:00 PM ART AND ARCHITECTURE PANEL Laurie Wilson, Nevelson Biographer Emily Sottile, EverGreene Architectural Arts Sculpture and Installation Artists Presentation Alice Aycock Willie Cole Jean Shin Moderated by Brooke Kamin Rapaport, Madison Square Park Conservancy 7:00–8:00 PM RECEPTION Bubbly, cheese…
The University Club of New York’s Main Dining Room Ceiling project was a thoughtfully planned and executed process representing the collaborative efforts of the Club (Client), Zubatkin (Owner’s Rep), EverGreene Architectural Arts (Conservation, Plaster, and Murals), Kugler Ning Lighting (Lighting), Constructomics (General Contractor), and ICOR Consulting Engineers (MEP). The main project goals were to restore the ceiling with great respect…
You’re invited! Industry City Open Studios on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20, 2018, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Over 100 studios will be open around the campus. The Food Hall in Building 2 will have plenty of artisanal food & drink. Founder and Chairman Jeff Greene will lead a discussion while Artist Zinni Veshi gives a live…
EverGreene continues to be a proud sponsor of The New York Landmarks Conservancy Annual Sacred Sites Open House Weekend. If you want to learn a bit more about the intricacies of building restoration, Grace Church in Brooklyn Heights will be hosting a talk on Sunday, May 6 at 1:30 p.m. with Kim Lovejoy, Senior Business Developer, focusing on a 2014…
Kim Lovejoy, Senior Business Developer, has been selected as one of Women Builders Council’s 2018 Outstanding Women. Her commitment to increasing diversity and the role of women in the construction and professional services industries has earned her this prestigious award. The Women Builders Council (WBC) is the leading association representing women in the construction industry on several important fronts: legislative…
Sunok Chun, Designer & Decorative Painter Hometown: Seoul, South Korea Education: BFA in painting Sungshin University, MFA in painting Pratt University Years working EverGreene: 20 Sun Ok had just finished her master’s degree at Pratt and was contemplating returning to South Korea when she received an offer from EverGreene to work on paintings and stencils for the Montana State Capitol…
Join DLFNY, Aurora Lampworks, EverGreene Architectural Arts and the New York Public Library for a fascinating behind closed doors exploration of the renovated Rose Reading Room at the library’s landmark 5th Avenue location. We will learn about the skill and craftsmanship used to restore this majestic space, the challenges faced by the design team, and how the twenty-two magnificent 1500…
May 29–June 2, 2018 Brooke Russell, Architectural Conservator, will be presenting a case study at the upcoming AIC’s 46th Annual Meeting on the Enoch Pratt Free Library project to demonstrate the challenges of completing time-pressure paint investigations in the midst of the construction phase. EverGreene is currently working on restoring the building and uncovered the original decorative scheme in seven…
EverGreene employees recently supported Emily Sottile, Director of the Sacred Spaces Studio, by participating in her 6th year of issuing anonymous “Valentines” to women survivors of domestic abuse living in temporarily living in NYC Safe Horizon shelters. The Project Valentine goodie bags are filled with little items contributors won’t miss that can make a woman who has had to abandon…
SECOND STAGE’S HAYES THEATER 2018 RENOVATION This tiny Broadway treasure, built in 1912 as the Little Theatre, takes on Act II as the theater transforms to a colorful space taking cues from today’s digital world! The skilled artists and theater renovation specialists at EverGreene Architectural Arts worked with Second Stage, and architect/theater designer David Rockwell and the Rockwell Group, to…
Coming up on February 22, 2018, The New York Landmarks Conservancy is pleased to offer its Young Professional members an exclusive tour of EverGreene Architectural Arts’ new studio in Industry City, led by Founder, Jeff Greene. The event will run from 4:00–5:00 PM. Industry City is an historic shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex on the waterfront in the Sunset Park…
Zinni Veshi moved to New York from Albania in 1998 to attend the MFA program at the Pratt Institute of Art and Design. In his twelve years at EverGreene, Zinni has created new artwork for churches, state capitols and commercial spaces. His own paintings are dynamic and arresting; vibrant swaths of color move the eye from stroke to stroke around…
A Behind the Scenes Tour of EverGreene Architectural Arts Speakers: Kim Lovejoy, Senior Business Developer, and Bill Mensching, Creative Director, EverGreene Architectural Arts, New York, NY 2 AIA HSW Learning Units This tour will take participants to EverGreene’s new 20,000 square foot architectural arts studio in Brooklyn’s Industry City. Industry City is an adaptive reuse of six million square feet…
On Thursday November 16th, Monsignor Harrington (Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph), Fr. Sauer and Fr. Lee (St. Mel’s, Flushing) blessed EverGreene Architectural Arts’ new studios in Industry City. EverGreene (who restored and created new artwork for St. Joseph’s Co-Cathedral in 2013) moved its restoration and specialty construction studios to Brooklyn earlier this year after operating out of Manhattan for 39 years.…
Please join APT DC, EverGreene Architectural Arts, and Gilbane Building Company for a hard hat tour of the ongoing renovation project at Baltimore’s Central Library and State Library Resource Center! Participants will learn about challenges the project faced at the intersection of historic preservation and renovation for the library’s public services. Designed in 1932 by local architect Clyde N. Fritz,…
Join us at EverGreene Architectural Arts in Brooklyn for an intensive full-day workshop with visual presentations, studio demonstrations, and hands-on activities. Gain an understanding of investigating, documenting, designing, repairing and replicating historic plaster elements and painted finishes from start to finish. Learn about factors to consider in developing treatment options, drawings, specifications, samples and mockups. Solutions for integrating new acoustic…
The Big Build at the National Building Museum Cast Plaster! Make Stencils! Have Fun! Bring the whole family to visit EverGreene at the National Building Museum. Kids can cast plaster ornament, make stenciled art and take home their very own creations. Design DC Takes a Tour Through the Clara Barton Missing Soldiers Office Join the General Services Administration, Mills +…
EverGreene will be attending the 2015 LHAT Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee from July 19-21st. The conference includes tours of historic theatres such as the Ryman Auditorium and Belcourt Theatre, a silent auction and the 2015 Awards Ceremony, celebrating historic theatre excellence. EverGreene will exhibit in Monday’s Expo! Stop by our booth and take a look at what we’ve been…
On Saturday, March 21st, EverGreene participated in the Western Chapter/Association for Preservation Technology (WC/APT) meeting in Sacramento. Alongside Page + Turnbull, EverGreene guided APT members through the Sacramento Valley Station, currently under renovation. Conservator Kumiko Hisano spoke to members about EverGreene’s forthcoming conservation of the early 20th century mural, Breaking Ground at Sacramento, January 8, 1863 for Transcontinental Railroad. The…
EverGreene is pleased to announce that three Brooklyn projects—Kings Theatre, Grace Church and St. Joseph’s CoCathedral—have been honored with Lucy G. Moses Preservation Awards from the New York Landmarks Conservancy. In 2013, St. Joseph’s was elevated to CoCathedral status. To prepare for the 2014 rededication, EverGreene Architectural Arts restored historic finishes, conserved century-old murals and added new liturgical artwork—including the…
Work is underway to restore the historic Ohio Theatre. The lobby was severely damaged in a 1964 fire, and though it reopened later that year, its Italian Renaissance-style ornament was lost. EverGreene is working closely with architects Westlake Reed Leskosky and Playhouse Square to return the 16th-century opulence to the Ohio. Using archival photographs, drawings and original blueprints, in addition…
PLANNING, PAYING, PROCEEDING The 3 P’s of restoring, renewing and renovating your house of worship In concurrence with the New York Landmark Conservancy’s Sacred Sites month, there will be a panel discussion held in our studio this Thursday, May 7th. Please join us for this presentation on what you need to know if you are considering a renovation, restoration, or…
The last class offering in the New York Landmarks Conservancy’s traditional trades & techniques series will explore the use and versatility of plaster; an amazing material employed in a wide range of settings and applications. This class will explore how plaster is used in architectural spaces – from flat installation to the creation of historic and contemporary ornament. Case studies…
This spring, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, ICAA/NY and EverGreene are sponsoring a 4-part series exploring the traditional trades and techniques implemented in historic restoration and new design. The classes, held at the EverGreene studio, will cover topics such as Murals & Conservation, Plaster, Stained Glass, and Decorative Finishes. For the first course, Bill Mensching, Director of the Mural Studio,…
Illinois State Capitol Receives A National AIA Award We are thrilled to announce that the Illinois State Capitol West Wing Restoration has won a National AIA Honor Award for Interior Architecture! In addition to being recognized by AIA, the restoration of the Illinois State Capitol West Wing also received the Driehaus Award from Landmarks Illinois. Earlier phases of the Capitol…
It’s summer, finally! And this means time to get ourselves outdoors to explore and discover. Reacquaint yourself with your city or explore a new one and revive your senses with outdoor art. The newest addition to NYC’s outdoor art lineup is Big Bling by Martin Puryear, in collaboration with Digital Atelier. Located on the main lawn of Madison Square Park,…
As part of our partnership with the New York Landmarks Conservancy and ICAA/NY, our fourth and final class will delve into the world of specialty finishes. From gilded ornament to unique wall treatments, an expertly implemented specialty finish can act as the final touch or much-needed “wow” factor for any space. Director of EverGreene’s Specialty Finishes studio Alexander Kellum, will…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. The time when we gather ‘round the fire, exchange gifts and stories and remember the most important things: love, happiness and the pursuit of the perfect present. With the rise of Amazon and e-commerce, we’ve lost touch with real-life retail experience. It’s time to switch things up, return to pre-internet age and…
The second course offering in the Traditional Techniques series will cover the use and application of plaster in historic and contemporary interiors. From mold-making to casting, EverGreene Project Manager, Max Newroth will walk through the process for restoring and re-creating historic plaster finishes. Attendees will have the chance to work with the material, crafting plaster ornament or learning how to…
In love? In lust? Mr. Right or Right Now? No matter… make Valentine’s Day unforgettable by enjoying a little history and a lot of beauty… New York In New York, there’s a historic building at almost every turn. Wind your way to the Great White Way and see a show in any of the restored early-20th century masterpieces lining Broadway…
Three generations of Swindens visited EverGreene’s studio to view Albert Swinden’s 1942 mural, Abstraction, which he painted for Goldwater Hospital in New York City. Swinden’s daughter, grandson and great grandson met with EverGreene project manager, Sarah Kloze, to take a peek at the work our conservators have been doing to conserve the large-scale mural. The mural, installed in one of…
John Coburn began working at EverGreene shortly after finishing his MFA at the New York Academy of Fine Art in 1997. In Bring It On (2006), we witness an attack on a well-groomed subdivision, from a bird’s-eye-view, rendered in a flat, graphic style—as if it were a screenshot from a video game. Bombs hit their targets in, comic book-like “kaboom!”…
EverGreene has finished painting the General Service Building Retaining Wall at the National Zoo Park. Our artists used Keim paint to transform the cast concrete; making it appear like the stone walls in nearby Rock Creek Park. Decorative painters carefully blended colors to create a custom, hyper-realistic stone façade for the 43ft-tall retaining wall. After applying the base coat, five…
This weekend, October 11th and 12th, Open House New York unlocks the doors to the most architecturally significant buildings across the city. This year, OHNY will step inside four historic spaces, restored by EverGreene conservators: The New Amsterdam Theatre, Eldridge Street Synagogue, Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House and Temple Emanu-El. Each of these magnificent sites features awe-inspiring ornament and mesmerizing…
Best Restoration Project Award In The Southwest Region The Maricopa County Security Building, once the tallest building in Arizona, has been entirely revitalized. Under the guidance of Foresite Construction, EverGreene restored the decorative paint and plaster in the 8th floor ballroom. Our conservators often use a hybrid of traditional preservation techniques and contemporary restoration strategies to return functionality to a…
Who are America’s four best-loved actresses? If you answered Ethel Barrymore, Marilyn Miller, Mary Pickford and Rosa Ponselle—admittedly, a long shot—you’re going to be delighted to know that four diminutive marble statues of these larger-than-life theatrical figures have returned to their golden niches in the landmark I. Miller Building at Broadway and West 46th Street. The statues, by Alexander Stirling…
Architectural metals – a building’s jewelry, consisting of ornate grilles, panels, doors, cornices and sculpture – create visual delight through intrinsic and applied finishes. With the exception of iron, which is usually painted, decorative effects on metals are achieved with chemical patination, plating, coating and mechanical texturing to produce a wide variety of colors, patterns and finishes. Over time, however,…
Presented at the Mid-Century Modern Structures: Materials and Preservation Symposium April 14-16, 2015 in St. Louis, Missouri Justine P. Bello, Caroline Guay, Tom McDowell, Mark Rabinowitz, Joseph Sembrat While the influence of the machine age on architecture and design is well known, seen in the streamlining of the Art Deco and Modernist styles, the “space age” is more a cliché…
The Second building that was erected on the Bacardi company campus in Miami, Florida, where the international spirits firm relocated after the fall of Cuba, was the “Jewel Box”, a fascinating 1973 Modernist structure by Ignacio Carrera-Justiz. The starkly simple geometry of the building: a two story rectangle suspended over an open plaza from a small square core, contradicts its…
Authors: Mark Rabinowitz & Carol Grissom From the mid-1850s through the early 20th century zinc statues proliferated in the United States, with a few even dedicated after World War II. Most were purchased for smaller towns or organizations without the financial resources to purchase unique and more expensive bronze statues that they were intended to resemble. While the zinc can…
A careful investigation of the conditions is required before recommendations can be made for treatments to repair architectural terra-cotta surfaces. The beauty of glazed terra cotta, with its rich palette of earth tones and glassy surface, has been exploited by architects to enliven building façades since very early times. In addition to the tonal variations inherent in fired-clay bodies, color…
Case Studies of the treatment of several fountains in a tropical environment Overcoming Challenges: Metal Exploration and Restoration A firm with a long history of decorative metal exploration and restoration discusses some of the problems and options available. Architectural metals – a building’s jewelry, consisting of ornate grilles, panels, doors, cornices and sculpture – create visual delight through intrinsic and…
Fountain Conservation Fundamentals July 10–11, 2013–Kansas City, MO Author: Mark Rabinowitz Fountain conservation requires treating historic elements within an active and public environment whose operational needs may directly conflict with those of the preservation of the fountain’s materials. Changes since their construction in visitor safety requirements, water conservation, ecological sustainability, and display goals also affect and interfere with the preservation…
12th International Congress on the Deterioration and Conservation of Stone Columbia University, New York, NY Authors: Justine Posluszny Bello, Daniel Lane, Mark Rabinowitz, Joseph Sembrat For the best of reasons, conservators tend to rely on tried and true means and methods when treating stone at the expense of innovation. Failures with previous inventive materials and applications have made us cautious…
12th International Congress on the Deterioration and Conservation of Stone Columbia University, New York, NY Authors: Mark Rabinowitz, John Carr Created by 4 different sculptors, the marble sculptures at the New York Public Library’s east façade demonstrate how a variety of styles (Classical, Impressionist, Baroque, and idiosyncratic) and diversity of marbles (Vermont, Georgia, Tennessee and Carrera) could unify within the…
American Institute for Conservation, Objects Group, Norfolk, VA, 1995 Author: Mark Rabinowitz In the 1980’s, the Central Park Conservancy began the project of restoring the 33 masonry arches that are an important functional and decorative component of Central Park. These structures were designed by Calvert Vaux with the assistance of Jacob Wrey Mould to carry the carriage road over cross…
Conservation of Large-Scale Metal Artifacts Authors: Justine Posluszny Bello, Patricia Miller, Mark Rabinowitz, Joseph Sembrat The conservation of large-scale metal artifacts presents many challenges, the least of which is size. From inspection through treatment and beyond, the conservator must develop a regimen both thorough enough from a conservation viewpoint yet practical enough to be implemented on a large-scale and possibly…
The Monumental Night Doors at the US Department of Justice Washington Conservation Guild 3-Ring Circus – “Objects” Author: Justine Pozluszny Bello However, decades of use, uninterrupted exposure, and a succession of previous accidents and interventions led to loss, pervasive corrosion and the removal of their striking decorative paint scheme. Their massive size–each leaf being over 20 feet tall–and the logistical…
Gilding at the Smithsonian, Washington, DC September 23, 2006 Author: Mark Rabinowitz This is not a review of a conservation treatment per se. I was not a party to the treatment about which the questions I would like to discuss revolved. My involvement in this project began only after the work had been completed, when I was engaged by the…
Where the Structure and Associated Features (Interiors, Gardens, Outdoor Sculpture) Are Major Components of the Collection Program Chair, Building Museums Symposium 2007, Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums, Washington, D.C., February 23, 2007 Author: Mark Rabinowitz In historic house museums, museums housed within historic structures, and those with extensive outdoor art collections integrated into the buildings and grounds, the normal divisions between…
The History and Conservation of Jefferson Davis McKissack’s Orange Show This lecture was part of the Divine Disorder Conference on the Conservation of Outsider Folk art that was organized and hosted by NCPTT. The conference was held February 15–16, 2012 on the campus of Northwestern University in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The Orange Show is a folk-art environment located in Houston’s East…
The Conservation of a 17 Ton Section of the Hull Recovered from the RMS Titanic Wreck-site and an Evaluation of the Treatment Three Years Later 2003 APTI Conference, Portland, ME, September 2003 Author and Speaker: Joseph Sembrat At 6:18pm on 10 August 1998 a heavily encrusted piece of iron wreckage emerged into the air for the first time in 86…
The Association for Preservation Technology International Annual Meeting, Monterey, CA, USA, October 2001 Author and Speaker: Joseph Sembrat The Barnard Statuary Group is located at the main entrance to the Pennsylvania State Capitol building in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The two Carrara marble groups were carved in Pietrasanta, Italy from 1903 to 1911 by the Piccirilli Brothers of New York. Each monumental…