Fort Worth Public Art - Conservation

CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE . . .

Exposure to the elements, including pollution, long term water exposure, dramatic climate changes and graffiti, all have a negative effect on artwork placed outdoors. Fort Worth Public Art is committed to the caring for the Fort Worth Public Art Collection through a Conservation Action Plan. Partnering with certified appraisors and conservators, FWPA assures that each member of the collection is annually inspected and maintained. Major treatments and repairs are conducted as needed and documented throughout the treatment process.

Historic Architectural Rendering Unveiled

On Tuesday, December 8th at 5:45 p.m., Mayor Mike Moncrief, Fort Worth Art Commission Chair Rebecca Lawton and other city officials unveiled the original architectural rendering illustrating the original proposal for the Will Rogers Memorial Center.

Created by Fort Worth architects Wyatt C. Hedrick and Elmer G. Withers for the Texas Centennial celebration of 1936, the 26” x 80” pencil and watercolor rendering has recently undergone a comprehensive conservation treatment by Carraba Conservation in Austin through the Fort Worth Public Art’s collection management program.

Wyatt C. Hedrick was one of Fort Worth’s most prolific architects between 1920 and 1960. The design shows both classical revival and modern building styles and includes the coliseum, auditorium and memorial tower in addition to two auxiliary buildings - a casino / banquet hall and a merchants / automobile exhibit hall - which were never realized.

Other notable Hedrick-designed buildings in Fort Worth include the T & P Terminal and Warehouse (1931), Central Fire Station and Fire Alarm Signal Station (1930), Lone Star Gas Company (1929) and the 1938 City Hall (now the Public Safety Building). Ames Fender, Hedrick’s grandson and local architect, is the outgoing chair of the city’s Landmark Commission and was pleased to hear of the conservation project.

The Fort Worth Art Commission officially added the rendering to the Fort Worth Public Art Collection in 2007 and recommended conservation treatment to preserve it. It will be on temporary display at City Hall on the 2nd floor for six months.