Stewardship & Conservation

Public Art stewardship is a fundamental component of Madison's Public Art Plan. We provide ongoing maintenance, monitor the collection, and work with the community to develop plans for specific artworks that are determined to be "works at risk." We know that many of the City's sculptures are in need of some conservation. Conservation and maintenance of the City's outdoor art treasures requires community input and involvement. We welcome your support of Madison's Art Treasures.


 

The Annie C. Stewart fountain is a historic fountain located in Vilas Park near Erin Street, which was the original pedestrian entrance to the park. Created by Frederick J Clasgens, the fountain was installed in 1925 to honor the memory of Annie (Anna) C. Stewart (17 January 1867 – 8 April 1905), a charitable community member who died by suicide. The City of Madison Parks Division has committed resources to identify the best course of action to repair much of the damaged surfaces. In 2017 they commissioned a conservation/preservation plan from InSite Consulting Architects.

Parks included funding for some of the investigatory steps recommended in the report (such as 3D scanning of the pedestal) as part of its capital budget.  We hired Conservation of Sculpture & Objects Studio, Inc. (CSOS) to consult on the project and determine possible next steps. CSOS has provided the following findings & reports:

•  2022 CSOS Review of Existing Conditions.
• July 10, 2023 Community Meeting Recording and Presentation (including FAQ).
• 2023 CSOS Assessment Report and associated attachments

 

Recent Conservation Efforts

The city of Madison has undertaken several large conservation projects on works on the outdoor municipal sculpture collection, including the Capitol Square Fountains by Heidi Natura and Sven Schunemann, the Statue of Liberty replica donated by the Boy Scouts of America, Timekeeper by Robert Curtis, and Effigy Tree by Harry Whitehorse.