Arts & Culture

The Art And Science Of Conservation At The Olympic Sculpture Park

KNKX Public Radio | By Rebekah Way

Published August 20, 2018 at 11:50 AM PDT

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Monica Cavagnaro, an associate collections care manager for the Seattle Art Museum, sprays Tony Smith's "Stinger" to remove pollen, dust and bird droppings.

Rebekah Way / KNKX

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Seattle Art Museum's associate collections care manager Monica Cavagnaro scrubs "Stinger" with a non-toxic cleaning solution to remove bird droppings.

Rebekah Way / KNKX

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Jaume Plensa's "Echo" is a particularly challenging sculpture to maintain and keep clean. Elizabeth Brown, Seattle Art Museum's senior objects conservator, says she loses more sleep over this sculpture than any of the others in Olympic Sculpture Park.

Benjamin Benschneider / Seattle Art Museum

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Alexander Calder's "The Eagle" arches over the Space Needle at Olympic Sculpture Park. Elizabeth Brown, Seattle Art Museum's senior objects conservator, says they're looking into repainting it soon.

Rebekah Way / KNKX

Cutting through the horizon with sharp edges and curved red arms is "The Eagle," one of 21 art pieces at the Olympic Sculpture Park. It looks vibrant as ever, but it’s on Seattle Art Museum’s list of pieces that need some extra care soon.

The museum's conservation team comes to the park throughout the year to maintain the collection in a dance of art and science. Art conservators work with scientists, artists and curators to study art and decide how to make it last through the years.

Nicholas Dorman, the museum's chief conservator, and Elizabeth Brown, a senior objects conservator, were recently at Olympic Sculpture Park checking in on the sculptures and cleaning them.