SACRAMENTO, CA.- This spring, the Crocker Art Museum is conducting a conservation project of five iconic paintings by one of America’s most beloved artists, Wayne Thiebaud. The oil-on-canvas paintings, which are among the most treasured works in the Crocker’s permanent collection, are currently being glazed and reframed thanks to a generous contribution of $15,000 from Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project.

BACKGROUND
Often associated with the Pop Art movement of the 1960s, Sacramento artist Wayne Thiebaud (born 1920) is known for his distinctive paintings of food, common household items, figures, and landscapes. Known for his bright palette, consumerist imagery, and graphic presentation, Thiebaud’s paintings are thick with impasto, emphasizing the paint as a compositional element in and of itself.

In addition to its significant collection of Thiebaud’s works on paper, the Crocker Art Museum has five signature Thiebaud paintings on canvas in its permanent collection. These are among the artist’s most notable works and are visitor favorites. Tourists from around the country frequently ask for them by name.

• Pies, Pies, Pies, 1961. Oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Philip L. Ehlert in memory of Dorothy Evelyn Ehlert, 1974.12

• Boston Cremes, 1962. Oil on canvas, 14 x 18 in. Crocker Art Museum purchase, 1964.22

• River Intersection, 2010. Oil on canvas, 48 x 36 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of the Thiebaud Family, 2010.10

• Street and Shadow, 1982-1983. Oil on linen, 35 ¾ x 23 ¾ in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of the Artist’s family, 1996.3

• Betty Jean Thiebaud and Book, 1965-1969. Oil on canvas, 36 x 30 in. Crocker Art Museum, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Thiebaud, 1969.21

The Crocker Art Museum places an exceptionally high priority on protecting the thousands of artworks in its holdings, including the careful control of light, temperature, and humidity. The Museum also asks that visitors do not touch works of art, in order to protect them from damage and preserve them for future generations. Thiebaud’s luscious technique of working in impasto makes his paintings—especially those featuring desserts and pastries—tempting for museum visitors to touch. Yet, even seemingly gentle contact with a painting or its frame can cause damage, and this damage may not show up immediately.

Said the Crocker’s Associate Director and Chief Curator Scott A. Shields, “Not only are these paintings by Wayne Thiebaud some of the most important works of art ever produced in California, they have the power to connect future generations. If we take preventive steps now, we can protect these treasures so that future generations will be able to enjoy and appreciate them, just as we do today.”

CONSERVATION PROJECT
With help in the form of a $15,000 contribution from Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project, the five Crocker Art Museum paintings are currently undergoing reframing and glazing, which involves carefully placing each of the works behind Optium Museum Acrylic®, which is nearly invisible and protects the paintings from dirt, excessive exposure to light, and touching. This will help keep the paintings safe not only when they are offered for public view in Sacramento, but also while they are in transit and being shown at other venues, as Wayne Thiebaud’s paintings are requested frequently by other museums. (One of the five paintings is currently on display at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art in Davis, California, and two others are scheduled to travel to the Voorlinden Museum & Gardens in the Netherlands later this year.)

Stated Bank of America’s global arts and culture executive, Rena DeSisto:
“The Art Conservation Project is a major part of our commitment to provide pathways to greater cultural understanding and contribute to healthy economies around the globe, and reflects our belief that, ultimately, these treasures belong to us all.”