California Preservation Foundation - Millard Sheets and Home … · 2 A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and Review California Preservation Foundation Claremont Heritage 7 September

Millard Sheets and Home Savings: Mid-Century Modern Corporate Art

and Urban Identity for Southern California and Beyond

• Adam Arenson, Manhattan College • http://adamarenson.com/homesavingsbankart

• Introduction: The Story • Precedents: Before The Story • Creating the Millard Sheets Studio, Creating

the Home Savings Style • In Your Community • Expansion and Change after Howard

Ahmanson • Beyond Millard Sheets, Beyond California • Preservation after Home Savings

Thunderbird and Cal Aero Air Schools

The First Sketch: National American Fire Insurance

Courtesy Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, San Francisco

Pomona First Federal

Sue Lautmann

Hertel, Arcadia

Scottish Rite Masonic Temple, Los Angeles

Above: Beverly Hills Below: Studio City

Santa Monica

Rancho Palos Verdes-Rolling Hills

Highland Park

Encino

Home Savings and Loan Association, Montebello Branch • Opened 1974 • Building + art concept by Millard Sheets Studio • Architect Frank Homolka • Interior altered 2002 • Vacant 2009 – 2011 • Purchased 2011, re-opened Fall 2014 • Forty years without repair or cleaning • Rehabilitates + conserves a California masterwork

All: Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Renewing a Masterwork After 40 Years of Exposure Rehabilitate the Envelope • A trademark white travertine + gold tile exterior

Repair, Conserve, + Reunite the Artwork • A signature mosaic, “Day in the Country” • A stained-glass window, “The Carousel” • A lost tapestry, “Foliage + Butterflies” Communicate the Legacy • A permanent exhibit to convey the Home Savings + Millard Sheets story


Rehabilitate the Envelope Exterior Envelope – Before • Travertine cleaned • Shadows, graffiti, water stains removed • Stone cracks + loss repaired • 150 holes patched • Water-repellant sub-surface seal applied

All: GCI Preservation (2013/2014)

Exterior Envelope - After


Repair, Conserve, + Reunite the Artwork Mosaic – Before • “Day in the Country” by Millard Sheets + Nancy Colbath • Cracks repaired • Tesserae cleaned, repaired, regrouted • Surface sealant applied


Mosaic – After • A colorful meadow + flowering branches reference Montebello’s historic flower farms • Changes in color, tone, + hue across the composition are now visible

Tavo Olmos, Photographer (2016)

Stained Glass – Before • “The Carousel” by Millard Sheets Studio with artist Susan Hertel, • Fabricated + installed by John Wallis + Associates, Pasadena • Non invasive cleaning • Cracks, holes, joints, + caming repaired • Damaged + inappropriate glass replaced


Stained Glass – After • Shadows + hand-painted facial features now visible • Color + light animate the upper + lower waiting areas


Tapestry - Fabrication • “Foliage + Butterflies” by Millard Sheets • Woven by Pinton Freres Atelier, Aubusson, France • Removed from bank + lost • Research found 20’ tapestry at Mingei International Museum • Original cartoon found in the Sheets’ family collection • Tapestry photo-reproduced as one-third scale photo-on-canvas

Original Tapestry being photographed + photo-stitched. Tim Siegert, Mingei Museum, Photographer (2014)

Millard Sheets Cartoon for “Foliage + Butterflies” Collection Carolyn Sheets Owen-Towle (2016)

Art Program Reunited • Scale reproduction reinstalled on interior • “The Carousel” + “Butterflies + Foliage” together again


Communicate the Legacy Permanent Exhibit – 1st Floor • 5 panels in waiting areas • Plexi boxes for safety + permanence • Conveys the significance of Millard Sheets + the Sheets Studio • Describes the artwork + artists


Permanent Exhibit – 2nd Floor • Chronicles the Home Savings story • Explains the rehabilitation + conservation process


Ensure a Future for the Past


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A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and ReviewCalifornia Preservation FoundationClaremont Heritage7 September 2016

barbara lamprecht, m. arch., ph.d. mo d ern re s ources re s ea rch re h ab i l i tat ion an d re s t ora tion [email protected] 626.264.7600

AN EVERYDAY MODERNISM: “So where is the architecture?”

NOT AN EVERYDAY MODERNISM: “Now, THAT’s architecture!”

AND

THISISWHEREWELIVE

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Styleasadistraction.

“Thepictureframeandnotthepicture.” William Wurster”Wehadnostyle.Onlygoodarchitecture.” WhitneySmith“Style isreallyforpeoplewhoknownothing

aboutarchitecture.” JohnLautner “Howlittle doesthemerestylistic penetrate

intothecoreandheartofourorganicresponsiveness.” RichardNeutra

Thatsaid,ashistorians weworkwithstyles aspartofaregulatoryenvironment. However,theyarereallycoarseguides. Thenwebuildonthat,learning thephilosophyanddesign strategies, theciviccontext,andlocal,national, andifappropriate, international framework.

ARCHITECTS HATE THE WORD “STYLE”

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AthenaintheParthenon,Acropolis

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Discerning Character-Defining Features: begin by observing

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Discerning Character-Defining Features: learn from the blueprint

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Discerning Character-Defining Features: learn from the building,the hardscape, the setting: trees, plants, ground cover

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Character-Defining Features: easier with a famous architect

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NOT AN EVERYDAY MODERNISM: REHABILITATING THE TOWER OF HOPE, CHRIST CATHEDRAL, GARDEN GROVE. RICHARD NEUTRA, 1968.

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Discerning Character-Defining Features: What is the purpose ofthe building?

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Discerning Character-Defining Features: Use Historic Photographs

Documents

California Preservation Foundation - Millard Sheets and Home … · 2 A Focus on Modernism: Design Regulation and Review California Preservation Foundation Claremont Heritage 7 September