The 1988 monumental mural to aids research, Blue Moon Trilogy, celebrates the medical success during a frightening, if not terrifying, time in the gay communities and is an iconic, and now hugely important, historical mural by artist Russell Charlton who succumbed himself to HIV.
Restoration of the 186 ft mural, located in the 101 freeway underpass on Odin St. in front of the Hollywood Bowl, was recently completed by Fine Art Conservation Laboratories under contract with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
The final Phase 2 of this public art restoration and maintenance project has been just completed at the end of April 2022. Phase 1 of the mural restoration project took place several years previously. See link at end of this article for more background info about the mural and a review of the Phase 1 restoration work.
The work has received widespread media coverage… https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/news/2019/07/03/community-restoring-80s-aids-memorial-mural
… and even professional international attention: https://www.iiconservation.org/system/files/publications/journal/2019/b2019_4.pdf
After the Covid downtime, Yami Duarte of the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles was good made good the DCA’s promise to finish the restoration of the mural with the Phase 2 restoration by the same “A” Team of Fine Art Conservation Laboratories.
Restoring the mural monument to Aids Research, the mural by Russell Charlton, Blue Moon Trilogy
Of course all the same collaborative efforts were required as with the first part of the project: Coordination and cooperation took place, under the guiding light of Yami Duarte of the Department of Cultural Affairs who choreographed Fine Art Conservation Laboratories, CalTrans, The Hollywood Bowl, the 4th District Councilman’s office
and the neighborhood organizations. It took serious skills to consider and satisfy the sensitive issues surrounding the restoration of the 186 ft mural located in the underpass used by semi trucks as the onramp for the 101 freeway.
For instance, the set up of the security fences for the project and the power washing of the extensive layer of truck exhaust that had accumulated on the mural over the last years was calendared, by mistake, on the opening night of the Hollywood Bowl… a problem as the underpass where the mural is located is a major thoroughfare for traffic for the Bowl’s events! Scott Haskins, Head of Conservation, was up with the power washers at 2 am the next morning to fit the work into the schedule and avoid the traffic!!!
This restorative work was undertaken the last two weeks of April 2022
Mural restoration and public art maintenance. Working behind the security fence
The iconic, historic, monumental, 186 ft mural, Blue Moon Trilogy by Russell Charlton, located in the 101 freeway underpass on Odin St. in front of the Hollywood Bowl. Restored by Fine Art Conservation Laboratories under contract with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
For mural restoration and conservation questions
contact Scott M. Haskins, Head of Conservation,
805 564 3438 faclartdoc@gmail.com
Click on this link for more background info about the mural and a review of the Phase 1 restoration work: https://www.fineartconservationlab.com/murals/huge-hollywood-mural-monument-to-successful-aids-research-is-being-saved-and-restored/
If you have questions about protective coatings for outdoor murals, see the following two articles…
The Protective Coating Is Put To The Test
Last weekend, Feb 26, 2023, a well planned out group of vandals in a Mercedes stopped, took out their ladders and calmly (it appeared that way on the video) did their deed. Cudoes to the neighborhood organizations, the Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of LA and the District Office for getting on the removal right away. Only 4 days old, this graffiti was removed with great success, largely made possible by the multiple layers of protective coating, #muralguardand the care of the removers. A big applause for everyone… this is the kind of maintenance that is required to keep this wall clean. Its a “high impact” zone and will require quick action again in the future.
#AIDSProjectLosAngeles #AIDSProjectLA #ArtConservation #ArtRestoration #MuralRestoration #MuralConservation #HollywoodBowl @FineArtConservationLaboratories @FACL @ScottHaskins @ScottMHaskins #FineArtConservationLaboratories #ScottMHaskins #PublicArt #RestorationOfArt #GraffitiRemoval #AmericanProtectionIndustries #CaliforniaCommunityFoundation #KaleidoscopeFilms #MTV #MTVNetworks #KushnickFoundation, #SamuelPMandellFoundation #Supervisor3rdDistrict #Councilman13thDistrict #LosAngeles #CityofLosAngeles #APLAHealth @APLAHealth @4thDistrictCouncil #VandlGuard #RainGuard
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Hi There,
My Dad has worked with your company to help restore a piece of art for me. Can someone please contact me when they are down in Orange County? I need some help again.
Thank you,
kathleen
310-709-8673
Thanks Kathleen for leaving your comment. We’ll give you a call the afternoon. TTYS, Scott (805 570 4140 mobile)
HI Kathleen, We visit people in your area all the time. Give us a call and we’ll talk about it. Here’s my mobile phone: 805 570 4140 . TTYTS, Scott
Its wonderful to read about something
good happening in LA, especially preserving an iconic piece of history .
Yayll
Thank you Carolyn for your nice comment. Onward and upward!