2025 Poster Session

Exodus and Dance is an 80-foot concrete bas-relief sculptural frieze consisting of 16 individual panels designed and executed by artist Richmond Barthe in 1939.  The sculpture was originally designed for an amphitheater to be constructed in the Harlem River Houses, the first of two housing projects in New York City funded by the Federal government to provide quality housing for working-class African Americans.  Unfortunately, the amphitheater was never constructed, and the sculpture was not installed.  

 

Exodus and Dance was later installed in the Kingsborough Houses in Brooklyn in 1941.  Barthe was disappointed and ultimately abandoned this piece, as it was created to inspire African Americans, and Kingsborough Houses were not specifically built for African Americans.  Fortunately, the sculpture has become a meaningful site for residents and has gained importance as being a significant piece by Barthe, considered to be the most significant sculptor of African-American modernism in the first half of the 20th Century.

 

Mounted to a free-standing brick wall, the frieze and wall had fallen into a state of disrepair. In 2018, its deteriorated condition and safety concerns of the area drew the attention of local historians, art organizations, historical centers, and local politicians.  

 

Understanding the importance of the piece, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) assembled a team of outside restoration architects and conservators with their in-house designers to design the restoration scope of work. Ronnette Riley Architects, with conservation firms Jablonski Building Conservation, Inc. (JBC) and EverGreene Architectural Arts (EverGreene), worked through both the design and construction phases of the project allowing the needed continuity to address the intricate technical aspects of the project.   

 

Communication with and input from all stakeholders and interested parties was vital to the success of the project. Several community presentations were held which allowed the views of the local Kingsborough Housing community to be voiced.  Stakeholders included Kingsborough Houses Resident Association President, development operations staff, NYCHA, Weeksville Heritage Center, Fulton Art Fair, The Mellon Foundation, and NYC Public Design Commission. 

 

The treatments were carried out through a continued collaborative effort among the conservation teams, masons, and structural engineers.  The unusual conservation challenges of this project will be discussed including the safe removal of the panels; stabilization without altering the physical properties and visual design; and integrating the artists’ manufacturing methods with the new support system, to not cause undue stress on the large, thin relief panels.

 

This presentation will highlight the multi-faceted collaboration of owners, caretakers, users, stakeholders, architects, contractors, and conservators to conserve and restore this culturally significant artwork. It will also focus on the innovative two-conservator approach employed during the conservation process where JBC lead the design efforts and EverGreene peer-reviewed and offered support as well as implemented the removal, treatment, and reinstallation procedures. 

 

The project offers a unique, cooperative approach between city and community stakeholders and preservation professionals, allowing an opportunity for new stories to be told by the community, offering a renewed understanding of the artist, and emphasizing the impact of artworks in public spaces.