Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center – Page 7

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 39.

Libraries: the Medicine Chest of the Soul

What follows concurrently occurred during the search and identification of a scenery collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center’s theater. From August 2014 through May 2015, I was hired as the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center (MMHC) historical consultant. It was not until June 1, 2016 that I accepted the position of Curatorial Director at a 40% pay reduction with a job description that could not truly commence until after the facility opened on June 24, 2016.

As historical consultant, I was placed in charge of the first MMHC acquisition during the beginning of 2015 – a book collection that would form the basis for the Charles W. Nelson Library. Throughout the fall of 2014 we aggressively sought a substantial book collection as the current holdings were extremely limited; primarily including a smattering of handwritten records in the Grand Lodge Library and in the Minnesota Masonic Historical Society and Museum.

The new library was to share almost one-third of the entire space with the Col. James B. Ladd Museum and subsequently demanded many more books to fill the space. The Nelson library was to be a grand setting, full of map tables and computers, separated from the museum by a wall of glass and French doors for security reasons. The CEO had explained that this would be a premiere research library, drawing Masonic scholars from across the nation to examine its rare contents.

By December 2015, the book collection at the Masonic Center in St. Paul, Minnesota had repeatedly popped up as a potential acquisition at a variety of meetings. This had once been the combined library of the Grand Lodge of Minnesota and the St. Paul Scottish Rite. When the Grand Lodge moved from the Masonic Center in St. Paul to their current location at the Minnesota Masonic Home (now adjacent to MMHC) in Bloomington, Minnesota, many of the books that were left on site transferred ownership to the Valley of St. Paul.

I believed this to be an ideal acquisition, having completed much of my doctoral research using books from this collection. Charlie Nelson, namesake for the Nelson Library and founder of MMHSM, had personally given me a personal tour of the library, explaining that many Masons failed to understand the significance of the collection and the range of extraordinary publications. Nelson was also the one to fully explain the York Rite degrees and visual requirements when I worked as Lance Brockman’s assistant during his touring museum exhibit, “Theatre of the Fraternity: Staging the Ritual Space of the Scottish Rite, 1896-1929” (1996).

In the St. Paul library I enthusiastically read the Supreme Council transactions for both the Northern and Southern jurisdictions, identifying some of the earliest legislation surrounding the theatrical interpretations of the indispensable degrees. I would later present most of my findings as the 2003 guest speaker for the Scottish Rite Research Society meeting during a Biennial Session, publish my findings in “Heredom” (vol. 12, pp. 141-62), and then incorporate this research into my doctoral dissertation, “Scenic Sifts upon the Scottish Rite Stage: Designing for Masonic Theatre, 1859-1926.”

I returned to the St. Paul Masonic library in January 2015 to survey the St. Paul acquisition, however, there were a series of obstacles in my path. Although I had requested a minimum of a month to carefully inventory and organize the books prior to packing and shipping, I was allotted just two weeks to inventory the collection while sharing the space with the renter. Then, I would have two weeks where I would organize and pack the boxes as the sole occupant of the space. This was a nightmare scenario as this was not the only project that I was working on at this time. During February 2015, I put in a total of 254 hours as the historical consultant – with 177 hours solely designated to the library acquisition.

The St. Paul Scottish Rite Library at the Masonic Center during my initial visit to survey the space during January 2015.

Because a current renter in the St. Paul Masonic Center used the library space for meetings, I had to accommodate their schedule. I would arrive in the space, quickly jot down information, and then enter the data once returning home to my office in Cambridge, Minnesota – a 60-mile one way commute. I immediately recognized the need for help, yet had no other assistants to help with this 10,000 item acquisition. Who do you call for help when there is no one else to call? You call your parents. They showed up daily, recording the titles, authors, and publication dates in their notebooks. I would then drive home and transfer the handwritten data to an excel spreadsheet.

My father, Ray Waszut, who initially measured and drew plates of each bookcase as they were were going to be repurposed in the Nelson library. Then, he began recording the title, author and publication date in his notebook for me to transcribe once home.

My mother, Betty Lou Waszut, recording title, author and publication date in her notebook for me to transcribe once home.

My parents, Ray Waszut and Betty Lou Kohnen Waszut, assembling boxes. At first, I was given the leftover boxes from the general director’s recent move from Duluth, MN to Northfield, MN. Unfortunately, many of these boxes were not book boxes, and proved to only work for the portfolio sized publications

My inventory lists were intended to understand the scope of the collection, organize the contents, and identify individual boxes to remove from storage when the subsequent processing would commence. The majority of the collection would be placed in record storage at an offsite location – all 250 boxes. There were approximately 25 boxes, however, that held the most important manuscripts and these would be hand-carried over to the Minnesota Masonic Historical Society and Museum rooms in the Minnesota Masonic Home basement.

Looking at St Paul Masonic Library books from the 25 boxes that were hand carried over to the Minnesota Masonic Historical Society and Museum at the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington, MN. Some were considered for inclusion in the Ladd Museum exhibit. The other 250 boxes were placed into record storage, awaiting processing.

To be continued…

Starting to organize and pack up the St. Paul Masonic Library.

Packing 10,000 items from the St. Paul Masonic Library in 275 boxes for transfer to the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center storage facilities (one off site and one in the basement of the Minnesota Masonic Home in Bloomington)!

Preliminary organization of the 275 boxes holding the entire contents of the St. Paul Masonic library for transport to for the eventual Charles W. Nelson Museum at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.

Behold the handiwork of one woman and her octogenarian parents!

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 38.

A Sea of Troubles

“To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles…”

I soon realized that I was constantly taking arms against a “sea of troubles” as the Curatorial Director at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.

The weekly OAC (Owner/Architect/Contractor) meeting had continued after I asked about the smoke door placement. Throughout the remainder of the meeting, I thought back to many conversations with the CEO since my return from Fort Scott.

One conversation kept popping into my mind. It had been mid-December 2015 and I was sitting with the Minnesota Masonic Charities staff for a short coffee break near the Minnesota Masonic Home café. This was unusual, as I was often too busy to attend these daily gatherings. While chatting about my finds in Fort Scott with the CEO, I inquired whether he had any preferred order for scenery restoration. I was getting ready to start compiling the first timeline.

He immediately responded that he had absolutely no preference – I could choose the restoration order. The CEO then elaborated that he had always been in front of the scenery – performing – not really caring about what happened behind him. At the time, I simply thought, “oh…actor” and made a mental note. So, the occasional “us and them” struggle between performers and technicians carried over to fraternal stages too. This production dynamic peaked my interest from a historical standpoint, thinking of Joe Jefferson and other nineteenth century actors who were deeply involved in all aspects of a production. When did it start on fraternal stages? Had the “us and them” dynamic always been there?

Now the CEO’s fraternal performances and degree production experiences were all at the Scottish Rite in Duluth, Minnesota. I was extremely familiar with this 1904 scenery collection, as I had provided a lot of information to the historical architect Rolf Anderson for his written nomination of the building for the National Register of Historic Places. Rolf and I spoke extensively about the significance of the scenery collection and how the Winona Masonic Center was placed on the National Register primarily for the historical significance of its scenery (the work of Lance Brockman and Charlie Nelson).

Duluth, Minnesota, Scottish Rite. Photo by Rolf Anderson, 2014.

View of Duluth, Minnesota, Scottish Rite. View of auditorium from stage with wood set. Photo by W. Waszut-Barrett, 2014.

I had also conducted a variety of theatre tours at the Duluth Scottish Rite over the years, including one for theatre practitioners of the Northern Boundary Section, USITT (United States Institute of Technical Theatre), in 2012 and the Ladies Tour at the Minnesota Grand Lodge in 2014. It was an outstanding scenery collection!

View of Duluth, Minnesota, Scottish Rite. View of tour for Northern Boundary Section fall conference (2012).

View of Duluth, Minnesota, Scottish Rite. View of ladies tour for Minnesota Grand Lodge (2014).

While reflecting on the CEO’s comments, I considered his lack of appreciation for any historical scenery. I had initially noticed it during the August evaluation at Fort Scott as his interest waned as the fourth scene was lowered. I had encountered the “It’s just backing, not art” attitude before in many Scottish Rite Valleys across the country. These were frequently the same individuals who viewed Masonic libraries as “just books waiting to be scanned.” I fell in love with the Fraternity because of its reverence for history, ritual, and instruction. While it is no surprise that not everyone uniformly shares this belief, the Fraternity is so much more than charitable donations. There are those who deeply understand that Scottish Rite theaters are an extension of a unique cultural heritage; one to be studied and preserved, like the books, and other Masonic artifacts.

In addition to the CEO’s “just scenery” attitude was the general director’s comments about how “his” theatre would be staffed by volunteers. I had repeatedly argued for at least ONE theatre professional – even a part-time theatre technician. SOMEONE had to know how to operate and maintain the equipment. At the time, I had been primarily concerned about the lighting, rigging, and sound systems. I hoped that the historical scenery collection would ultimately fall under my control as a recent museum acquisition.

Both the CEO and general director’s comments made me think of most state-of-the art performing arts centers built all across Minnesota. It all starts with a “big vision,” followed by a small plan to run the facility. These performance venues cost millions of dollars to construct, but are never adequately staffed after the opening. It results in the gradual deterioration of both lighting and sound systems as high school students or volunteers run the facility. No one knows how to run, maintain, or repair the equipment. How shortsighted, and it was apparent that we were going to repeat this process here too.

This is a tried and true formula for failure. There were massive Scottish Rite buildings across the country with amazing artifact collections and almost all are collapsing. Why? There is no one to staff the buildings beyond a team of volunteers. The Masons of Minnesota find themselves spending tens of millions of dollars to create a state-of-the-art facility, staffed primarily with volunteer labor. What was the REAL endgame? Was this all a charade?

To be continued…

Duluth Scottish Rite, Treasure Chamber (15th degree).

Duluth Scottish Rite, King Solomon’s Throne Room (6th and 9th degrees).

Duluth Scottish Rite, cave scene for 9th degree). Photo by Rolf Anderson, 2014.

Last scene lowered when I was guest speaker for ladies tour at Minnesota Grand Lodge (2014).

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 37.

Water, Water Everywhere

Water damage is always the antagonist in historic scenery stories.

Water damage in Winona, Minnesota, in the Scottish Rite theatre.

Scenery painted with dry pigment and diluted hide glue, or “size,” is water-based and non-permanent. The colors reactivate with the introduction of water, being displaced upon the surface as the water carries pigments elsewhere on the fabric. Highly concentrated areas of color are re-deposited along the edges of water damage and are difficult to conceal. They need to be sealed and then touched up. In some cases all of the color is removed, reverting sections of the composition to raw fabric.

Dark areas along water damage is where the pigment has settled in concentrated areas.

Water damage that removed all pigment and reverted to raw muslin.

The Fort Scott collection was in amazing condition when we placed it into storage on November 23, 2015, at the age of 91 yrs. old! The date when Moses finished the last drop for the collection was November 17, 1924. The scenery was in much better shape than any other historical collection I had come across to date. Part of the reason for the minimal deterioration was the lack of water damage. You have to understand that it is almost unheard of for a Scottish Rite scenery collection to not have some type of water damage; either from pipes that burst or a roof that leaks. Fortunately for us, there were no pipes above the scenery in Fort Scott and no detectable roof leaks!

Winona, Minnesota, Scottish Rite theatre. After removing all of the drops form the lines, water damage to the wooden grid and sky were visible from the stage floor.

Water can also damage drops when it sneaks in through the smoke doors high above the stage and slowly drips down onto the painted scenes. Smoke doors above the stage have a straightforward purpose, allowing the smoke and fire gasses to escape through the stage area and not into the auditorium. These vents above the stage which, when open during a fire, will draw smoke out of the auditorium and up out of the roof, enabling a safer evacuation of the audience. The vents are often attached to compressed springs, so that when activated, they will stay open. Various requirements are determined by the size and the height of the stage. Unfortunately, over time smoke doors can leak.

The reason for the smoke doors is clear – audience safety. In 1903, the Iroquois theatre fire in Chicago killed approximately 600 individuals, many children, during an afternoon matinee. Piles of bodies were discovered lined up in the aisles trying to exit through the locked theatre doors. After this tragedy and the many others that had preceded it, there was an increased effort toward both audience safety and fire prevention. Many fire codes were put in place and included exits, fire barriers, and smoke doors.

Interestingly, the Fort Scott smoke doors were placed above the stage left side. Any leaking that might have occurred happened away from the painted scenes in the off-stage area. I had made a mental note at the time that I would have to keep an eye out for this building anomaly in the future. Was it really an anomaly, or were the architects who worked closely with theatre professionals at that time aware of the potential damage to the scenery and lighting fixtures? If it was taken into consideration for one Scottish Rite theatre, there could be other examples elsewhere.

And then I encountered the issue of smoke doors at the MMHC theatre during the spring of 2016. I was sitting at a construction meeting when I realized that the MMHC smoke doors were centered above the stage and would automatically open when a fire alarm was pulled. I immediately expressed a concern that if the doors popped open during a rainstorm, the contents of the historic scenery would be completely destroyed. Had no one thought of this?

I then continued stating that the collection had a replacement value of over $1,000,000.00 and the majority of it could be destroyed in an instant. Everyone at the meeting looked toward the CEO for clarification and direction. The room was silent. Then I realized that this was a moot point for the CEO he moved on to the previous topic – the need for some safety mechanism to prevent workers from falling through the opening if the doors sprung open.

I kept wondering, “Why did they really want any historic drops in the space if they didn’t care what happened to them after the installation?” After all, what was the point of replicating an historic theatre space to accommodate an entire Scottish Rite scenery collection?

To be continued…

Yankton, South Dakota. Minimal water damage running down drop. In cases like this, it is barely detectable from twenty feet away and I do not recommend any paint-touch up.

Austin, Texas. Luckily the damage occurred on the far stage left and stage right sides. Masking legs for this scene conceal much of the water damage.

Salina, Kansas. Water damage almost falls dead center. However the water damage was brief and the majority of pigment remained on the fabric.

Winona, Minnesota. This collection has scenes with extensive water damage. In some cases the water damage occurs in three areas: stage right, center stage, and stage left. Continued water damage over long period of time have caused areas of raw fabric to remain visible.

If water damage is constant, black mold will appear, as well as rust rings around tack marks.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 36.

The Proposal

The CEO proposed that I hang the unrestored drops in the MMHC theatre, later remove the unrestored drops for restoration, restore the drops off site, and then hang the restored drops. This was simply ludicrous. I explained that this proposal would take it’s toll on each painting, as well as double the amount of necessary labor for restoration. His primary motivation was that the three scenery storage units that housed the Fort Scott collection were costing over $14,000 each year. His proposal was part of our continued discussion surrounding the query, “Why can’t we just hang the drops unrestored?”

I continued to detail the damage that would occur due to excessive handling. Every time a drop was handled, it would suffer from some form of deterioration. That was one of the reasons that I always completed restorations onsite. You see, after cleaning and stabilization the drop would still need to be rolled, encapsulated, and transported back to the MMHC theatre if it were restored off site. As previously explained, the fabric was not like a stiff sheet of linoleum when it was rolled for transport, wrinkles would occur during the rolling. If wrinkles were rolled into the tube, the restored painting would crack and show an unsightly flaw once hung.

Also, there were some areas that needed to be reinforced, cut openings that demanded new fabric, and some compositions that would be slightly altered to fit the MMHC proscenium opening. Excessive handling was also another one of the other reasons that I recommend against sewing anything onto historic drops as it rapidly destroyed the painted composition. Everything takes a beating and needs much more touch-up once hung in the space.

Finally, many of the unrestored scenes could not be hung immediately as they were missing the fabric on cut centers. This had been removed due to excessive filth prior to shipping. They simply couldn’t be hung unrestored without new netting or bobbinet, as the drops would sag.

Also, the tops and the bottoms of each drop needed to have a reinforced layer so that the edges of the wooden battens would not “rip” the old fabric over time. The weak spots on every drop are just above the bottom batten and just below the top batten. The edges of the wood can wear through fabric. Even if the fabric appears in excellent condition it will eventually fail.

In restoration, my current operating procedure is to reinforce the back sides of all the battened areas as a form of “preventative care,” adding a few additional decades to the longevity of each painted scene. This procedure also needs to happen if EVER a pipe pocket is attached, or a weakness is introduced into the fabric and that section WILL fail overtime.

As previously discussed, each drop needed to be stabilized to prevent dusting pigment too, thus causing a health hazard. Drops were “stabilized” with a diluted hide glue mixture “made to order” for each drop. I would heat up the granulated hide glue until it turned into thick syrup, with a consistency similar to a corn syrup. Then I added water to this syrup prior to spraying a thin application on the painted surface.

Granulated hide glue. Water is added to this and heated, forming a thick liquid that is diluted for spraying on drops during stabilization or mixed with dry pigment for touch-up.

Spraying diluted hide glue on cleaned drops during restoration.

You want it as thin as possible for the finish to remain matte and the fabric flexible. If, for some reason, the stabilizing spray was too strong – meaning there was too much glue in the mixture – the painted surface would show a slight sheen and reflect stage lights, enhancing any subsequent wrinkles. In this particular scenario with too strong of a stabilization spray, the entire drop also became thicker and much more difficult to handle without damaging.

There were too many chances were being taken if the scenes were restored off site.

In the end, I again explained to the CEO that unless you want to jeopardize the condition of the scenes and double the anticipated workload, all restoration work needed to occur on site. I couldn’t “knowingly or wittingly” do something that would harm the collection. In hindsight, this was the beginning of the end as the CEO saw this as an opportunity to “win” a battle at any cost.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 35.

Alternative Facts

While I was frantically working on the mural, overseeing the processing of the St. Paul Masonic Library with a crew of volunteers, and organizing for the upcoming restoration, the CEO summoned me into his office for a meeting with the general director. During the meeting, the CEO asked a question that he had repeatedly asked, “Why can’t we just hang the drops unrestored?”

Once again, I again explained that we could not hang unrestored scenery for a multitude of reasons; the primary one being that dusting pigments and other surface contaminants presented a health hazard – especially for the old and young. The theatre was connected to an eldercare facility with people who had compromised immune systems. Plus one of the target client’s were to be dance studios for children’s recitals.

Dusting pigment from the Fort Scott Collection.

“But you cleaned them in Fort Scott,” the CEO insisted, “Why clean them again?”

I took a deep breath. “No,” I said quietly, “I only completed some onsite cleaning for handling and shipping as they were so filthy.”

Initial dust extraction to remove some contaminants for onsite handling and shipping. Additional cleaning would be necessary upon arrival that would include using archival sponges.

“Well, why didn’t you do a better job onsite so you only had to do it once?”

“The limited time factor, “ I replied, “It was never part of the original plan as I hoped to lower, roll, and ship the scenery.” He looked perplexed.

“Regardless,” I said,” during the shipping of any historical scenery, the pigment – meaning color – and other surface contaminants would continue to dust off of the fabric. It would remain encapsulated in the scenery roll, becoming airborne when hung on site. Additionally, the “binder” – meaning the stuff that holds the color on the surface of the fabric – is also failing, causing the color to dust off. The painted surface needs to be stabilized prior to hanging any drops in the MMHC theatre.”

An example of pigment dust that accumulates during shipping. Peoria, Illinois, Scottish Rite drops that I rescued and now own.

Using archival putty to remove surface contaminants after dust extraction. Archival putty and sponges target a deeper layer of filth. These are the same products used in museums for a variety of cleaning tasks as they remove soot, but not pencil markings.

We had gone over and over this issue for months since our initial road trip to Fort Scott during August 2015 when he insisted the drops could just be hung upon their arrival. With each attempt to insist that I just hang the scenery, the general director backed him up. I felt like being in an elementary playground again where the bully made a decree and the sidekick added, “Yeah, what he said!”

At this point in our conversation, the CEO took a new tactic and explained that he had contacted a company in the Duluth that explained all pigments, even dusting ones, were inert. This REALLY caught me off guard. He had gone out of his way to “prove” that my health warnings about dusting pigment were incorrect. He had listened to me and then sought others to disprove my warning of a potential danger. Why?

I mentally regrouped and took another deep breath, slowly explaining the following:
“Even if that were the case and historic dry pigments were inert– and they are not- it is the OTHER surface contaminants that are even more dangerous than the actual pigments. Bat guano, pigeon droppings, flash powder residue, soot from coal heat or oil heat, tar dust, mortar dust, and many other environmental contaminants are quite toxic. This scenery is still covered in an oily filth and only a small portion of it was removed in Fort Scott. The remaining contaminants need to be removed prior to restoration or hanging.”

“Believe me,” I said, “I would be thrilled to pass along the scientific proof that all dusting pigments are inert – especially to the safety commission or the scenic artists at the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT). It would be an earth-shattering moment for the theatrical painting industry.”

What was the deal? Why was the CEO trying to prove that I really didn’t know what I was talking about in terms of dry pigment dangers?!?! The public’s safety was at risk. Wasn’t that enough?

To be continued…

There is a wonderful resource from Baylor’s Environmental Heath and Safety page. It goes into detail about the health hazards associated with dry pigments, especially when they become airborne. This is just one of MANY site and agencies that explain the various health hazards surrounding dusting dry pigment. Here is the link: http://www.baylor.edu/ehs/index.php?id=94372

Unlike new pigments, however, we don’t have access to the MSDS (material safety data sheet) for the original colors on the historical scenery. The colors that were used on backdrops and now become airborne during restoration or simply hanging in a theatre are unknown. Some colors used to contain cadmium, arsenic, or lead – just to name a few hidden toxins in historical pigments.

Using archival sponges to remove surface contaminants after dust extraction. This was a pro bono workshop that I gave for Scottish Rite Stage crews in Duluth, MN, at the Scottish Rite. It was part of my attempt to help Scottish Rite Valleys care for their scenery if they had limited funds.

Half dirty, half cleaned with archival sponges as dust extraction cannot get it this clean without the additional step. Using archival sponges to remove surface contaminants after dust extraction.

Cleaning bobbinet with archival sponges as dust extraction cannot get it this clean without the additional step.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 34.

Ch-ch-ch-ch changes (turn and face the strain) ch- ch- changes

As previously noted, on December 2, 2015, I emailed the CEO and general director the anticipated time to clean and stabilize the first 19 drops in 8 weeks, starting by April 1, 2016. Approximately three assistants were needed to assist with handling each drop once it arrived at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center theatre. If there were any major repairs, it might necessitate a few extra days to be added to the standard process.

Once each drop was restored, it would be loosely rolled and set aside to await hanging. The restoration labor for each drop was noted as follows: one day to clean and stabilize a drop (allowing drop to dry over night); one day to square, reinforce, and repair each drop; and one final day to loosely roll the completed drop and unroll another drop. The estimated time to hang all nineteen restored drops and attach bottom wooden battens to the tops and bottoms would be six days.

I was adamant that the lead rigger be either Brandon Fischer (from the Fort Scott, Kansas job) or Paul Sannerud (from the Winona, Minnesota, job). Either Fischer or Sannerud could carry the necessary insurance during the installation and each truly understood historic scenery. I wouldn’t have to explain how the drops were assembled or hung. They would then select their installation crew of either two or three riggers. I had outlined that the entire restoration would consist of several phases, explaining that the netting of cut drops took the greatest amount of time and would be completed well after the backdrops and leg drops.

Cut drops required a total of four to six days to clean, stabilize, square, repair, and attach new netting, instead of the standard three to five days. They would be completed after all of the backdrops were restored. Each time a series of drops were restored, there needed to be a few extra days scheduled, allotting for both selection and transportation of drops and materials, as well as the preparation to set up and clean up of the space. Furthermore, I was the drops needed to be restored on site as transporting restored drops often resulted in excessive wrinkles and cracked paint. If they were restored off site and transported, they would have to be touched-up on site, doubling the labor.

During January and February construction meetings in 2016, I stipulated my needs in the MMHC theatre space, specifically the access to the stage by the last week in March. This week would be spent prepping for an April 1, 2016, restoration start. At first my request was granted, but A&P Construction noted that there could be a slight delay if some of the projects were changed or fell a little behind. As the mural was being delayed due to constant changes, I didn’t sweat it much. If we were unable to get into the space, it just meant fewer than 19 drops for the opening – but there would still be something there for the public to see.

Then the entire scope of restoration changed – again. Instead of simply restoring the backdrops and featuring them as large-scale artworks, the CEO decided that he wanted to hang complete scenes for the opening on June 24, 2016. This changed everything. All of my previous estimates and planning were no longer applicable and had to be redone. My first thought was that this would be more expensive and time-consuming as we were now attempting to re-net cut drops with much larger restoration crews.

Most Fort Scott scenes were composed of a leg drop, cut drop, and backdrop – providing depth to the stage picture. Cut drops composed the middle ground for each scene and required much more time to restore than a simple backdrop. They were backdrops with cut centers, supported with either 1” cotton netting or open weave netting (like tutu material) in the opening.

Fort Scott scene consisting of one leg drop and two cut drops. The painted cyclorama completes the scene as a backing instead of the traditional backdrop.

When new netting was attached to a historic backdrop, each knotted intersection received a dot of glue. This procedure allowed the drop to maintain its flexibility over the decades, but it was EXTREMELY time consuming. From past restoration projects I knew exactly how many people were required and how many hours each cut drop would take to net this way.

Either hide glue or a contemporary theatrical glue are used during netting. In most cases I use FlexBond to glue each knotted intersection as there is a consistency to the product and does not cause the painted surface to dimple.

These continued delays for the mural and restoration might all have been for the best. My lower back was still bothering me after I initially injured it when unloading the scenery rolls. It didn’t seem to be getting any better and it had happened almost two months ago. Little did I know at the time, but my lifting and shoving the 100 pound scenery rolls repeatedly had caused annular fissures, or tears, to occur on multiple discs in my back. During the strain of lifting the tubes, the disc fluid had been pushed against the elastic outer layer and formed small rips.

Throughout 2016, I would have constant back pain, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy, chiropractic treatments, and acupuncture appointments, all navigated within the maze of a workman’s compensation claim. However, I just kept plugging along, constantly shifting my position, and completing my work at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. But this injury did make me ask for a painting assistant for the mural as I had both lifting and movement restrictions.

And then I thought of the lyrics for David Bowie’s song “Changes:”

“Still don’t know what I was waiting for
and my time was running wild,
a million dead end streets

Every time I thought I’d got it made
it seemed the taste was not so sweet”

To be continued…

Laying out new netting on a cut drop. Blue tape temporarily secures it to the drop, yet allows it to shift. If the netting is not perfectly taut or placed square to the parameter of the drop’s edges, the cut drop will have wrinkles, sag, and hang crooked.

My father, Ray Waszut, helping me out with one more project in McAlester, Oklahoma during 2009.

A combination of wide blue tape and thin detailing tape is needed to make sure that each knotted intersection comes in contact with the fabric prior to gluing. Old drops do not lay flat and have to be both weighted down and taped.

In Fort Scott, all of the cut drops had been netted and then toilet paper was applied to each area. My guess is that the glue mixture was still tacky.

Toilet paper on top of glue dots after I removed much of the netting in Fort Scott. This needs to be removed prior to attaching new netting.

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 33.

A Fool is Wise in His Eyes

Change orders are common in new construction. It is work that is added to or deleted from the original scope of work in a contract, or both. Depending on the magnitude of the Change, it may or may not alter the original contract amount and/or completion date.

Other Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center changes occurred outside of the scope of construction and appeared as if made on a whim. This pattern of ongoing changes meant delays and I started to wonder if they would impact our ability to hang ANY restored scenery by the June 24, 2016.

The first snag regarding the King Solomon’s Temple mural for the lodge room occurred during mid January 2016. It would have a lasting effect on the mural timeline and also the scenery restoration timeline.

The CEO had discovered a donor to pay for the lodge room mural. They both swung by my office to chat after a lunch in mid-January. During their visit, the CEO informed me that I would just paint whatever the donor wanted and it would probably be a replica of an existing artwork. I explained to both of them that copying a fine artist’s work in its entirety without their permission was unethical and infringed on copyright laws, he might want to reconsider.

If they were going to make an identical copy, why not pay for permission to use it and print a digital copy for the east? No, he wanted a hand-painted mural as they were of a better quality. This topic had come up before when all of the hand-panted murals had been cut and the general director proposed digital prints instead, explaining that no one would know the difference anyway.

After speaking at length with the donor about what type of composition he wanted me to painted, he explained that he wanted one feature to have prominence. I was to highlight the brazen laver as it had special significance to him. Understanding the underlying Mormon significance, I immediately said, “Absolutely no problem!” Then I explained to both of them, “This is a wonderful opportunity to create something new and unique! The Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center would hold the copyright, as I was a staff member when creating it, and could use it for a variety of applications. “

At this point I had already conducted extensive research on the construction of King Solomon’s Temple, and the various theories concerning the design, coloration, and regional building techniques. It was a wonderful chance to re-interpret this popular subject and I was excited to start the final design.

Part of a series of sketches for mural, prior to scale painting for 14′ x 20′ mural placed in East of the lodge room.

And then I received a new directive from the CEO that made the entire mural design process convoluted; I was to give the CEO and general director my design, they would present it to the donor, and then report back to me with the donor’s critique. How odd. This would add time and delays to the design process; kind of like playing telephone in elementary school. But I knew the donor, got along with him well, and we visited almost once every week when either I volunteered at a Masonic library or he stopped by my office to chat about genealogy. The communication between us continued regardless of this directive.

Eventually, my line drawing was approved, followed by a value study, and a color sketch. Each submittal was approved with, “Proceed!” On February 22, when I was midway through the 2”: 1’-0” full-scale color painting, the CEO called me into his office.

Where I was at with the 2″ : 1′-0″ painting when the CEO changed the artwork to a horizontal composition. It would become a framed fine art painting.

He explained that he had changed his mind about the architectural ornamentation behind the Master’s chair. Instead of a full wall mural with vertical composition, it would become a horizontal composition, as he would extend the wainscoting throughout the alcove.

Oh no. This changed everything and we were already ridiculously behind schedule, as I should have started the actual painting over a month ago! I carefully explained that this meant starting much of the design from scratch, further delaying the restoration. Then I started thinking about the potential problems; the decreased size meant that the draperies would conceal much more of the composition, it was now at a scale where I could not use the floor frame and “paint it down,” and it would look odd when compared to the remainder of the proposed and framed sidewall artworks. If we were going to make it smaller and horizontal, we might want to treat the east wall like the panels on the sidewalls and frame it. Historically, a large ornately framed painting could work there, centered in the wall above the wainscoting. Unfortunately this would necessitate a framed canvas and new fine art paints (to replace the theatrical paints).

In the following weeks, two designs were turned down in the final stages – after approvals on initial line drawing, value studies, color renderings. The explanation was always, “I thought I liked it, but it’s not quite what I want.” I finally scheduled a meeting with the CEO and general director to discuss the “ideal composition.” I brought in all of my previous designs, spread them out on a table, and asked the CEO to point out ANYTHING that he liked about the compositions.

I took notes and quickly sketched out a new composition, received another approval to proceed, and got up to leave for my office.

“It’s too bad that you have to do another design,” said the CEO “but we have to get it right!” I stopped, turned around, and broadly smiled at him. “Oh no,” I exclaimed. “I really love painting and every time you tell me to design something else it’s like spending another day on the beach!”

My next design was approved. However, the restoration was going to be extremely delayed and we would be lucky to hang only a few drops for the opening. This entire process designing the Temple mural really made me think of the King Solomon quote, “A fool is wise in his eyes.”

Final and approved design #3 for fine art in lodge room.

October 6, 2016, when I was guest speaker for Forest Lake Lodge meeting at Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.

Andrew Barrett and I on opening day at Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center – June 24, 2016.

Unfortunate placement of 6′-6″ x 9′-6″ painting in Lodge room due to height of light.

Text picture sent to me when picture was being hung in the lodge room for opening.

Painted detail depicting metallic glaze throughout painting. Gold metallic was thinned and added to all highlight, whereas blue metallic glaze was added as reflective lights in shadow areas. In lowlight conditions during lodge, the painting would glisten and move to create a magical illusion.

Art for art’s sake. Art de Hoyos and many other masons were painted in as figures throughout the composition.

Painted detail of smoke to create a sense of movement in the composition.

Putting in the final details near the end of the painting process.

Individual drawings for characters were temporarily placed throughout the composition.

Table with paints during the painting process.

Horizontal painting when laying in the sky.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 32.

Time is of the Essence

In the meeting where we discussed the mural and restoration timelines as stipulated in my emails, I also requested that many of my other MMHC responsibilities be minimized. I needed the extra time to design, plan and paint the mural. A quick look passed between both the CEO and general director, then they both smiled at me saying, “Certainly. Anything you need.” The exchange that passed between to two was a red flag. Regardless of my request, no one at the time was hired to replace my position on any of the projects.

The only duty that I was really released from was attending MMHC Museum meetings. This was confirmed in an email sent on December 3, 2016:

“We are now at the end of the beginning. The work of framing the content of the Museum is now largely complete. The work of Wendy in helping interpret my vision for the Museum is done. The work of the scholars is done. The writing of the narrative is nearing completion. The selection of artifacts has been completed. Accordingly, it is now necessary to move to the next phases of our work, which I describe as finalizing graphic design, arranging content and artifact placement and lastly installation. As we move into the final phases of our work, the composition of the active team will necessarily change. While the scholars remain available, we will have limited need for their expertise and thus they will not be called upon unless there is general agreement that additional information is needed and my approval is obtained. Similarly, Wendy’s work being now completed she will move on to other critical work related to the MMHC and will now be available for limited consulting concerning the work she has already completed. Wendy will no longer attend Museum Committee meetings unless there is general agreement on the need and I approve. Time is of the essence. We have only 6 months to review, refine, and install the Museum.”

This sounds pretty succinct, if it concerned all of the designs and text previously approved. During my absence in Fort Scott, portions of the gallery layout changed, as well as content. I had been unable to do much from far away and had little desire to fight this particular battle. I had mentioned to the CEO and general director during our early December lunch meeting that any changes to museum layout, thematic content, and artifact selection would jeopardize the museum team’s ability to produce a quality product for the opening. Besides, how much could really be changed at this point? The answer: everything.

Throughout the remainder of December 2015 and the beginning of January 2016, I continued to work on the following projects while doing preliminary work on the mural design:

Putting together an informational packet regarding the Fort Scott scenery collection with a complete inventory and artistic provenance.
Re-organizing the Fort Scott drops on specific line sets for the MMHC theatre; estimating line set weights for the drops.
Hiring an assistant to work on unpacking the St. Paul Masonic library acquisition and start preliminary processing.
Working with the museum team and organizing artifacts for museum display cases.
Finalizing paint colors with the interior designers, architects and construction leads for the theatre and the lodge room.
Creating test samples for mural fabric to be used in the lodge room.
Contacting and interviewing possible individuals to work on the first phase of the scenery restoration project.
Completing full-scale detail drawings for the stained glass window and selecting glass colors.
Reviewing video scripts and historical details for interactive exhibits in the museum.
Designing the mural paint frame and discussing its construction with the Minnesota Masonic Home grounds crew.
Selecting a studio space and making sure that there was ample space and height for the work.
Ordering the necessary mural painting supplies and coordinating their delivery to the studio space.
Continuing to attend a variety of construction and production meetings every week as the Curatorial Director of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.
Doing promotional sessions for a variety of organizations, including the Kennedy Center for the Arts Academic Festival conference that was meeting at Normandale Community College.

We had only six months to go before the June 24 opening and I was starting to show signs of wear and tear. While juggling the various work projects listed above, I was constantly scheduling medical appointments as doctors tried diagnose and treat my constant back pain, resulting from the injury that occurred while unloading the Fort Scott scenery tubes. Regardless of my hectic schedule and the holidays, it appeared that we might actually meet all of the deadlines! I was living my dream to preserve the past for future generations. This building had so much potential as a state-of-the-art facility, complete with a scenery collection, a six-gallery freemasonry museum, a research library and an event center.

To be continued…

My realized design at Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. 11′ x 22′ stained glass in Theatre Lobby.

My first preliminary design for the stained glass. This incorporated the CEO’s demand that the Grand Geometrician be included in the design. For the remainder I included elements from historic tracing charts.

Glass selection for stained glass sections.

Some of the glass stock at Gaytee-Palmer Stained Glass in Minneaspolis, MN.

Glass selection for checkered floor tiles to keep warmth and translucency.

Detail in final rendering that depicts my large-scale rendering drawing.

4th attempt at tool position, finally approved by CEO.

Al Palmer, owner of Gaytee-Palmer Stained Glass in Minneapolis, MN. He is amazing!

Theatre color swatches and proposed layout as I worked with interior designers from Nelson Design of Minneapolis, MN.

My artifact placement and layout for Gallery 1 display case.

Quick directions for Minnesota Masonic Homes staff to build. This was built and installed, but never used when the 14′ x 20′ mural changed into a 6′-6″ x 9′-6″ fine art painting.

Fabric and paint samples for 14′ x 20′ mural when it was to be wall-papered up in the East of the MMHC lodge room.

Early attempts at historical backdrop collection on line sets for theatre consulting firm. At first it was designed to received a generic collection (possibly a combination of St. Paul Valley and Minneapolis Valley), then redesigned specifically for the Fort Scott collection.

Back row: Terry Tilton (local Masonic scholar), Eric Neetenbeek (CEO) Mark Campbell (local Masonic scholar), Keir Johnson (General Director), Kelly Johns (Director of Communications) Front row: Brent Morris (DC Masonic Scholar), Wendy Waszut-Barrett (Exhibit Curator), Art De Hoyos (DC Masonic Scholar), Steve Johnson (Video), Joel Woodward (Exhibit Design), Mia Schillace-Nelson (Outhouse Exhibit Productions).

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 31.

Art for Art’s Sake

On December 2, 2015, I sent out two separate emails, detailing estimates for labor, materials, and production timelines for both the 14’ x 20’ mural project and the 19-drop restoration project. I was very clear that as the mural project happened first, any delay would influence the restoration project.

The timeline for mural project included specific target dates to stay on track:

1.) Finalize design and create renderings for King Solomon’s Temple mural (December 15, 2015-January 15, 2016).

2.) Secure painting space/construct paint frame by January 15, 2016.

3.) Prep space and drop off mural supplies (January 15, 2016 to February 1, 2016).

4.) Paint Temple Mural (February 1-February 26, 2016).

5.) Possibly paint side murals (February 29, 2016 to March 31, 2016). The total number of side murals, if any, will depend upon the complexity of composition and completion date of Temple mural.

6.) Completed mural will be rolled, encapsulated in plastic, and stored onsite.”

The timeline for the restoration also included very specific target dates to ensure the completion of 19 drops:

1.) Remove and transport all necessary battens to MMHC stage on April 1,

2016. This required a rental truck and labor to transport approximately 1,710

linear feet of pine boards, weighing approximately 1500 lbs. I would supervise four individuals to complete this task.

2.) Remove 19 drops from storage April 2, 2015, and move to MMHC stage, necessitating a rental truck and four individuals to move the drops.

3.) Scenery restoration of 19 drops from April 4, 2016 to June 3, 2015.

4.) Hanging of the 19 drops from June 6 to June 11, 2016. An additional week would be reserved on the stage as a contingency for extenuating circumstances or delays.

For the restoration project, we would solely focus on the backdrops at first. Besides, they would be the most impressive for the opening, giving the public a sense of the collection. The drops would be presented as “Artwork by Thomas G. Moses” and not general historic scenery. Each backdrop would be a stand-alone painting, depicting a portion of a scene that still remained to be restored. This would also facilitate their promotion as a large-scale artworks created by a nationally recognized artist.

I estimated that it would take 38 days to clean and stabilize 19 drops, not including transportation to the theatre or set up. The 19 backdrops for the opening would include the

Cathedral (used for multiple degrees),

Woods (used for multiple degrees),

Cave (9th degree),

Treasure Chamber (15th degree),

Classical Interior (31st degree),

Egyptian Interior (31st degree),

Jacques de Molay Mausoleum (30th degree),

the INRI landscape (18th degree),

Darius’ Festival Palace (16th degree),

Camp Tent and backing (32nd degree),

Secret Vault (14th degree),

Grand Encampment (32nd degree),

Hiram’s Tomb (5th degree),

Catacombs (30th degree),

Gothic Interior/Dungeon (27th -29th degrees),

Hades (18th degree),

Constellation scene (Faith, Hope and Charity for the 18th degree),

and the Volcano landscape (17th degree)

I was shocked on January 13, 2016, when the CEO asked for all of this information again as all of the specifics had all been submitted a month prior and discussed multiple times. My uneasiness grew as I began to think that my employer had no comprehension of how much work was involved in the projects. I had never had this difficulty with anyone and started to wonder if this was a result of his skimming email content. I started to have a very bad feeling about the entire endeavor. Would all this money go to waste in the end?

It was at this point that the general director called me into his office, proposing that he really needed to help me and explained that I had extremely poor communication skills. He had worked with the CEO for years in other venues and suggested that he could provide a friendly barrier for me with the CEO. My only job was to request that general director be my immediate supervisor instead of the CEO.

Right now, we were on equal footing at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Each of our positions reported directed to the CEO. He was the General Director, responsible for the running of the facility. I was the Curatorial Director, responsible for all acquisitions, content, and presentation of materials to the public.

I smiled politely, thanked him for the advice, and explained that I had always been capable of speaking for myself.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 30.

Painted Setbacks

The CEO and the general director took me out to lunch the week after my return from Fort Scott. It was the beginning of December 2015. The intent of the meeting was to discuss details pertaining to my upcoming projects and necessary timelines. I explained that, realistically, I could only complete one mural in time for the opening if they wanted any restored scenery at all. I suggested that we only focus on the wall behind the Master’s Chair in the East. It was possible that I could do more prior to commencing the restoration, but much depended on the complexity of the final composition and the amount of architectural detail in the mural design.

I had so much on my plate at this point, that I did not feel compelled to be the sole muralist for the lodge room. Regardless of who designed and painted the murals, they just needed to be from they same hand so that there would be some uniformity. Ideally, whoever created the first mural should complete the remainder of murals, unless they decided to do a nationwide search and select well-known artists for individual commissions – but that could be dicey and look like a patchwork quilt in the end. The CEO was adamant that I should paint the murals.

Then, the general director said, “Well, it’s not as if we have seen your work or even know if you can really paint.” Smiling he added, “We’re just basing our opinion on your own statements.” There was a pause as I tried to figure out how to phrase a response to this insult.

After all of my mural designs, my designs for stained glass artwork, and the variety of other visual projects that I had completed during the last fourteen months, my skills were now being questioned. The CEO was keenly watching my reaction and couldn’t hide his interest in my response. I took a slow and steady breath, refusing to show either irritation or anger. For this next statement, I would remain calm and collected throughout my response.

“Well,” I said, “How about if you both visit my website and see if my talent is worthy of the project. My past painting and restoration work can be found at my old website http://www.bellascena.com I can always bring in my actual portfolio too.” I carefully took out a piece of paper from my purse to write down the website for them, but he stopped me and said, “Just email me the link.”

In all my years of painting scenery or producing fine art, my artistic talent has never been questioned. In a nutshell, artists have a hard time lying about their skills when they produce a final product that remains for the world to critique. Furthermore, I refused to be sucked into a quibbling match with the general director. Something had happened during my absence in Fort Scott and I couldn’t figure out how I had become his sudden enemy. Regardless of the tense atmosphere, I returned to the discussion regarding the mural timeline, explaining that it was possible to complete one mural and restore nineteen drops by June 24, 2016.

I would need to have approval on a final design, place an order for all the materials, secure a studio space, construct a paint frame for the mural, set up the space, and commence with the painting by January 15, 2016 – just a little over a month away. This project was also impossible to complete in a 30-hour workweek, so I would have to be bumped to a full-time as I was not going to continue working fifty hours a week for part-time employment.

Ironically, the lodge room murals were now extremely important to the CEO. He was adamant about getting some life back into the fairly sterile lodge room as it was currently white columns against off-white walls. What he initially admired as “simple and elegant,” now was problematic – devoid of personality without draperies and painted murals.

Who could have envisioned that white against white might be lackluster? During our road trip to Fort Scott and Guthrie, we had discussed the use of painted panels in lieu of wall murals as I was concerned about the lack of color. The room would read as simply white. My suggestion was to create wall panels between the five orders of architecture and paint the central panel a color – helping to liven up the room until murals could replace them. After the building opened, there would be ample time to paint and insert various compositions, tracing charts, or other historic memorabilia into these spaces.

However, this was an unanticipated project and additional workload for me – complicated by the recent scenery acquisition. Now, we had a scenery collection and it was my primary focus. All of the restoration estimations had been based on the fact that I wouldn’t be distracted with mural painting, or any decorative painting throughout the complex.

Regardless of other assigned tasks, I needed to start restoring the collection no later than April 1, 2016 to complete 19 backdrops for the June 24 opening. To even complete the restoration, I needed to minimize my current in involvement as museum exhibit curator, library administrator, and historical consultant for the interior design team, architects, and museum team.

To be continued…