Posted on Sep 26, 2007

The Getty Foundation in Los Angeles has approved a grant to the California Missions Foundation in the amount of $75,000 for initial restoration and conservation studies of the historic church building at Mission San Miguel Arcángel. In notifying the California Missions Foundation of the grant award, Getty Foundation Director Deborah Marrow said, “This selection reflects the confidence of the Foundation and its advisors in the quality of the project.” The grant includes an educational component that supports an innovative partnership between Mission San Miguel and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Cal Poly students will participate in a training program supported by the Getty grant. Students will conduct historical research studies focused on the nave and sacristy of the church which has been recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Building on that research, the Cal Poly team will complete a comprehensive existing conditions survey, render architectural drawings of the existing conditions, and develop a recommended treatment plan for the architectural repair of the church nave and sacristy. These recommendations will be aligned with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties and guidelines developed by the Getty Seismic Adobe Project. “The grant will give Cal Poly students some real life training in art conservation,” said Margot McDonald, a Cal Poly Architecture professor working with the Mission through the Getty Foundation. The completed Historic Structure Report will guide future conservation efforts especially in regard to the original Native American murals on the interior walls of the church, a feature unique to San Miguel among the historic California Missions. The research will help identify exactly what flowers and plants were used to make the pigments for the murals so that these can be duplicated in future conservation efforts. “The first step in saving this precious artwork is to have a complete understanding of its composition to give an idea of what is necessary to protect it,” said Deborah Marrow, Director of the Getty Foundation. The church building at Mission San Miguel has been closed since the December 22, 2003 San Simeon Earthquake. Project Manager for Mission San Miguel, John Fowler said, “The Getty Foundation grant will prepare the way for the seismic repair of the church by telling us how that work can be accomplished in a way that preserves the original artwork. The fact that the Getty Foundation is stepping forward helps give momentum to efforts to secure additional funds to complete the seismic repairs and reopen Mission San Miguel.” The Getty Foundation grant is for public purposes only. Work in support of the grant is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2008.