Nevelson Chapel Environmental Systems Replacement

FAIN: PF-260791-18

St. Peter's Lutheran Church of Manhattan (New York, NY 10022-4613)
Jared Robert Stahler (Project Director: December 2017 to July 2023)

Installation of a dedicated environmental control system and LED lighting in Louis Nevelson’s 28-seat Chapel of the Good Shepherd in Saint Peter’s Church in New York City.

Saint Peter’s Church is undertaking a $2.1M conservation project of the Chapel of the Good Shepherd by Louise Nevelson (1899-1988). The sculptures are housed in Midtown Manhattan within “Citigroup Center”, a pioneering corporate/religious/public complex build in the 1970s. During her lifespan Nevelson was a cultural icon addressing complex dynamics of social change: feminism, mid-century urban abandonment and later revival, commercialization, and a search for meaning in a post-War age. Nevelson earned the National Medal of Arts in 1985. She was known as "the grande dame of contemporary sculpture" and "one of the most imaginative and original sculptors on the American scene." As today’s art historians reexamine the modern era’s lost greats, they continue to find her exemplary. Preventive conservation for this public installation requires localized equipment, and changes to lighting, safety, and security to meet conservation goals and enhance environmentally-sustainable practices.

Associated Products

Restoration Update (Blog Post)
Title: Restoration Update
Author: Jared R. Stahler
Abstract: Restoration update
Date: 11/01/2020
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2020/restoration-update
Blog Title: Restoration Update

Exploring the Value of Public Art (Blog Post)
Title: Exploring the Value of Public Art
Author: Hannah Swartz
Abstract: Nearly 200 friends of Nevelson Chapel gathered for a salon discussion “Public Art: Should We Value It?” tracing the evolution of contemporary art beyond the confines of the gallery and museum and exploring present-day issues — access, interpretation, invigoration — at a time of constrained funding for public art. The wide-ranging forum — featuring artist Leonardo Drew, professor Michele Bogart, and civic-art curator Kendal Henry, in conversation with Pastor Jared Stahler — had a festive air.
Date: 12/17/2020
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2019/exploring-the-value-of-public-art
Blog Title: Exploring the Value of Public Art

MOnumental Work, Joyous Spirit (Blog Post)
Title: MOnumental Work, Joyous Spirit
Author: Nevelson Legacy Council
Abstract: After the doors re-opened to the public, Pamela Rausch was among the first people to spend time within Nevelson’s masterwork. After nearly ten months as a hard-hat, construction-crew-only zone, Nevelson Chapel is now once again a place where the general public can sit, heads uncovered, and experience the space.
Date: 09/24/2020
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2019/monumental-work-joyous-spirit

In Search of the Artist's Beginnings (Blog Post)
Title: In Search of the Artist's Beginnings
Author: Jared R. Stahler
Abstract: Pastor Stahler reflects on the roots and inspiration for Nevelson Chapel and its profound impact on its visitors.
Date: 08/28/2019
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2019/in-search-of-the-artists-beginnings
Blog Title: In Search of the Artist's Beginnings

Deep in Construction Mode (Blog Post)
Title: Deep in Construction Mode
Author: Saint Peter's Church
Abstract: Patience is a virtue. This is a lesson you can’t learn too early or too often—especially when it comes to construction projects, and most especially in New York City. We’re learning it again now that the work is in full swing to upgrade the engineering systems that surround and support Nevelson Chapel.
Date: 05/22/2019
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2019/deep-in-construction-mode
Blog Title: Deep in Construction Mode

Construction has Begun! (Blog Post)
Title: Construction has Begun!
Author: Saint Peter's Church
Abstract: We’re pleased to announce Saint Peter’s recently received approval from the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, allowing us to move forward with initial phases of construction for the renewal project.
Date: 04/04/2020
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2019/construction-has-begun
Blog Title: Construction has Begun!

Construction Underway (Blog Post)
Title: Construction Underway
Author: Saint Peter's Church
Abstract: After years of preparation, research and planning, a new phase has begun in the work of renewing and preserving Nevelson Chapel for the future. A team of highly skilled professionals—engineers, architects, technical consultants, designers and sustainability experts—convened for a kick-off meeting on Thursday, November 15 to begin the six-month initiative to upgrade the environmental conditions of the Chapel’s interior and surrounding envelope.
Date: 11/19/2019
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2018/construction-underway
Blog Title: Construction Underway!

Aligning Vision, Environmental Sustainability, and Heritage Preservation (Blog Post)
Title: Aligning Vision, Environmental Sustainability, and Heritage Preservation
Author: Sarah W. Sutton Principle, Sustainable Museums, and Chapel Sustainability Consultant
Abstract: When it became clear to art conservator Sarah Nunberg that the lighting, along with the heating and cooling system, in Chapel of the Good Shepherd was contributing to the deterioration of Louise Nevelson’s sculpture, she and the team from Saint Peter’s Church began looking for solutions. They needed an approach to solve the problems for the long-term, and they needed to find funding for the improved care. Nunberg knew that the museum field had been exploring new approaches to designing and managing systems for controlling the conditions for collections items, and that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) had a program to support that work: Sustaining Cultural Heritage Collections.
Date: 12/17/2018
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2018/aligning-vision
Blog Title: Aligning Vision, Environmental Sustainability, and Heritage Preservation

Two Extraordinary Gifts to Campaign for Nevelson Chapel (Blog Post)
Title: Two Extraordinary Gifts to Campaign for Nevelson Chapel
Author: Saint Peter's Church
Abstract: Saint Peter’s Church has received two significant grants for the ground-breaking restoration of Louise Nevelson’s 1977 masterwork Chapel of the Good Shepherd. The Henry Luce Foundation has awarded $250,000 to the project and the National Endowment for the Humanities has awarded $350,000. Each grant is prominent on its own. The receipt of both, together, is remarkable.
Date: 08/09/2018
Primary URL: https://www.nevelsonchapel.org/updates/2018/two-extraordinary-gifts
Blog Title: Two Extraordinary Gifts to Campaign for Nevelson Chapel

Louise Nevelson: Three Collages (Exhibition)
Title: Louise Nevelson: Three Collages
Curator: Pace Gallery
Abstract: Pace Gallery: "In support of the restoration of Nevelson Chapel in Midtown Manhattan, we're honored to present an exhibition of three exemplary collages by Louise Nevelson. Sixty percent of all sales proceeds from this exhibition will benefit Nevelson Chapel's restoration and endowment."
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://www.pacegallery.com/online-exhibitions/louise-nevelson-three-collages/

Louise Nevelson’s Chapel, a Little-Known New York Gem, Is Launching a $6 Million Fundraising Campaign to Refurbish Its Sculptural Interior (Article)
Title: Louise Nevelson’s Chapel, a Little-Known New York Gem, Is Launching a $6 Million Fundraising Campaign to Refurbish Its Sculptural Interior
Author: Sarah Cascone
Abstract: Located at St. Peter’s Church, a Lutheran parish on Lexington Avenue and 54th Street, Nevelson Chapel is currently in the midst of a years-long renovation project. To cover the considerable costs of repairing and conserving the 1977 installation, the church is launching a major fundraising campaign, anchored by a gift from the artist’s gallery, Pace.
Year: 2020
Primary URL: https://news.artnet.com/art-world/nevelson-chapel-renovations-1929775
Format: Other
Publisher: Artnet News

NYC-ARTS visits Nevelson Chapel (Film/TV/Video Broadcast or Recording)
Title: NYC-ARTS visits Nevelson Chapel
Writer: NYC-Arts
Producer: PBS, NYC-ARTS
Abstract: NYC-ARTS Full Episode: October 31, 2019 Philippe de Montebello in conversation with Glenn D. Lowry, Director of The Museum of Modern Art, about the visionary expansion and renovation of its campus. And a visit to the Nevelson Chapel at Saint Peter’s Church in Midtown Manhattan, where the environment created by artist Louise Nevelson is undergoing restoration and rediscovery. NYC-ARTS is the portal through which arts enthusiasts everywhere can access the Tri-State Area's cultural best -- via television presentations, online and mobile components, and social media engagement. NYC-ARTS delivers insightful introductions, on-location features, profiles, news segments, and more.
Year: 2019
Primary URL: https://www.thirteen.org/programs/nyc-arts/nyc-arts-full-episode-october-31-2019-5jcqhg/
Access Model: Open Access
Format: Web

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