John Canning Studios
John Canning Co., formerly John Canning Studios, is a historic building restoration and conservation company located in Cheshire, Connecticut, led by David Riccio and John Canning. Working with government, institutional, sacred, commercial, theater, and residential clients, the company specializes in the interior restoration of decorative finishes, ornamental and flat plaster, period, and new design.
The studio’s services include consulting and consultation services such as: Historic Paint Analysis, Plaster Conditions Survey, Conservation and Restoration of decorative finishes and murals, New Design & Artwork, and Project Management and Planning. Traditional methods and materials [1] utilized include: Decorative Paint (stencil, stripe, faux stone (marbling), woodgraining, trompe l’oeil, and grisaille), Plaster (ornamental; running mould; stabilization, 3-coat plaster, sound dampening techniques), Wood (cleaning; repair; conservation-grade coatings; new furnishings in complementary style), Stone (cleaning; repair; polishing), and Gilding (silver leaf; gold leaf; aluminum and other alloys; glazing; exterior gold leaf)
History
After studying at the Scottish Decorative Trade Institute, the Stow College of Building in Glasgow, and the Glasgow School of Art, John Canning served a five-year apprenticeship as a church decorator, developing artistic skills and replicating old-world techniques and materials. After his apprenticeship, he opened a studio in Glasgow as a member of the London City & Guilds. Canning emigrated from Scotland to the United States in the early 1970s and opened a studio in Connecticut, coinciding with the growing historic preservation movement. The company was incorporated in 1977 and has grown from a small workshop to a large restoration studio.
John Canning has been recognized by the American Institute of Architects, which has appointed him as an honorary AIA member. He is also a Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works (AIC).
The company is managed by John Canning, David Riccio, and Dorothea Canning-Hennessey. Recent projects include the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe,[2] a new church in La Crosse, Wisconsin, designed by Duncan Stroik;[3] Hulihe'e Palace[4] on the Big Island of Hawaii, involving restoration of lime plaster;[5] and reinstating decorative finishes at the Basilica of St. John the Evangelist in Stamford, Connecticut.[6]
Significant projects
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- Academy of Music – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- National Building Museum - Washington, DC
- Hendricks County Court House - Danville, Indiana
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum - Boston, Massachusetts
- Warner Theatre - Erie, Pennsylvania
- Stadium Theatre - Woonsocket, Rhode Island
- Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, Michigan
- The Culinary Institute of America - Hyde Park, New York
- West End Collegiate Church - New York, New York
- Radio City Music Hall - New York, New York
- Grand Central Terminal - New York, New York
- Iowa State Capitol – Des Moines, Iowa
- Connecticut State Capitol - Hartford, Connecticut
- Michigan State Capitol - East Lansing, Michigan
- Pennsylvania State Capitol - Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island State Capitol - Providence, Rhode Island
- San Francisco City Hall – San Francisco, California
- Massachusetts State House, Hall of Flags - Boston, Massachusetts
- War Memorial Opera House - San Francisco, California
- US Treasury Building - Washington, DC
- United States Capitol - Washington, DC
- Mellon Auditorium - Washington, DC
- Boston Public Library - McKim Building, Boston, Massachusetts
- Scottish Rite Masonic Temple - Washington, DC
- Sterling Law Library - Yale University - New Haven, Connecticut
- Sterling Memorial Library - Yale University - New Haven, Connecticut
- Widener Library – Harvard University – Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Interstate Commerce Commission & US Customs House - Washington, DC
- Battell Chapel - Yale University - New Haven, Connecticut
- Federal Hall National Memorial - New York, New York
- US Bankruptcy Courthouse – Little Rock, Arkansas
- Brister Library, University of Memphis – Memphis, Tennessee
- Connecticut Old State House - Hartford, Connecticut
- GSA/National Capitol Region - Washington, DC
- Medinah Country Club - Medinah, Illinois
- M.I.T. – Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Mohegan Sun Casino Addition - Uncasville, Connecticut
- Trinity Church, Copley Square - Boston, Massachusetts
- Luzerne County Courthouse -Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania[7]
References
- ^ https://www.traditionalbuilding.com/buying-guides/john-canning-conservation-painting-studios
- ^ Leigh, Catesby. "A Return to Grace.", Wall Street Journal (March 18, 2010)
- ^ “Classical Shrine.”, Traditional Building (December 2008)
- ^ “Reconstruction Restores Palace to Kalakaua Era, Enables Building to Retain National Landmark Status.”[permanent dead link], (July 16, 2008)
- ^ Hollier, Dennis. “The Plaster Masters.”, Hana Hou! Vol. 11, No. 3 (June/July 2008)
- ^ Lash, Devon. “Long Forgotten Murals Restored in Stamford Church.” Archived 2010-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Stamford Advocate (December 25, 2009)
- ^ Learn-Andes, Jennifer. "An up-close view of Luzerne County Courthouse restoration". timesleader.com. Retrieved 2018-03-16.