Ramona Bowl fresco

Conservation and Restoration of the Ramona Bowl Fresco

The project involved the conservation and restoration of the historic fresco located inside the museum of the Ramona Bowl Amphitheater in Hemet, California. The artwork was executed in 1942 using the “buon fresco” technique by artist Milford Zornes, assisted by his students from the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles. The intervention became necessary due to severe degradation caused by water infiltration, accumulation of atmospheric grime, and, most notably, a past and improper application of white paint that covered extensive portions of the pictorial surface.

Condition Assessment and Rediscovery

During the preliminary phases of the project, conservators conducted a thorough analysis of the wall to map structural and surface damage. The fresco exhibited thick deposits of dust, soot, and environmental pollutants accumulated over decades. However, the primary challenge was the layers of white paint previously applied over the original work. During cleaning tests, the removal of this paint revealed entire sections of the fresco that were hidden and long considered lost, including a highly detailed scene depicting Native Americans sitting around a bonfire.

Conservation Treatments and Structural Stabilization

The restoration intervention was carried out following rigorous methodological standards to guarantee material stability and maximum respect for the original artwork. The main activities included:

• Aqueous Cleaning: a deep surface cleaning was performed using exclusively distilled water, providing a safe and controlled method to remove dirt and soluble residues without damaging the original paint film.
• White Paint Removal: the overlapping layers of white paint were removed with millimeter precision to uncover the authentic colors and hidden details of Zornes’ original painting.
• Plaster Consolidation: areas where the plaster was weakened or detached from the substrate were structurally consolidated using calcium hydroxide nanoparticles (NanoLime Calosil gray), restoring cohesion to the wall.
• Infilling and In-painting: cracks and losses across the surface were filled with compatible lime-based mortars. Subsequently, an in-painting phase was executed to visually harmonize the damaged areas with the rest of the artwork.