War Memorial Opera House after restoring the gilding and glazes on 500,000 linear feet of the historic architectural elements |
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With summer right around the corner, schedules start to lighten up, and long-awaited day trips and traveling efforts finally begin. Entertainment venues and live events are known to thrive during the warmer weather, and over the years, Canning has conserved and restored many popular historic theatres and entertainment venues that the public continues to visit and enjoy. As a contributor to the visual arts through architectural preservation, we take this notion very seriously in every project we undertake. Canning has been a longtime sponsor and exhibitor for the League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT), whose mission is to champion the preservation, restoration, and operation of historic theatres. With their National Conference quickly approaching, we wanted to highlight the importance of historic theatre restorations, fostering a space for artistic legacy and creativity to inspire local communities and beyond. The LHAT National Conference will be in Pittsburgh, PA from July 20-23rd, where we'll be exhibiting our historic theatre restorations to all those that might be planning or considering a restoration of their historic theatre.
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Historic theatres are embedded with artistic significance and cultural heritage that require continuous maintenance and restoration performed by skilled preservationists, craftsmen, and artisans to uphold their beauty and architecture. Like many historical buildings, entertainment and theatre venues have specific architectural structures, ornamental components, decorative paint schemes, and color palettes that correlate to their cultural origin and authenticity.
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With almost 50 years of preservation experience, Canning has worked on a multitude of well-known theatres and entertainment venues such as the Mellon Auditorium, War Memorial Opera House, Fox Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, Warner Theatre, and many more. While these spaces are built for acoustical grandeur and visual aesthetics, preserving their historical architecture can also transport the audience back in time to provide a memorable and imaginative experience.
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As you step into the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA, you enter a fantasy world of twilight centered in an Arabian courtyard. The interior layout forms a breathtaking, whimsical ambiance through a stunning, suspended canopy ceiling that hovers over the balcony seats. Serving as a decorative piece that refines the auditorium's aesthetic, the canopy also draws sound to the back so all guests can hear the stage performance. Vital decorations, like the Fox Theatre’s canopy, are what make theatres stand out, creating that lingering feeling of excitement many are drawn to.
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View of the Fox Theatre balcony after restoration. Photo Credit © Burke Walker Photography. |
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Given the visual importance and acoustical value of the canopy, it’s essential to preserve its structure as it upholds the authentic interior design and enhances the viewer's experience. One of Canning's projects at the Fox Theatre was restoring the canopy through conservation cleaning, plaster patching, inpainting, and glazing, bringing back its original glory.
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(Left) Detailed view of the damaged plaster in the Fox Theatre canopy. .(Right) Fox Theatre canopy after restoration. Photo Credit © Burke Walker Photography. |
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Theatres contain awe-inspiring decorations that create an unforgettable experience, and every element is tailored to its specific needs and preferences. These structures not only host beautiful performances but are an integral part of our nation's history. The War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco held the first meeting of the United Nations in 1945, gathering delegates from 50 Allied nations to create an international organization to prevent future wars and promote peace. The conference resulted in the creation of the United Nations Charter, a momentous step in establishing a global organization for peace and security. After the 1989 earthquake, the War Memorial Opera House underwent devastating damage throughout the interior, specifically in the auditorium, proscenium, and the mezzanine boxes. The damage caused a seismic upgrade and a need for restoration. The restoration included architectural gilding, decorative finishes, and glazing, where we applied traditional gold-leaf and metal-leaf gilding and glazes on 500,000 linear feet of historic architectural elements. The treatment not only amplified the interior's original illuminating design but also restored elements that were once lost. Now the opera house’s decorations can awe the audience once again.
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Those are only two examples of the many theatres and entertainment venues Canning has successfully conserved and restored, in efforts to preserve the arts. From captivating decorations to striking auditoriums, these spaces are meant to echo the emotional and enchanting performances executed on stage. Each element harmonizes together to produce a thought-provoking memory that makes the audience want to come back. |
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As the warmer days approach, events like concerts, weddings, and performances thrive more than ever. It’s important to immerse yourself in each experience and truly appreciate all the elements that theatres and entertainment venues employ to evoke the vibrant atmosphere so many people adore. Canning encourages you to appreciate these artistic spaces and leaders, and endeavors in the arts that protect and nourish the local communities and beyond.
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Latest Articles & Announcements |
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Types of Paint Utilized in Historic Civic Buildings |
A great number of civic buildings in America are designed to reflect the stoic ideals of the nation's founding, with many drawing from the classical orders to connect the foundation of American government with antiquity. Complementing the architectural style, the interior decoration, whether it includes decorative paint schemes and finishes, glazes, or a balanced color palette, often draws from classical motifs and patterns specific to the era and location in which they were constructed. In this blog, we'll explore various historic civic buildings across America and how they use architecture and interior decoration to express the pride and beauty of their local communities.
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| History and Renewal of the People's Palace |
With the rise of Hollywood and the entertainment industry in the early 20th century, the demand for highly ornate movie palaces and theaters increased across the country. The names of Fox, Paramount, Warner, and more invested in the construction of theater locations to proudly feature their works and draw a crowd from the eager cinema-going public. Much has changed from the entertainment of today to that of one hundred years ago; you can discover how in this blog.
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This summer, Canning is participating in the Smithsonian’s annual Folklife Festival, held at the National Mall in Washington, D.C. from July 2-5th. During the festival, we're exhibiting our decorative painting tools and techniques and being featured in multiple Shop Talks that highlight our talented craftsmen and artisans. The festival promotes traditional building trades and celebrates cultural traditions from around the world through music, art, food, and storytelling, highlighting the importance of traditional skills in today's world. This year’s festival theme is “Youth and the Future of Culture,” aiming to increase public awareness of the craftsmanship trades within traditional building arts. Don’t miss out on this opportunity and come stop by! For more information about the Folklife Festival, click this link.
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We’re excited to announce that David Riccio, President of John Canning & Co., will be a speaker at The Catholic Art Institute’s 6th Annual Conference, Reviving Faith & Hope Through Sacred Art. Canning is also a sponsor of the conference. The Catholic Art Institute is a non-profit organization focused on empowering the artists and architects who adorn and design churches. The Annual Conference will be held in Washington, D.C. from September 19- 20th, and is a great opportunity for those interested in networking, promoting their business, and listening to award-winning artists and scholars in the Sacred Art community. There will be educational presentations, Q&As moderated by art critics, an award ceremony, and many networking opportunities. Come join us in September and celebrate the beauty of Catholic churches. If you’re interested in becoming a member, click the link. To reserve a vendor table to promote your business, click here, or to place an AD in the conference program, click here. Early bid registration goes until June 27th. We hope to see you there!
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As highlighted above, The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) is having its 49th National Conference from July 20-23rd in Pittsburgh, PA. LHAT is a non-profit organization with the main purpose of sustaining historic theatres across North America for the benefit of their communities and future generations. It’s a great event offering tours of theatre venues, educational sessions, award ceremonies, facilitated networking, and so much more. Canning is a proud member of LHAT, and once again a sponsor for the conference, and will be exhibiting in the Expo. If you are attending, don’t forget to stop by our table at the Expo. For more information on registering, click here.
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This year, Preservation Connecticut celebrates 50 years of preserving Connecticut's historic resources! They are a non-profit organization in Hamden, CT, whose mission is to preserve, protect, and promote the buildings, sites, and landscapes that contribute to the heritage and vitality of Connecticut communities. With Canning's 50th anniversary approaching next year, we wanted to highlight the accomplishments and milestones of the supporting preservation organizations that help protect Connecticut's history and buildings. Join the PCT staff on Wednesday, June 25th, at noon to discuss some of their greatest challenges and victories from the past 50 years. To register or learn more about Preservation CT, click here.
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Check out the Building Tradition Podcast hosted by Peter H. Miller, Hon. AIA, as he interviews industry leaders about traditional design, historic restoration and renovation, period-inspired construction, and the allied building arts. As podcasting becomes more popular, we wanted to share one of the historic preservation and architectural podcasts that is available to stream online. Listening to podcasts is a great way to learn more about a niche topic through storytelling, interviewing, Q&As, etc. You can subscribe and listen to the Building Tradition Podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Traditional Building.
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Interested in Seeing More of Our Work? Follow Us on TikTok!
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Check out our skilled craftsmen and artisans in action doing what they do best, preserving beautiful historic buildings. Take a peek at some of the projects we've done that highlight our expert decorative painting skills, gilding, wood staining, and so much more!
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We understand the importance of sharing our expertise and knowledge in our field. Besides the monthly newsletter and blogs we post, we also develop and share downloadable resources to help guide you in your conservation, preservation, and restoration projects. Check out the Resources page and see if any of the resources can help answer some of your questions and provide a better understanding of some of the intricacies in the preservation field.
Check out our Featured Downloadable Resource below. |
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If you're looking to restore or repair your historic theatre, take a look at our Theatre Restoration Guide. It serves as a resource to provide examples of some of our work in historic decoration, restoration, conservation, and creative expression for theatres and entertainment venues. |
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The Association for Preservation Technology (APT) is the premier cross-disciplinary organization dedicated to promoting the best technology for conserving historic structure and their settings.
Annual Conference November 11-15, 2025
Providence, RI |
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As a national nonprofit preservation organization, the National Trust for Historic Preservation works to save America's historic places and is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more or get involved. |
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The League of Historic American Theatres (LHAT) is a non-profit organization with the main purpose of sustaining historic theatres across North America for the benefit of their communities and future generations.
Annual Conference July 20-23, 2025
Pittsburgh, PA |
| The American Institute for Conservation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation work together to promote the preservation and protection of cultural heritage. Partner with us to further that mission. |
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JOIN THE CONVERSATION #PerfectingPreservation #jcanningcrew |
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