Thanks to a timely initiative by Dean Jeff DeCaen and Marvin Munson of USC Thornton Operations and Eric Johnson, Director of Operations at USC Landscape and Grounds, the Paderewski monument—which stand right next to the main Thornton School of Music building—has been brought back to its original gleaming look. This restoration project was carried out in late December by Alison Leard, Director of the Pacific Coast Conservation, Senior Conservator Lucinda Linderman, and Conservation Technician Karah Binkowski.
Unveiled at a ceremony on October 4, 2007, Paderewski’s monument has become a focal point of many official visits by Polish diplomats and politicians, as well as a cherished backdrop for countless photos taken by musicians, faculty, and students. Over the past decade and a half, weather effects (including the relentless California sunshine as well as the occasional winter rainstorms) became quite noticeable on the monument, with a coat of patina as well as some local corrosion. As a result of careful ministrations by experts from Pacific Coast Conservation, the original color of Paderewski’s monument and its structural soundness have been restored.
We are very pleased to note that 2024 begins with this USC campus icon well protected and preserved for several years to come!
[Source: Thornton Operations report]