Chrysler Museum of Art Named as Grant Recipient of the 2024 Bank of America Conservation Project

NORFOLK, VA (April 23, 2024) – The Chrysler Museum of Art is one of 24 cultural institutions to receive critical conservation funding from the Bank of America Conservation Project. The grant will help restore and preserve one of the Museum’s most prominent and historically significant artifacts – Dancer with Bouquets by Edgar Degas. The painting’s restoration will offer an opportunity to investigate the artist’s intentions for Dancer with Bouquets and evaluate its current presentation. Technical analysis will give a deeper understanding of Degas’s materials and techniques, and help separate the changes he made from those that occurred after his lifetime. That analysis will aid in the work’s restoration, which will include cleaning its surface and removing the aged varnish. The project’s findings will determine the painting’s final presentation at the Chrysler Museum of Art, including whether to apply a new varnish and the design of a new frame that reflects Degas’s preferences.

Dancer with Bouquets, ca. 1895-1900, Edgar Degas, French, 1834-1917, Oil on canvas, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., in memory of Della Viola Forker Chrysler, 71.507

“The Chrysler Museum is honored to be selected for the prestigious Art Conservation Project provided by Bank of America,” said Erik H. Neil, Macon and Joan Brock Director of the Chrysler Museum of Art. “This preservation and restoration initiative funded by the bank is a catalyst for a focus exhibition this summer at the Museum featuring the artwork. The grant is invaluable to the Chrysler Museum, the Hampton Roads community, and art enthusiasts around the world.”

Since 2010, Bank of America’s Art Conservation Project has supported the preservation of paintings, sculptures, and archeological and architectural pieces of critical importance to cultural heritage and the history of art. More than 261 projects across 40 countries managed by nonprofit cultural institutions received funding since the program’s inception to conserve historically or culturally significant works of art that are in danger of deterioration.

“Bank of America is committed to connecting people and communities,” said Tyrone Noel, Bank of America president, Hampton Roads. “We hope that by conserving Degas’ Dancer with Bouquets, we can continue to support those connections for a whole new generation.”

The care given to Degas’ Dancer with Bouquets during the project will safeguard it from future damage and deterioration and ensure that it continues to be enjoyed by audiences both at the Chrysler Museum, and beyond, as Dancer with Bouquets travels to exhibitions at other institutions throughout the United States and internationally.

Dancer with Bouquets (1890–1895), an Impressionistic oil painting on canvas, was a gift to the Museum from Walter P. Chrysler, Jr. to honor the memory of his mother, Della Viola Forker Chrysler. The painting was selected for the preservation grant to further honor the Chrysler Museum and uphold its value of historic and artistic preservation.

Learn more about Bank of America’s Conservation Project here.

ABOUT THE CHRYSLER MUSEUM OF ART

The Chrysler Museum of Art brings art and people together through experiences that delight, inform, and inspire. Internationally recognized for its collection of more than 30,000 objects, including one the largest glass collections in America, the Museum also includes free admission, the state-of-the-art Perry Glass Studio, a full-service restaurant, shop, theater, works on paper space, and oversees the historic Myers House. The Museum boasts an ambitious schedule of exhibitions, events, and programs, and has been nationally recognized for its commitment to inclusion through its innovative gallery host program. For more information, visit chrysler.org. Follow on social media @ChryslerMuseum to receive the latest updates.

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High-resolution images and credits are available. Permission and credit are required for the use of all images, print or digital. Cropping may not be permitted on some images; see caption sheet if applicable.

Photo 1: Dancer with Bouquets, Edgar Degas (French, 1834-1917), 1895-1900, Oil on canvas, Gift of Walter P. Chrysler, Jr., in memory of Della Viola Forker Chrysler, 71.507