Murals on a Mission

Conservator Saves Historic Artworks That Capture TVA’s Story

It was summer of 2016.

A team of workers had gathered inside the powerhouse at Norris Dam, gearing up for the site’s 80th anniversary celebration.

The dam hadn’t been open to the public in years, so this group wanted to breathe new life into the place.

Among their tasks, they had to remove a layer of old carpeting from a wall. But as they peeled back the carpet, they found an underlying wall of plywood. And behind that, an image.

“They took a picture of it and sent it to me,” TVA historian Pat Ezzell said. “I knew immediately there was a piece of art there, but I had no idea what all had been covered up.”

Renowned TVA artist Robert Birdwell had created the 10-by-30-foot mural in the 1950s, but it had been lost to time.

Ezzell began working the phones and soon secured conservation funds from TVA and the TVA retiree nonprofit, Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc.

And to spearhead the conservation project, she connected with Michael Ruzga, a Cincinnati-based expert specializing in conservation of historic artwork.

With years of museum experience and a master’s degree in conservation from Queens University, Ruzga proved to be the perfect candidate not just for this meticulous job, but many other TVA conservation projects that followed.

Art conservator Michael Ruzga breathed new life into a 10-by-30-foot mural that workers had discovered in the powerhouse at Norris Dam.

Chemist and Conservator

Recognized internationally for his ability to bring historic artworks back to life, Ruzga has preserved countless pieces of art, including works by Rembrandt and Renoir.

With a delicate hand, he and his team spent 200 days reviving the piece at Norris Dam.

He follows a series of careful steps, becoming part chemist, part art historian, part artist and full art conservator.

He starts by inspecting the artwork for damage, then pinpoints the materials and techniques involved. Is the artwork on a wall or a canvas? What’s the composition used in the paints? When did the artist create the piece? How many layers?

He maps out a strategy for conservation, ensuring the canvas or wall, and the paint, can remain stable throughout the process.

He photographs the piece, and performs structural work, such as repairing tears or consolidating and relaxing the flaking paint smooth. Then he twice cleans – first the decades of grime, then the discolored layers.

He adds a protective layer to the artwork before making aesthetic additions and, through a process called inpainting, touches up areas lost to accidents or environmental conditions.

“Each step has to dry in between,” Ruzga said. “Generally, it’s several weeks for easel paintings and months for mural paintings.”

The artwork he encounters is steeped in history, demanding a rich understanding of the original artist’s intent and techniques.

“Anything that the artist may have done that looks a little odd, conservators usually leave that alone as part of the history,” Ruzga said. “The artist wanted it that way. That’s the difference between restoration and conservation.

“Restorers will bring back the artwork no matter what it takes – so it looks good. Conservators only touch up the things that are damaged.”

Ezzell marveled at his craftsmanship. She recalled watching at Norris Dam as Ruzga plucked large chips of paint off the floor and reapplied them like puzzle pieces to their original locations on the mural.

“It’s amazing,” Ezzell said. “He’s an artist, so he has that talent to go along with the knowledge of chemical processes.”

When he’s finished, Ruzga photographs the piece – and it’s then ready to captivate new audiences.

“The artistic value that still exists beneath these artworks is amazing,” Ruzga said. “It just requires a little bit of ability to reveal all of that. Once it is, they look fantastic and they’re stable. They’re ready to exist for another 30 to 40 years, or 400 years, for people to enjoy.”

Ruzga’s work has included the meticulous conservation of this ceramic tesserae from Widow’s Creek. It’s now on display at the Nashville Collaboration Center. 

History on Display

The conservation of TVA’s murals isn’t just about rejuvenating incredible artwork – it’s also about the preservation of TVA’s history for future generations.

“These murals reflect a time and a place,” Ezzell said. “They represent the importance of public art in public spaces to help tell a story – in this case, the mission of TVA.”

After completing his first TVA project at Norris Dam, Ruzga teamed with Ezzell in 2019 to survey other artwork throughout the enterprise’s facilities.

They identified more than a dozen murals and wall maps at TVA sites in the seven-state region, each one in need of some degree of repair.

Over the past six years, Ruzga has worked on many of those pieces, including Birdwell murals at Gallatin Fossil Plant and Boone Dam, maps and dioramas at Chickamauga Dam, and an intricate ceramic tesserae removed from Widow’s Creek and relocated to the Nashville Collaboration Center.

He worked on a mural by artist Chesley Bonestell, depicting Muscle Shoals at the turn of the 20th century. The mural now lives at a TVA building in Muscle Shoals.

In his day, Bonestell created designs and architectural illustrations for iconic American projects, including the Golden Gate bridge and the Chrysler building.

Bonestell’s work in sci-fi and astronomy earned him the title “Father of Modern Space Art,” with his work appearing in the Hollywood classic, “War of the Worlds.”

“He was one of the first people to do outer space landscapes,” Ezzell said. “It’s pretty amazing the people who have touched TVA in some way.”

These artistic creations are reaching new audiences, thanks in large part to Ruzga’s skilled hand. He continues to help TVA conserve its historic artworks.

“It's all about understanding and appreciating the legacy of TVA,” Ezzell said, “and sharing the story about the longstanding mission of service to the people of this region.”

Artist Chesley Bonestell painted this image of U.S. Nitrate Plant No. 2 in the Muscle Shoals, Alabama, area in 1918. Ruzga rejuvenated the painting, which is now on display at a TVA building in Muscle Shoals. 

PHOTO AT TOP OF PAGE: Ruzga works on a Robert Birdwell mural at TVA’s Boone Dam.