Completion of museum preservation project to be celebrated Friday, January 15

The KU Natural History Museum will be introducing newly crafted grotesques for its Dyche Hall building during a virtual celebration on Friday, January 15, at 7:00 p.m. 
 
The original, badly eroded statues were removed in 2017 to prevent further damage from the elements, and a multidisciplinary team was assembled to recreate the sculptures. Now, the hand-carved mythical beasts will once again perch atop museum's historic building. 
 
This campus preservation project was a collaborative effort that employed the expertise, artistry, and dedication of the KU and local communities. Students in the School of Architecture & Design’s ARCH600 workshop, led by the architecture department's Amy and Keith Van de Riet, were part of a team of researchers, artisans, preservationists, and builders who used old world techniques and innovative technology to preserve an architectural landmark. 
 
On Friday, Amy and Keith Van de Riet and master stonemasons Laura and Karl Ramberg, will discuss the project. Following the discussion, a video documentation of the project will be debuted. 
 
Register for event HERE