Dee Bright, chair of the Eureka Springs Preservation Society, told Parks commissioners last week that restoration work on the Doughboy War Memorial sculpture in Basin Park would be wrapping up soon. The project is funded by a Heritage Month grant from the Department of Arkansas Heritage, with matching funds from ESPS.
She said the project, being done by Norton Art, Inc., included using a non-toxic biodegradable cleaning agent on the statue, which was then covered with a drape to let the cleaning agent seep in. Missing pieces will be fabricated and attached, and then it will get a preservation treatment.
ESPS will host an evening event on May 15 and conservators from Norton Arts will explain what they did. On May 24, there will be a rededication in Basin Park with dignitaries and photo opportunities followed by an Open House at the Historic Museum.