U.S. Capitol Visitor's Center

It was our honor to work on the main exhibit hall for the new U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in the summer of 2007. Shown here are the Capitol grounds under construction.

The Senate Theater in the Exhibition Hall was to be painted to replicate the architecture of the Senate. This involved recreating in paint the marble stones in the Senate. Our task was to paint the columns and pilasters in faux Red Levanto marble, the panelling in a cream colored faux Hauteville marble, and the base in a faux French Grey marble. As well we were asked to recreate an ornamental egg and dart molding and faux marble inlay Greek key as a border for two panels at either end of the Senate Theater. Here Bryan is masking the columns to prepare for the application of the black satin base coat for the Red Levanto marble.

The palette for the faux Red Levanto marble.

Getting ready to work on the pilasters. The Red Levanto marble involved numerous layers of glaze to recreate the complexity of the figuring in this highly decorative marble.

Faux Red Levanto columns, faux Hauteville marble blocks and entablature.

Full view Red Levanto column and pilaster.

Detail of panel, Senate Theater. The damask fabric is real. The Great Seal of the United States is hand painted. The egg and dart molding was stenciled and hand painted, the Greek key is stenciled with a faux Red Levanto marble to match the Levanto columns. The effect here is to create a fool the eye, or trompe-l'oeil illusion.

Detail of egg and dart molding, and Greek key with faux Red Levanto marbling.

Painting the border required precsion measuring. Notice how the pattern perfectly repeats itself as it turns the corner, and the semi-circular inlay that borders the Great Seal.

The architecture of the Senate Theater frames a movie screen that informs the public of the history and duties of the U.S. Senate.

Detail of lettering. Lettering was painted in bright gold metallic paint and shadowed to recreate the effect that the letters had been carved into the marble entablature.

Detail Red Levanto and panel, Senate Theater

Dean Sickler of Dundean Studios ably assisted Artifice Inc. on the Capitol Visitor Center project. Here Dean adds detail to the Portor columns.

Faux Black Portor marble columns, House Theater.

Detail of faux Black Portor marble on columns. Notice the beige colored faux Sheldorado marble on the panelling, and the faux French Grey marble base.

Detail of faux Black Portor marble columns in the House Theater. Notice the stars at the top that are treated in a faux bronze metallic finish.

Black Portor columns foreground, Sheldorado pilasters in background House Theater.

Full view of columns House Theater.

At work painting the shadowing on the lettering.