City Begins Relocation, Conservation of 'Miss Nitro' Sculpture

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — The City of Highland Park began the process this week of conserving and relocating "Miss Nitro," a sculpture that has sat in front of the Public Library for more than 50 years.

"Miss Nitro" is a bronze sculpture fabricated with movable parts, mostly of large industrial bronze pipe sections that are welded together. Since its installation in 1973, the sculpture has sustained surface damage from generations of visitors and lawn maintenance.

The last restoration project was completed in the 1990s, and with the Highland Park Public Library's new expansion project about to begin, officials thought it was the perfect time to restore and rehome the iconic sculpture.

"Designed by the great American sculptor Peter Voulkos, this is one of the most significant pieces in the City's public art collection," city officials said in a statement.

The restoration project is a multi-step process that will include the removal of the black paint, deposits and corrosion, cleaning of the sculpture, application of a new black patina and a protective wax coating.

This week, a conservation firm entrusted with this project will begin the deinstallation process, which will entail:

• Professional art handlers carefully disassembling the sculpture into its individual sections, under the supervision of an art conservator, and preparing it for temporary storage;
• Temporary parking restrictions for some Library parking spaces to allow for staging for construction materials;
• Temporary, intermittent sidewalk closures to allow crews to transport the pieces of the sculpture via forklift.

The city is working with Arbor Terrace Highland Park to pursue the relocation of the sculpture to the land adjacent to the Blue House at the intersection of Central Avenue and Deerfield Road.

"In this location, this iconic sculpture will serve as the gateway to Highland Park, underscoring the community's love of the arts," officials said.