Raising Hell: The Restoration of the Masonic Theatre Scenic Drops

Sunday | February 9 | 3:30pm
Somsen Hall | WSU

The historic Winona Masonic Theatre was home to a collection of 98 hand-painted scenic drops dating back to the early 1900s and used by the Winona Masons for their Scottish Rite initiation ceremonies. Due to water damage and safety concerns, the City of Winona decided to remove the drops from the rigging system and encapsulate them in 2017 and store them temporarily.

The city council later approved a plan to save 13 of the drops, including a scene from Hades. Kim Lawler, a professional scenery painter, was hired to restore the drops in 2018 and filmmaker Mary Farrell documented the unique restoration process. Her film will be shown at the Frozen River Film Festival as part of the Local film set.

Mary Farrell and Frozen River Film Festival are members of the River Arts Alliance. To learn more about the benefits of membership, please visit: riverartsalliance.org/JOIN.