Near the top of the Michigan Capitol, the 'muses' get some love

At the top of the Michigan Capitol — Under gold and silver stars, against a serene blue background, crews have been working on scaffolding that reaches 150 feet high, in recent months, to clean and restore the interior of the Michigan Capitol's dome.

The project, which has a price tag of about $3 million, is nearing completion this week in Lansing and represents the latest step in a longstanding effort to protect and preserve the historic building that was dedicated on Jan. 1, 1879.

The current operation is somewhat unusual, however, because it has involved scaffolding, featuring stairs and wooden planks that have taken over the center of the Michigan Capitol building since July 2023.

The scaffolding stretches from the glass floor of the building to the top of the interior dome. There, workers have been repairing popping paint, adding new layers of paint and varnish, removing dust and cleaning surfaces, like the artwork of the eight "muses," at the top of the domed building.

Crews have also installed environmental controls, said Barb Thumudo, assistant director for Capitol facilities.

"We did as much as we could while we had the scaffolding in place to protect the surfaces," Thumudo said of the project.

Workers will begin dismantling the scaffolding next week. But on Friday, Thumudo led a group of reporters on a tour of the interior dome and the restoration effort.

"I think it's a pretty easy climb," Thumudo said before venturing up a series of stairs that led from the fourth floor of the Capitol to the dome.

When the scaffolding isn't in place, visitors to the Capitol often lie on the glass floor and look up to study the artwork at the top of the dome, which is about 160 feet above the floor.

Friday's tour provided a rare chance to see the artwork at the top of the building from a close vantage point.

The art includes paintings by Italian-born artist Tommaso Juglaris of allegorical female figures, sometimes called the "Capitol muses," that were mounted in 1886. The figures are supposed to represent the priorities of the state — arts, agriculture, law, sciences, justice, industry, commerce and education.

The figure for justice, for example, holds scales in one hand and a sword in her other hand as she stares blankly off into the distance. The figure for industry features what is believed to be the gray image of a locomotive in the background. The painting predates the advent of Michigan's automobile industry by about a decade.

The paintings, which are about eight feet tall and five feet wide, were cleaned as part of the restoration. Crews also added varnish to protect them.

The top of the interior dome features a blue surface with 110 stars, which was also cleaned and touched up.

The project is being managed by Building Conservation Associates.

More:Michigan Capitol opens Heritage Hall, an underground reception center

cmauger@detroitnews.com