Restoration & maintenance
Sculpture Restoration & Maintenance
Re-patination, protective coatings, powder coating, sandblasting and full rejuvenation for bronze, steel and outdoor sculpture.
Enquiries
Bring a sculpture back to its best
Outdoor sculpture lives in sun, rain, salt air and sprinklers, and even the most durable bronze or steel changes over time. A faded or streaked patina, failing coatings, surface rust where it should not be, or damage from knocks and vandalism can all be put right.
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We restore and maintain sculpture for private collectors, estates, councils and commercial owners, whether the work came from ARTpark or elsewhere. We assess the piece, recommend the right treatment and manage the work through to reinstallation.
Restoration services
Re-patination
Stripping and re-applying the chemical patina on bronze to restore its intended colour, or to change it.
Polyurethane coatings
Clear protective coatings that seal a finish against weather and handling.
Powder coating
Durable powder-coated finishes for steel and aluminium sculpture and plinths.
Sandblasting
Removing old coatings, corrosion and graffiti to take the surface back to clean metal before refinishing.
Rejuvenation
Cleaning, waxing, touch-ups and minor repairs that refresh a work without a full refinish.
Remaking
Where a work can no longer be displayed safely, a faithful reproduction can be made, as with the Kirra Sea Eagle.
Looking after outdoor sculpture
Most bronze needs little more than an occasional wash and a protective wax. Corten steel is designed to weather to a stable rust surface and is usually best left alone. Stainless steel benefits from a gentle clean, especially near the coast. Painted and powder-coated works should be checked for chips so moisture cannot get under the finish.
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For collections and public works, a regular maintenance schedule keeps sculpture looking right and catches problems before they become expensive. Tell us what you have and where it is, and we will recommend what it needs.
Case study
Kirra Sea Eagle, Gold Coast
Client: City of Gold Coast. The 1983 original was deemed structurally unsafe in 2021. ARTpark managed its reproduction by artist Tobias Bennett, using new materials and methods for a longer life on an exposed coastal headland. The 1,796 kg replica was reinstated in 2026.
View projectCity of Gold Coast: projectCity of Gold Coast: newsTracks Magazine
Questions
Can you restore a sculpture you did not sell?
Yes. We restore and maintain sculpture from any source. Send photographs, the material, the size and where the work is located.
What is re-patination?
Re-patination strips the existing chemical patina from a bronze and re-applies it, restoring the original colour or changing it to suit a new setting.
Should Corten steel sculpture be sealed?
Usually not. Corten is designed to form a stable rust layer that protects the steel. Where run-off staining is a concern we can advise on drainage, plinths and sealing options.
Can you remove graffiti from sculpture?
Yes. Depending on the surface, graffiti can be removed by cleaning or sandblasting, followed by refinishing and a protective coating.
Do you work on site or in a workshop?
Both. Cleaning, waxing and minor repairs can often be done on site; re-patination, powder coating and sandblasting are usually done in a workshop, and we manage removal and reinstallation.