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Uhl is peeling back layers of paint that cover the original designs patrons of the theater would have seen when they visited in the 1940s. The work is expected to be completed in October.

Painting conservator Deborah Uhl is no stranger to restoring the Midwest Theater. She previously worked on the theater in 2006 during the painstaking restoration of the auditorium. Now she is peeling away layers of paint to unveil the original décor patrons saw in the lobby when they visited the historic Midwest Theater in the 1940s.

During the auditorium restoration in 2006, Uhl said she became good friends with then-director Billy Estes. She would return on various other occasions, such as to repair the decoration on the ceiling over the balcony caused by water damage. Uhl said that’s when they noticed there was a swirly design, similar to the décor in the auditorium, along the walls by the stairwells. They felt like there was a piece of history under the paint.

Deborah Uhl creates a stencil she will use when she repaints decorative flourishes on the ceiling of the former lounge at the Midwest Theater. Uhl said the area will be a showcase for the theater and serve as a gateway from the modern entrance into the theater.

The funds weren’t available to unveil the history hidden under the paint at the time. When Estes recently worked on the marquee restoration project, he wrote the lobby restoration project into the grant.

A few years ago, Uhl said she visited the theater to determine where the decoration was in the lobby.

“We had historic photos showing the decoration on the ceiling,” Uhl told the Star-Herald. “There were no historic photos of the stairwell, but we could kind of see it. I did paint stripping and was able to locate where the decoration was.”

When the theater received the grant funds, Uhl was able to begin unveiling the artistry hidden under the paint.

Deborah Uhl uses a scalpel to chip away a layer of paint covering up the original artwork from that adorns the walls leading up to the balcony at the Midwest Theater. Uhl said the layers of paint came off so well that the public will get to enjoy the original artist's artwork.

“It’s fun to be in these old buildings and they continue to reveal these stories from the past that have been covered up,” Uhl said. “We’re pretty sure they were painted over in the ’50s or ’60s. That seems to be a trend in America when people were modernizing to paint over these old designs.”

Once she finishes her work in October, Uhl said the lobby will be more tied to the way the theater looked when it opened in 1946.

With the funding available for the project, uncertainty still existed in what the ceiling and walls would look like as the paint was stripped away. As Uhl began her conservation and restoration work, she soon realized she had to use different techniques on the ceiling, compared to the stairwell walls.

Deborah Uhl uses a scalpel to chip away a layer of paint covering up the original artwork from 1946 that adorns the walls leading up to the balcony at the Midwest Theater.

“The stairwell walls had to be done in a different way than the ceiling because what I found was the decoration on the ceiling, when we tried to strip it, it was not coming off in a way that was going to be complete,” Uhl told the Star-Herald.

Three layers of paint covered the ceiling’s historic design. Uhl did a light raking across the ceiling, following the ridges of paint that protruded from the surface and the curves to find the design. Fortunately, the ceiling design is symmetrical from the center, which makes it easier for Uhl.

“I feel pretty confident in what I was able to find, but it wasn’t easy,” she said. “My neck really hurts from straining just to find those little ridges and follow them.”

After carefully removing layers of paint, Deborah Uhl revealed artwork that adorned the walls leading up to the balcony during the Midwest Theater's opening in 1946. The swirls can be seen throughout the theater's architectural design.

Uhl drew out the design using pastel pencils on the ceiling and then took pictures so she knew where everything is located. She said that was a crucial step in the process because once the base coat of paint is rolled, it may make it harder to find the ridges.

“We actually need to paint the ceiling before I do the decoration because the color isn’t the same background as it was originally,” Uhl said. “I’m in the process of getting some local painters to come in and do that for me. Before I erase my design on the ceiling, I’m actually going to be tracing it and creating a stencil of the decoration and putting that back up on the wall once they paint the ceiling, so I can locate it in exactly the same place.”

Although the majority of the designs are symmetrical, Uhl said the original architect took inspiration from nature, so there are elements that differ across the ceiling and on both stairwells. Still, Uhl prides herself on being a perfectionist and wants to do her best to conserve the original vision.

The hardest part of the project is working on the ceiling, she said.

Deborah Uhl points out different layers of paint covering up the original artwork from 1946 that adorns the walls leading up to the balcony at the Midwest Theater. She is stripping away the layers of paint that cover the designs in an effort to conserve the theater's original asthetics.

“I’ve been working in public art and large scale painting in buildings for the last 30 years,” she said. “I’ve had a handful of projects working on ceilings and it’s hard on your body. It’s not the mental. It’s the physical challenge of working on the ceiling”

She added that being a perfectionist creates more tension in her body and holding her head in a 45- to 90-degree angles to look at the ceiling causes muscle tightness and stiffness.

For the stairwells walls, Uhl applied paint striper that is a gel-like consistency in one-inch squares onto the wall and let it sit for 15 minutes.

“It worked out well with the type of paint on top of the original paint,” she said. “Acrylic paints weren’t commercially available for house paint until the 1950s and so this was from the ’40s and was oil-based paint with the decoration.”

After carefully removing layers of paint, Deborah Uhl revealed artwork that adorned the walls leading up to the balcony during the Midwest Theater's opening in 1946. Uhl is a painting conservator working to uncover the original artwork in the theater's lounge.

By using paint striper, she was able to time it so when she went to remove the paint, sometimes a big chunk with all of the layers would fall off, unveiling what was underneath.

“It wasn’t always that perfect,” she said. “But it’s a messy part of process.”

Uhl said the decorations came out in good enough condition that the public will experience the original painter’s hand when they see the decorations on the stairwell. However, she has to repaint the background to remove some remnant of paint that are still there. It will also give it a clean finish.

During the project, Uhl said they discovered two holes on either side of the stairwell walls that they believe at one time held a rope to block access to the balcony. They also learned the curved wall on the left side of the staircase is a paperboard material, similar to a matte board.

“It’s supported by these little 1-by-2-inch pieces of wood,” she said. “It’s amazing that wall has lasted 75 years.”

The original entrance of the theater welcomed patrons into a lounge area with couches before they proceeded into the theater. Once Uhl finishes removing the paint, she said the entrance will be more ornamented and highlight the historical aspect of the theater.

With one month of work already complete, Uhl is halfway done with the project. She describes the Midwest Theater as a special theater that is unique and she loves that she has a role in conserving its history.

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Lauren Brant is a digital editor with the Star-Herald. She can be reached at lauren.brant@starherald.com.

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Deborah Uhl creates a stencil she will use when she repaints decorative flourishes on the ceiling of the former lounge at the Midwest Theater. Uhl said the area will be a showcase for the theater and serve as a gateway from the modern entrance into the theater.

Deborah Uhl uses a scalpel to chip away a layer of paint covering up the original artwork from that adorns the walls leading up to the balcony at the Midwest Theater. Uhl said the layers of paint came off so well that the public will get to enjoy the original artist's artwork.

Deborah Uhl uses a scalpel to chip away a layer of paint covering up the original artwork from 1946 that adorns the walls leading up to the balcony at the Midwest Theater.

After carefully removing layers of paint, Deborah Uhl revealed artwork that adorned the walls leading up to the balcony during the Midwest Theater's opening in 1946. The swirls can be seen throughout the theater's architectural design.

Deborah Uhl points out different layers of paint covering up the original artwork from 1946 that adorns the walls leading up to the balcony at the Midwest Theater. She is stripping away the layers of paint that cover the designs in an effort to conserve the theater's original asthetics.

After carefully removing layers of paint, Deborah Uhl revealed artwork that adorned the walls leading up to the balcony during the Midwest Theater's opening in 1946. Uhl is a painting conservator working to uncover the original artwork in the theater's lounge.

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