Buckled parquet flooring on the upper level of a 39-year-old wing of the Milwaukee Art Museum is just one of several structural woes the building is suffering as a result of this year's relentlessly cruel winter. Absorbent pads sop up water from leaky windows, drip pans catch water droplets from ceilings and space heaters clutter walking spaces, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. As a result, controlling temperature levels and humidity in the galleries has been difficult, leading to the floor damage and jeopardizing the museum's accreditation and the condition of the art.
"We are being diligent to protect the art, protect the art, protect the art," Vicki Scharfberg, the museum's communication director, told the paper. Major repairs and renovations were delayed in recent years as the museum and Milwaukee County, which owns two of the facility's additions, debated operational issues. Repairs and renovations are expected to begin in September 2015 and take about a year.
To see an image of the buckling parquet floor and read more about the museum's structural issues, click here.
