The Vermont Painted Theater Curtain conservation project, begun in 1996, is drawing to a close, says the <i.Addison County Independent. The project was designed to find forgotten artwork, repair it, and display it prominently in a public space. The conservation team, led by Christine Hadsel and Suki Fredericks, have identified 185 curtains throughout the state. Curtains have been discovered in Grange hall closets, opera houses, old boxes, and municipal building attics. The Whiting Town Hall curtain had the honor of being the last one in the state to be restored. It is thought to have been painted in 1905 by Charles Henry, a traveling showman, whose skills have been attributed to 35 other surviving curtains. Once the team has completed their restoration work, the project continues in the form of revisiting earlier work and publishing a book about their experiences. “It has been a remarkable project and experience for communities getting these pieces of functional art back in work order,” says Fredericks. Want to raise the curtain higher? Click to www.curtainwithoutborders.org for more information on the project.