About CLA

Canning Liturgical Arts is a branch of John Canning & Co. that developed due to the growing need for church restoration and beautification across the nation. Canning Liturgical Arts specializes in ecclesiastical art and design with over 45 years’ experience. Our services include historic preservation, conservation, restoration, and replication as well as commissioned artwork, new design and beautification of sacred interiors. The company has an incredibly talented, dedicated and knowledgeable staff which includes traditionally trained decorative painters, ornamental plasterers, masons, carpenters, fine art conservators, and architectural material conservators. The CLA craftsmanship spans the trade of architectural arts and finishes with expertise in ornamental plaster restoration, plaster stabilization, decorative finishes, gilding, historic woodwork, and stone as well as exterior services of architectural gilding and selective decorative finishes. During the early stages of the project, CLA offers preconstruction and planning services such as budgeting and specification support as well as consultation services that include historic paint analysis, plaster surveys, design services and mockups. Uncovering elaborate design schemes of the past through extensive research and restoring a sacred interior is one of the great joys of the CLA team. In cases where no conclusive evidence can be found, our extensive knowledge of the ecclesiastical art and decoration are applied, creating new design schemes and color palettes fitting the historic period architectural style of the church. Our principals are professional associates of the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC). We are guided by the principle “do no harm” and advance that principle by providing treatments that are reversible and supplying owners with thorough documentation of research, conditions, actions taken, and materials used. Our expertise, unique approach, and in depth knowledge allows projects to be completed quickly with the detail & integrity that Canning is known for while offering competitive prices. It is an honor and a privileged to be a part of keeping the history and tradition of these sacred buildings alive in America.