After
the death of
Maud Lewis in 1970, and subsequently of her husband, Everett Lewis, in 1979, their lovingly
painted home began to deteriorate. In reaction, a group of concerned
citizens from the Digby area started the Maud Lewis Painted House
Society; their only goal was to save this valued landmark.
After a
number of years of fundraising, the society realized that the project
was going to take more resources than they could gather. In 1984, the
house was sold to the Province of Nova Scotia and turned over to the
care of Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.
In 1996, with funds from the
federal Department of Canadian Heritage and from private individuals, the
processes of conservation and restoration began. The final, fully
restored house is on permanent display in Halifax at the Art Gallery
of Nova Scotia.