Food damage

I am the registrar at The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens in
Jacksonville, Florida.  Recently, our Board of Trustees and the
Cummer Council held their annual ball and auction at the museum.
This event involves 9 course meals served in the galleries.  Despite
my feelings on this matter, the artwork all stays on the walls for
the party.

This year, some of the younger patrons became upset and/or tipsy and
had a food fight in one of the galleries.  Foodstuffs--possibly
whipped cream--wound up splattered on the wall near a Baroque
painting.  The food then slid down the wall behind the painting
resulting in a dark stain on the tapestry wall covering and a greasy
smear, about 6 inches long, down the back of the painting's frame.

I have never had to deal with this problem, let alone had any
training on how to handle it.  Any suggestions for removing the
grease and/or food from the frame in order to prevent infestation or
other damage to the painting?  The frame is a contemporary of the
painting and is of wood.  The back of the frame was left bare wood,
but the front was painted black.  There is no plasterwork on the
frame. Any help would be appreciated,

Chantel Cummings

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:96
                    Distributed: Monday, May 5, 1997
                       Message Id: cdl-10-96-007
                                  ***