HistoricWPAMuralsRediscoveredandRestored A ControversialPast in City Hall, CedarRapids

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA

In the City Council chambers at the new historic City Hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, art conservator Scott Haskins and his two assistants have been working for three weeks to peel back 5 layers of overpaint, decades deep from the surface of the second of four historic, previously obliterated murals in the converted old federal courtroom. The colorful Depression Era mural, entitled "Inherited Culture" was painted by Harry Donald Jones in 1936 as part of the WPA program. It depicts men discovering artifacts from ancient Mayan civilizations, learning the modern techniques of agriculture and watching the progress of industry. The entire mural was painted over, then cleaned and then painted out again right away in its controversial history when the building was a federal courthouse. In 1951, Judge Henry Graven had the mural covered for what could have been a couple of reasons: the most

controversial reason includes complaints about the Evolution of Justice scene. Located within the American Civilization mural on the east wall, opposite the jury box is an image which depicts a frontier criminal on horseback with a noose around his neck followed by the arrival of the American court system. However, the other reason is more practical: The murals would have also been very dirty by this time having been covered with unstable varnish and the building being heated with coal. The black soot on the ornate coffered ceiling remains under the accoustical tiles testify to dirtier days. In 1961 the overpaint was cleaned off and the murals exposed supposedly because of a pang of regret given their historical nature; as the whitewash was removed by unprofessionals (city workers) the murals original paint layers were substantially damaged due to the harsh cleaning methods. Just three years later, due to public concern about the message of the artwork in 1964, Judge Edward McManus ordered the murals photographed and painted over again. Retired Judge McManus is still alive in Cedar Rapids and in his late 90s. Now that the civic drama from the 1960s has passed, we come to the present day in the saga of the murals: when the federal government turned the Beaux Arts building over to Cedar Rapids after the 2008 flood for the City Hall, the City was obligated to preserve the historic murals on all four walls in its agreement with the federal government. The first mural to be uncovered on the north wall was restored by the U.S. General Services Administration in 2011. That process took more than 3 times longer and was at least 30% more expensive than the same sized mural being worked on by Fine Art Conservation Laboratories (FACL, Inc.), the Citys chosen mural restoration professionals for the second mural. Just as Haskins and his assistants build upon a work of genius by touching up damage on the canvas with extra paint, they also have to make up for the mistakes made in the mural's 76-year lifespan. (CLICK HERE to see a short video of the retouching process) He points out where the workers who painted out the mural sanded the

surface of the mural and did other damage. Haskins also had circled sections of the mural in chalk; they show the parts of the canvas that have pulled away from one of the many layers of the wall. To fix them, Haskins injects the wall with an adhesive to make sure everything gets reattached. Long term preservation is a high priority. Assistant City Manager Sandi Fowler hopes people will come by to see the mural and appreciate the historic, artistic elements of the new City Hall. "It's free and open to anyone that wants to come look at it, whether you're attending a meeting or you just want to come see it. That's a pretty neat way to incorporate art into everyday life," Fowler said. If, for no other reason, to remember the past. "I mean, this is City Hall. This is the center of government in Cedar Rapids, and I think it's highly appropriate that there be a time capsule from the past that shows people where the city has come from," Haskins said. The 48-foot long mural is the second of four that the city plans to uncover in the room. Fowler is hoping to uncover a third in the fall of this year, but the city needs to get more grants and funding first. Each mural costs about $125,000 to restore including associated building improvements. A fund has been set up at the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation for interested parties to make donations. To see the amazing overpaint cleaning process CLICK HERE. Art conservation questions? Call Scott M. Haskins 805 564 3438 Follow us and be our friend on Facebook: Fine Art Conservation, Mural Conservation, Scott M. Haskins What can you do to take care of your collectibles at home ? CLICK HERE.