Conservators historic mural restoration

Thompson (1882-1945) was called the “Dean of Colorado Painters,” by the great abstract painter and designer Vance Kirkland. DU Curator Dan Jacobs rediscovered the work in 2006 and began the painstaking process of creating a plan to restor the piece and fund for the project.

Full funding was finally acquired in spring 2012 and we worked for several months over the Summer to bring the painting back to its original beauty. The restoration process is done by carefully removing layers of paint with water and other mild solvents. then the paint is gently scraped off with plastic scrapers and cotton.

After all the paint was removed we applied a thin coat of translucent paint to bring the color partially back to its original look, a process called in-painting. DU Curator Dan Jacobs was the project manager, team members include artist Tom Ward, art conservator Lisa Capano.

Denver artist Tom Ward adds his expertiese to University of Denver Mural Restoration project. Conservators show off progress of mural Richard Chapman April 08, 2008

Mural conservation at University of Denver DU art

Scores of art lovers got a pleasant visual awakening April 6 when progress was unveiled on the restoration of a mural significant to the history of the University of Denver and Colorado art.

For the past year, conservators have been painstakingly exposing the huge mural, which was painted onto the proscenium arch of the Little Theatre in Margery Reed Hall in 1929, then painted over with thick, dark paint in 1931. The artist, John Edward Thompson, considered the act “vandalism.”

But his indignation was brushed aside, and once the mural was covered, it was ignored and eventually forgotten until being rediscovered in 2007.

Conservators showed off their accomplishments, announcing they are about 60 percent through the cleaning phase in their effort to remove multiple layers of dark paint mural restoration.

“It really is painstakingly slow,” said Stefani Schulte, a DU art conservation senior, who with fellow senior Nicole Saint has been working to restore the mural for the last year. Directed by professional conservator Lisa Capano, the team is applying solvents, gels and cleaning agents and carefully scraping away paint layers with cotton swabs and scalpels to reveal the underlying art.

“Over 70 years, chemistry has taken its toll,” Capano told about 60 people at the team’s first public progress report. “People leaning against it. The stage lights baking these layers of paint over the years.” For a mural restoration expert, mural artist near me.

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