Finally, after all these years, all the summers of restoring (repainting) all of the Hiawatha mural panels, they are all finished AND hung in the halls of the Curtin Middle School, where they hung many years ago when Rena Frankberger was first commissioned to paint them for the school district. There are 20 picture panels describing the 20 text panels of Longfellow's poem, Hiawatha, and then 6 extra, decorative (filler) panels. These panels had been removed from the school during restoration of Curtin Middle School, and severely damaged while being stored elsewhere. I was commissioned to restore all of the panels which included repairing the damages, cleaning the grease and grime off of them and then totally repainting them.
I remember a few years ago, Jim Dougherty (my boss on the project) brought all of the murals that were done into the cafeteria that I had used as my studio each summer. I had only seen maybe 3 or 5 at one time as I worked on them, and when I saw them all together like that, it was over whelming and brought tears to my eyes, not just for all the work we had put into them (Rena & I) but the sheer beauty of this whole story and the way is was presented.
Well, tonight is the night. They are being presented to the public. From 4:30 to 7pm it is open to the public and at 5pm, I believe, will be the actual presentation. Jim asked me to talk, and even though I am a bit nervous about doing that, I am excited to tell people about the pleasure it gave me to do the project. The whole process was a labor of love. I NEVER dreaded coming to work on them. And, I know this sounds bizarre but Rena Frankberger was right there with me all the way. I know she was. Never did I have a problem getting a color exact, like she was guiding my hand. I would catch a movement out of the corner of my eye, many times, when no one would be there.
So, tonight, to see all 40+ panels done, framed and placed on the walls, will be a satisfaction that I have never felt in any work I'ver ever done. Restoration is different than creating my own art, but since I put my whole heart into this project, I feel that Rena & I came together as one artist, to bring this fabulous collection of murals back to life and back home to where they belong.
I remember a few years ago, Jim Dougherty (my boss on the project) brought all of the murals that were done into the cafeteria that I had used as my studio each summer. I had only seen maybe 3 or 5 at one time as I worked on them, and when I saw them all together like that, it was over whelming and brought tears to my eyes, not just for all the work we had put into them (Rena & I) but the sheer beauty of this whole story and the way is was presented.
Well, tonight is the night. They are being presented to the public. From 4:30 to 7pm it is open to the public and at 5pm, I believe, will be the actual presentation. Jim asked me to talk, and even though I am a bit nervous about doing that, I am excited to tell people about the pleasure it gave me to do the project. The whole process was a labor of love. I NEVER dreaded coming to work on them. And, I know this sounds bizarre but Rena Frankberger was right there with me all the way. I know she was. Never did I have a problem getting a color exact, like she was guiding my hand. I would catch a movement out of the corner of my eye, many times, when no one would be there.
So, tonight, to see all 40+ panels done, framed and placed on the walls, will be a satisfaction that I have never felt in any work I'ver ever done. Restoration is different than creating my own art, but since I put my whole heart into this project, I feel that Rena & I came together as one artist, to bring this fabulous collection of murals back to life and back home to where they belong.
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