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Kansas State University, Hale Library
Mural Conservation

John Canning & Co. was retained by Kansas State University to complete the mural conservation of the Overmyer murals and the We Are the Dream mural, located at the Hale Library.

Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library -Damage
Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library
Kansas State University Hale Library

John Canning & Co. was retained by Kansas State University to complete the mural conservation of the Overmyer murals and the We Are the Dream mural, located at the Hale Library. This work was done in two phases, as part of the Hale Library repair and restoration project.

Due to a fire that took place in May of 2018, the Hale Library experienced extensive damage. Canning was engaged in July of 2018 to perform assessments of both the Overmyer murals and We Are the Dream mural. After onsite investigations and review, it was recommended by Canning that a partial conservation treatment to the Overmyer murals be performed, to stabilize their condition, as well as removal of the We Are the Dream mural from its substrate, to prevent any further water damage. This work was performed and documented by Canning onsite in 2018.

Canning returned to site in September 2020, after much of the building fabric was repaired, to reevaluate the Overmyer Murals condition. After onsite review, a full conservation treatment was performed to the Overmyer murals. Conservation treatments were customized based on the condition of each of the four murals. The Overmyer murals are located in the Great Hall on the South Wall. They were executed by David H. Overmyer, and assisted by Byron B. Wolfe, circa 1934. The murals were executed in oil paints directly on the plaster substrate.

As part of the onsite conservation work in September of 2020, the We Are the Dream mural was removed from its climate-controlled storage location and reinstalled in its original location, with a newly designed plaster substrate. The We Are the Dream mural is located in the Mural Room of the Hale Library. The mural was executed by Travis Mosley, Willie McDonald, Harold Carter, and various other contributors circa 1980. The mural was executed in commercial latex paints on burlap.


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