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In 2000, Parma was awarded a contract to conserve 53 murals from the collection of the Chicago Public Schools District. This comprised roughly one third of the CPS school locations where murals were known to exist. Also included in the contract were 54 easel paintings from District holdings, including the works of numerous Chicago Impressionists.

An important part of the project was to involve the schools as much as possible in the restoration of their artwork. Faculty and students are encouraged to participate through informal discussions, educational presentations and tours of the conservation laboratory. The opportunity to observe conservation in progress aims to teach students new and invaluable concepts about art conservation, New Deal art, the importance of art in general, and the significance of taking care of it.

A field trip conducted for Stone School art students was hosted at the Parma Conservation Laboratory. The students received an extensive tour of the laboratory and a detailed account of what is involved in art conservation. Students participated in lab procedures, and were able to see conservation concepts used in a real way (i.e. on the murals which came from their school, “Puss and Boots” and "Old King Cole"). Their murals were examined and partially restored while they were present. This gave them the unique opportunity to ask very specific questions about their painting. It was a great success for everyone, and, as their teacher noted, they all left the laboratory having learned something totally new to them.

Board of Education of the City of Chicago: 2000, 2001, 2002 (53 murals)
 
Belding Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Mural by Roberta Elvis, o/c, 15’ x 5’4”, 1938 WPA.
Clinton Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Murals by Hans Werner, o/c, (2) 5’ x 15’, 1931 WPA.
Dixon Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Murals by Mary Chambers Hauge, o/c, (2) 9’ x 10’, 1937 WPA.
Falconer Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Mural by Florian Durzynski, o/c, 11’5” x 11’2”, 1940.
Gray Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Mural by W.F. Maden, o/c, 23’6” x 4’, circa 1930’s.
Jahn Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Murals by Harry Gage A.I.C., o/c (4) 120” x 60”, 1910.
Jahn Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Murals by E. Betts, Jr., o/c, (2) 8’4” x 3”8”, circa 1930’s.
Kelly High School, Chicago, IL: (7) Murals, o/c, circa 1950’s, (3) murals by Unknown, WPA.
Kohn High School, Chicago, IL: Murals by unknown, o/c, (2) 28’ x 7’6”, circa 1930’s.
Lafayette School, Chicago, IL: Murals by Robert Grafton, o/c, (2) 4’ x 5’, (2) 9’ x 12’, 1926.
McKay High School, Chicago, IL: Murals by Florian Durzynski, oil on board, (3) 4’ x 8’, 1938 WPA.
O’Toole Elementary, Chicago, IL: Mural by unknown, tempera on canvas, 16’ x 4’, circa 1940.
Parkside School, Chicago, IL: Murals by James McBurney, o/c, (2) 10’ x 6’, (1) 5’ x 3’, (2) 3’ x 3’, 1928.
Penn Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Murals by unknown, o/c, (4) 6’6” x 4’6”, circa 1930’s.
Stewart Elementary, Chicago, IL: Murals by unknown, o/c, (3) 79” x 67”, circa 1930’s.
Stone Academy, Chicago, IL: Murals by unknown, o/c, (2) 91” x 36”, circa 1920’s.
Sumner Elementary, Chicago, IL: Mural by M. Reilly, o/c, 146” x 90”, circa 1930’s.
Talcott Elementary School, Chicago, IL: Mural by Alson S. Clark, 8’ x 4’, circa 1930’s.
Wadsworth School, Chicago, IL: Murals by unknown, (2) 6’ x 15”, (2) 15’ x 3’, circa 1920’s

 

Parma Conservation, located in Chicago, is one of the country's leading resources for the conservation of paintings and murals.

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