Farming and Gardening
WPA Murals by Gustav Dalstrom
Harper School, Wilmette, IL
Wilmette Public Schools,District 39
District 39 Educational Foundation
North Shore Magazine
September 2006
A recent article in this magazine
describes the importance of these WPA art treasures in our community.
Restoration
of WPA Murals at Harper School
The District 39 Educational Foundation is taking the lead in restoring two large ( 9’ by 26’) murals located in the auditorium of Harper School. Created in 1938 under the direction of the Works Progress Administration, the murals were painted by Gustav Dalstrom, who was in charge of the mural projects in the Midwest region. Originally located in primary classrooms at Laurel School in Wilmette, they were relocated to Harper in 1973. The accumulation of time, damage from the move, and dirt had taken its toll. The restoration work is being done by Parma Conservation of Chicago, a firm with extensive experience working on murals, including others by the same artist, Gustav Dalstrom.
The Foundation agreed to pay for the restoration of one of the murals and to raise the money for preserving the second. A fund-raising campaign will begin in fall 2006 to raise the remainder of the money. The Wilmette community will be invited to view the restored mural and learn more about the background of the times and WPA artwork at an event kicking off the fund-raising for the second mural. Watch this page for details.
Contributions toward the restoration of the murals can be sent to
District
39 Educational Foundation
Mikaelian
Education Center
615 Locust Road
Wilmette, IL 60091
Please write "Harper Murals" in the memo space on your check.
photographs taken in April 2006 during the cleaning of the mural
Photography courtesy of George Flemming
