The mural under the archway of Seigfred Hall has gotten a facelift
A part of Ohio University's artistic history has been restored.
The space under the archway outside of Seigfred Hall has been home to a mural for nearly five decades. Aethelred Eldridge, now a professor emeritus of painting, painted the original mural in 1966.
Currently in its fourth version, the mural features a black background covered by white serpentine figures and cryptic text.
“I take up where vanishing points leave off,” reads one line on the mural.
Though the mural is cherished by many, graffiti, dirt and weather took significant wear and tear on the artwork.
Two graduate students, Barry O'Keefe and Amanda Morris, spent about one month this summer restoring the mural.
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O'Keefe, a third-year graduate student studying printmaking, said the stairs and the sculptures near the mural were the most arduous to work on. As for the mural, he said it mostly involved repainting it and making the lines "crisp."
"That space is definitely my favorite space on campus," O'Keefe said. "(Having the mural restored) brings a sense of respect for the history of the program and the history of the building."
The graffiti wall across from the mural, which previously welcomed free painting and even some class participation, has now been shut down and painted gray.
"It's a sad consequence of all the vandalism on the mural," O'Keefe said.
A rededication ceremony for the mural will be held Friday of Homecoming Weekend.
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