Fair Park’s greatest Art Deco treasures are returned to glory through extraordinary conservation efforts.
If anything defines the character of Fair Park, it is the Art Deco facades and murals on its many buildings, probably the most significant examples of the architectural style anywhere. These date back to 1936, when numerous then-existing buildings were converted and supplemented for the Texas Centennial Exposition by architect George Dahl who planned, designed, and oversaw construction. How these murals have been recently preserved, recreated and even “discovered” is a fascinating story.
“Art Deco, blended with Southwestern and Classical elements, was the grand look at the time for the major World’s Fairs held in the 1930’s—all six of them,” explains Willis Winters, Assistant Director of Planning, Design, Construction and Facility Services for the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department. “ Dallas stood out because it was marking a Centennial; naturally Dahl wanted something truly memorable so he assembled a stellar team of artists, mural painters and sculptors.”
Painted tapestries of progress.
Every building had its own theme, according to its use. This was reflected in the murals, painted passionately by artists like Carlo Ciampaglia and Pierre Bourdelle using an oil-like paint. For example, the Centennial Building was devoted to exhibits on Transportation. Its eight, 30’ x 14’ murals reflected “Motion” through such subjects as the Automobile, Railroad, Aeroplane,Navigation and Future Transportation. The Varied Industries Building (now the Automobile Building) depicted in its murals Wildcatters, Electricity, Iron Workers and four other subjects.
“But when a fire destroyed the Varied Industries Building in 1942, all the murals were lost,” says Mr. Winters. “Fortunately, some incredible clues indicated how our modern-day artisans could recreate them. Black and white photos from the late 1930’s revealed how Pierre Bourdelle’s murals looked, as well as stylistic differences from those on the Centennial Building.” In the late 1990’s, Bourdelle’s nephew made an astounding discovery in his attic: the original drawings! He contacted the Park & Recreation Department and they were able to project the line drawings onto the walls of the present building. Six murals were recreated using oil based paint and a seventh, The Builders. will someday be recreated when an entire end of the building is added.
Other Bourdelle murals, such as those for the Sheep and Goat Building, posed challenges. “We didn’t have color photographs to go by to replicate the murals” notes Louise Elam, Facility Development Manager for the Park & Recreation Department. “We used the remaining paint fragments, and the colors from the Sheep and Goat Building for the color palette for the murals.”
Hidden gems!
Another surprise was that some murals had been completely painted over so no one knew they existed until artisans scraped the walls in the 1980s. “One myth,” relates Mr. Winters, “originated because Fair Park was an Army Camp during World War II. There was some nudity in the murals and supposedly the park wanted to shield soldiers from such material. I personally don’t believe this; most likely the paint started peeling and the State Fair wanted the buildings to look like new. The most inexpensive solution was to paint them over but not restore them. Actually, painting these murals over was what protected them so well from sun exposure all these years.”
Sculptures also returned to magnificence.
Besides murals, many sculptures and lighting banks have been patched or recreated. Last year, the Laboratory for Conservation of Fine Arts, LLC conserved six sculptures: three in front of the Centennial Building ( Texas, Confederacy and Spain) and three in front of the Automobile Building ( France, Mexico and United States). The Pegasus, Siren and Shield bas reliefs at the Esplanade were also conserved.
According to Ms. Elam, perhaps the most famous recreated statue is Texas Woofus, which vanished years ago. The fantastic animal with a horse’s neck, ram’s head, turkey’s backside, pig’s body and longhorns took shape again under the careful hands of David Newton. The once-missing Countertenor and Contralto sculptures are currently being recreated at the Esplanade.
Much of the millions of dollars in funding for these endeavors comes from Friends of Fair Park. The non-profit citizens group is dedicated to the preservation of the park’s art and architecture, and finding new uses for the park.
While numerous other murals and artifacts remain to be conserved, replicated or even “found,” visitors to every area of Fair Park can rejoice in the gorgeous buildings that vividly echo the incomparable Art Deco facades and can-do spirit of the great Texas Centennial. The painstaking efforts of the artisans and planners involved in such restorations are to be commended.
