By ROBIN STANTON GERROW
BG Independent News
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) has a number of touchstone landmarks, but none so large as the Jerome Library mural. But in recent years, it has looked a little dull and dingy. These days, the contemporary piece is a little brighter after a good cleaning and some touch-ups.
The university’s first artist-in-residence, Donald Drumm, was commissioned in 1966 to create the murals for the library, which opened in 1967. The two-sided mural faces both east and west, putting it in the harsh prevailing winds and weather of northwest Ohio.
“The last time the mural was attended to was around 1994, and it was just painting that they did at that point in time,” said Sara Bushong, dean of University Libraries. “We had this opportunity when the university was replacing all the windows from 3rd floor to 9th floor, and the roof, and preserving the bricks and fixing mortar. We decided the mural restoration would be more of a donor project.”
According to Tina Hennessey, vice president for University Advancement, alumni were enthusiastic about the project and exceeded the goal for donations.
“It really does speak to the alumni and their history,” she said. “The mural reaches back into the past, but then also comes forward with the restoration project. The preservation of the mural means it’s going to be here for a long time. Those alums who have that long history can see themselves in this arc that is still present today.
“The goal was $1 million,” she continued. “We are over the goal. We’re going to save the announcement of the number until the ribbon cutting, which is April 24. We had more than 260 donors with gifts that ranged from $2 to $250,000. It was a great commitment to seeing the project succeed.”
NR Lee Restoration, an Ohio company specializing in the preservation of historic buildings, was hired to do the extensive work required.
“They have gone through and fixed pieces of concrete that needed to be worked on,” Bushong said. “They did power washing, which I don’t think had ever been done, so that freshened it up. And then they basically scaled the whole mural, touching up cement as needed. It’s not perfectly the same color, but they got it as close as they could, and then they just repainted everything from the skylight up on both sides. It was an opportunity to really preserve it in a more meaningful way than just painting.”
Bushong said one of the additions to the project is new lighting, illuminating the artwork at night.
“I think it draws people here,” she said. “They can see it from everywhere and when people walk by it now, they can say ‘I helped do this.’ I think it really resonated with people that I talked to about what we do here and the importance of the academic library on campus. And that academic libraries grow and change, and we have changed a lot over the years and continue to do so. But this is an iconic landmark that doesn’t change.
“When Don Drumm, the artist, originally created this, there were differing opinions on whether it was beautiful or whether it was not,” Bushong said. “But when you talk to him, he will say it’s abstract art. His first job, really, to create art, was here at BGSU. And now he has this studio in Akron that he’s been working in for many, many years. Most of his work is either in stone or metal.”
In an article on the BGSU website, Akron-based artist Drumm commented on the influence of public art.
“Public art has the unique power to connect communities and inspire creativity in everyone who experiences it,” Drumm said. “The Jerome Library mural stands as a testament to the enduring impact of art in public spaces.”
