The Lost Murals of Miguel Covarrubias on display - opens on Sep 15, 2010

Well, there's definite hope here. It may be iffy, since the show was already postponed once. But perhaps the Covarrubias murals will be displayed later this year? Lets keep our fingers crossed!

This blockbuster art exhibition will feature murals created by the Mexican painter Miguel Covarrubias for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on San Francisco's Treasure Island. In partnership with History San José, this historic exhibition will present the murals at San José City Hall along with rare examples of Covarrubias' artwork from the private collection of collector and Covarrubias expert Adriana Williams.

Exhibit postponed until Spring, 2010
San José City Hall
200 East Santa Clara Street, San José, CA 95113

More information on this website

http://sanjosemariachifestival.com/lost-murals-of-miguel-covarrubias.php

Vern

[ Edited by: ikitnrev 2010-06-14 13:39 ]

Cool! Gracias ikitnrev!

Thank you, finally a sign of life from these displaced masterworks. And this story always makes me weep:

"Covarrubias' six murals would be transferred to the Museum of Natural History in New York, and they would not be heard from again for another 18 years.
When the murals were arranged for transfer to San Francisco's Ferry Building in the late 1950s, one of Covarrubia's best works, the mural entitled "Art Forms of the Pacific Area," was nowhere to be found. Some theorists say that "Art Forms of the Pacific" was simply thrown away because the wall space of the Ferry Building would only allow for five murals."

The banality of the reason almost makes it seem likely to be true.

Bigbro,

What a sad story that is. Do you have an image of the lost map mural?

DC

Thought I did, but not with me, you just gonna have to open up the Book of Tiki endpapers to look at it. Somebody else show it please. It is the 3rd in this stack of prints from the Expo:

To illustrate the size of the originals, here is Covarrubias in front of the largest, the "Economy" in 1939:

...and here I am in front of the "People of the Pacific" at the S.F. Ferry building in the early 90s:

Vern, thanks for the update. I'm looking forward to going.

The dates for the Covarrubia Mural exibit have been set.

Opening Date - Wednesday, September 15, 2010 (200th anniversary of El Grito)
Closing Date - Monday, February 28,2011

Location: San Jose City Hall

This blockbuster art exhibition will feature murals created by the Mexican painter Miguel Covarrubias for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition on San Francisco's Treasure Island. In partnership with History San José, this historic exhibition will present the murals at San José City Hall along with rare examples of Covarrubias' artwork from the private collection of collector and Covarrubias expert Adriana Williams.

http://sanjosemariachifestival.com/lost-murals-of-miguel-covarrubias.php

Vern

Great Vern, thanks for staying on the ball. I wonder if they will dismount the one at the De Young, I doubt it. I was just up there, admiring it with Kevin and Jody:

It's BIG!

Here are some details:

Here is the turtle that made it onto the Don The Beachcomber menu cover:

Now a Poly pop proficiency test: What OTHER icons in this picture were swiped for the menu cover:

:)

Waitaminnit, this thread can't just go away! The future exhibition off these murals maps is too momentous of an event to not gather further attention. These masterpieces have not been seen by the human eye in a decade! Here are my map lithos, some of them framed and in situ at my house:

The "Native Dwellings in the Pacific Area" map:

A closer view, similar to in the BOT:

"Native means of Transportation":

"The People of the Pacific Area:"

...AND last not least, the missing "Artforms of the Pacific" map:

A closer view, as it can be found in the BOT:

To find out whatever happened to the "Art forms of the pacific mural" is my own personal quest/tiki holy grail. A true tiki mystery. I would love to see those murals in person. Covarrubias artwork sparkles in your retina. Gives me shivers. Just beautiful!

NOW OPEN!:

http://www.artsopolis.com/event/detail/55169/The_Lost_Murals_of_Miguel_Covarrubias

http://sanjosemariachifestival.com/lost-murals-of-miguel-covarrubias.php

The past:

Mural Controversy
From an article written by Edward Epstein for the San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 2001. The fate of five giant murals by the great Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias, conservatively valued at $5 million, has placed San Francisco in a new art controversy, this one with international diplomatic fallout. Covarrubias, a muralist, noted magazine illustrator and anthropologist, created six murals for the 1939-40 world's fair on Treasure Island. In a mystery still unsolved, one of the six disappeared after being sent to New York City for exhibition. The Mexican government is not happy over what it perceives as the shabby treatment given the murals created by Covarrubias, who died in 1957. Mexico wants port officials to try to find the long-missing sixth mural and make sure the other five are in top shape and displayed to the public. But Port Director Doug Wong said the murals had always been kept away from construction and had been undamaged during their removal. They are in the hands of Atthowe Fine Arts Service, an Oakland firm that has a reputation as one of the area's premier art movers and restorers. I consider them invaluable," Belcher wrote. "I appraise the five large fresco murals at a fair market value of $1 million each. I consider this appraisal to be extremely conservative. If they were offered at public auction for international buyers, the resultant value could be considerably higher. "These treasures must be saved and displayed." As for the missing mural, the port's Alec Bash explained that the trail had long ago grown cold. After the world's fair closed in 1940, the murals went east to the American Natural History Museum in New York. "Some say the sixth one was sent from New York, but no one says it ever arrived in California," Bash said. "I suggest the 60-year-old mystery go on the show 'Unsolved Mysteries.'

Possible futures:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704868604575433380219059408.html

Please post pictures from any visits!

finally scanned the picture of me infront of one of the murals when it was still installed in SF this is 1996

You look like one of the natives! Which island are you on?

So WHOOO' s been to the show?

Taviuni

So, ehem, who's been to the show?
Update please! Who will be the intrepid explorer that will get us TC brothers an exclusive review!
Someone?

I am taking Mrs. Dustycajun up to San Francisco for an anniversary trip on Nov. 19 and will convince her that we MUST stop by the Covarrubias murals on the way. This may cost me time at Forbidden Island, the newly opened Trader Vic's and the soon to be closed Tonga Room, not to mention some shopping in the City, but it should be worth it.

DC

Of course, it had to be you Dusty! Tiki Central wouldn't be the same without you! Mahalo, and Mahalo to your wahine too! Patience of a saint she must have! :wink:

Zeta, I am afraid we are if not all alone, but just a few here that share the love and admiration for Senor Covarrubias to our degree. If I would not have seen these already in my lifetime, I would drive up there just for the show. But there are others here that are fairly close and could photograph and share these here. Sooooo....

"...there are others here that are fairly close and could photograph and share these here..."

Why yes, yes there are!

-Randy

As promised, I stopped at the Covorrubias Mural exhibit at San Jose City Hall on my way to San Francisco this weekend.

The new City Hall complex is very modern looking. Parking was easy in the City Hall garage.

The murals are hung in a narrow hall gallery that connects to the City Council chambers.

The entrance sign.

This is a description of the 6 murals, including the sizes, locations, and the missing Art Forms mural. Of all the ones to lose, it had to be the Art Forms Mural!

Some nice information and photos of Covorrubias.

The narrow gallery makes it tough to photograph the murals. The first mural you see is the large Economy of the Pacific mural.

I jumped in the photo to add scale.

A few close ups.

The second mural is the Native Dwellings of the Pacific.

This one has some great renderings of the building types in the pacific.

The third mural is the Peoples of the Pacific, another huge one.

There are smaller copies of the Flora and Fauna Mural and the Transportation Mural.

Me again for scale.

An amazing display, if you have not seen these you need to go.

If you go I would highly recommend having lunch at the Los Cubanos restaurant, a great Cuban place located on Santa Clara Avenue at Almaden (about 4 blocks away). Try the Chicken and Rice special, Cuban Sandwich, Chicken Soup and the house Mojito.

There was some more cool stuff from the 1939 Worlds Fair that I will post later.

DC

That's my kind of Mojito where you can't see the ice for all the mint! Thanks DC, for all the pics and uploading, great to see these mounted again, finally! The "Dwellings" is definitely my fave after the "Art forms". If only we could assess how much it had an influence on Tiki temple architects of the mid-century...