The zipper mural is near completion! Only the UV coating to go. Check it out!

Mi amiga Jennifer Conn at Fort Worth Public Art told me the other day that the restoration of the Zipper Mural is finally under way. A prominent landmark facing Lancaster, the mural is painted on the south façade of the recently refurbished city-owned building commonly referred to as the Zipper Building. The restoration is the second mural restoration by Fort Worth Public Art and is expected to be completed by Friday.

Artist Suzanne Gentling has designed a new image for the opening in the landmark Zipper Mural. Part tribute and part reference, the design pays homage to her brother, Stuart, the mural’s original artist who died suddenly last year during design contract negotiations. A single, standing white feather in a skyscape will replace the cloud scene which has become badly worn and damaged after thirty-five years of environmental effects and a previous renovation. The new design refers to Stuart’s love of nature, birds in particular, and his accomplished realistic painting style.

The Zipper Mural was originally designed by Stuart in 1975 as part of Painted Spaces Inc., a non-profit organization composed of Fort Worth citizens that organized collaborations between the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce, the Fort Worth Art Museum, local artists, architects and businessmen, to bring revitalization to downtown Fort Worth.

The south wall of the Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company was painted a khaki color with the addition of the zipper partially unzipped to reveal a blue skyscape. The theme referred to the type of clothing produced by the Company; the mural included the company’s logo on the zipper pull. The last remaining mural of the Painted Spaces program, the Zipper Mural has become something of a landmark in downtown Fort Worth.

The new design has been endorsed by the Fort Worth Art Commission and approved by the Downtown Design Review Board and the Lancaster Task Force.

I didn’t know about Fort Worth Public Art before, but it sounds pretty cool. This program maintains and conserves artwork owned by the City of Fort Worth through the Public Art Conservation Fund. Conservation is an essential tool in protecting the value, integrity and authenticity of each work in the collection and is the single best investment to ensure the quality of an artwork.

I also haven’t had a chance to drop by and check it out or get pictures. PeteG? Can you help a brother out?