If you’ve been to the Albert B. Alkek Library lately, you’ve probably noticed a massive new addition in décor. There is now an 82-foot mural hanging in the second floor of Alkek – one with a pretty interesting history.
James Buchanan “Buck” Winn painted the three panels of “The History of Ranching” in 1950 when he was commissioned by the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio. He was asked to depict the story of cattle ranching in Texas. Texas State’s The Wittliff Collections acquired the mural in the 1990s with big aspirations to have it display in the Alkek Library, but the mural was in pretty bad shape and needed restoration.
The Wittliff Collections mission is to collect, preserve and share the artistic process that springs from the Southwestern imagination. It is located on the seventh floor of Alkek Library. David Coleman, The Wittliff’s director, has penned a blog post detailing the long road from acquiring the mural, to restoring it, to its unveiling this summer. Check out the mural’s fascinating story on The Keystone Blog.
Chantal Lesley is a marketing and communications specialist student employee in the IT Marketing and Communications office.
