Chicago Public School - Haring Murals

EverGreene was entrusted by the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to complete conservation work on multiple Keith Haring Murals (1989) residing on various school grounds in Chicago. Our team holds extensive experience in the assessment, conservation treatment, and handling of public artworks of several other Haring and high profile public art murals around the country.

Wells High School Mural
EverGreene was engaged to restore the Keith Haring Mural at the William H. Wells Community Academy High School in Chicago. Untitled (Dancing) mural was painted by Keith Haring in 1989. The purpose of the work was to conserve and stabilize the mural, and to restore visual intent. Work was completed in the summer of 2024.

Our conservators began by performing a condition assessment. Based on this assessment, a treatment plan was developed. Conservation treatments included:

• Surface cleaning
• Surface accretion removal
• Paint re-adhesion
• Substrate stabilization
• Replacement of missing or damaged wood trim
• Overpaint treatment
• Loss compensation of plaster and finishes
• Application of a protective varnish on publicly accessible surfaces

Ten Mural Panels From Keith Haring At The Pinnacle
We also restored ten panels from Keith Haring at the Pinnacle. The mural was painted by Keith Haring and about 400 Chicago public school students in 1989 in Grant Park, Chicago on 122 48×96-inch panels, culminating in a 488 foot-long mural. The mural was later disassembled and ended up in various locations throughout Chicago.

During the summer of 2024, our team restored panels 1 – 6 and 31 – 34. The purpose of the work was to conserve and stabilize the mural panels, to restore visual intent, and prepare them for eventual display.

The ten panels were assessed on location in Chicago prior to being sent to our D.C. Studio for restoration work. A treatment plan was developed based on the conditions assessment. The treatment plan included installation of a rigid support system to help stabilize the panels and allow for future display.

All ten panels were attached to their support prior to implementing conservation treatments which included:

• Clean the surface and remove marks and scuffs, where possible
• Stabilize areas of deterioration and protect the artworks from further degradation
• Aesthetically blend areas of loss, where appropriate
• Apply a layer of protective varnish to the back of the Masonite
• Install new support mechanisms to provide structural integrity and mounting for future display.

Once treatment was completed, the panels were returned to Chicago Public School to be stored until installation.