[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 22 (Wednesday, March 2, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E325]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING MURAL ARTIST MYRON C. NUTTING AND THE WAUWATOSA COMMUNITY

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                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2005

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, as a graduate of Wauwatosa High School in a 
Wauwatosa, WI, I rise to pay tribute to Myron C. Nutting, a mural 
artist, whose work has been restored and will be rededicated on March 
6, 2005, at my alma mater.
  Myron Chester Nutting was born on October 18, 1890 in Panaca, NV, but 
moved to Milwaukee in 1934 to work as an art instructor at Layton 
School of Art under the Federal Arts Program. Before coming to 
Milwaukee, Nutting had lived and studied in Paris with expatriate 
artists and writers whom history has been labeled as the ``lost 
generation.'' At the time, Nutting was considered among the top 15 
Wisconsin artists with training both in America and Europe.
  Nutting left Milwaukee in 1939, moving to southern California where 
his artistic life and reputation grew. He was a recognized portrait 
artist of many southern California clients, a critic and writer, and 
flourished as a lithographer, oil and water color artist. He died in 
Los Angeles in 1972.
  Nutting had a close relationship with the controversial Irish writer 
James Joyce as evidenced by portraits he painted in the early 1920s of 
James Joyce's wife, Nora, their daughter Lucia, and the unfinished 
portrait of James Joyce himself. All three pieces as well as Mr. 
Nutting's other art work and personal papers are in collections at 
Northwestern University, the University of California at Los Angeles, 
the American Art Archives at the Smithsonian in Washington, and in 
dozens of smaller museums, galleries, and archives throughout the 
world.
  With regard to his work in Wisconsin, Nutting was commissioned by 
Charlotte Partridge, State director of the Federal Arts Project at the 
time, to design and paint two oil-on-canvas murals at the then recently 
constructed Wauwatosa Senior High School. The work was started in 
January 1934 and completed the following June. The murals were 
originally hung on March 2, 1935, but were covered up during a 
renovation at the school in the mid-1970s. For unknown reasons, the 
murals were left unsigned. They remained covered up for 30 years until 
restoration work began 2 years ago when they were rediscovered.
  On March 6, 2005, at Wauwatosa High School, the Wauwatosa Historical 
Society and the school district office will rededicate these two murals 
that have been beautifully restored in the main lobby of the school. 
These two 14, by 4, murals have been restored to 
their original museum quality and will be an important educational tool 
for the school's present and future generations.
  More than 190 Wauwatosa High School alumni, as well as many members 
of the community, have donated more than $125,000 to restore these 
historical art pieces.
  These murals remain the property of the Federal Government and will 
be registered with the General Services Administration's office of fine 
arts, which acts as a steward for the preservation of these art pieces.
  I join in honoring all alumni, students, the community of Wauwatosa, 
the many volunteers who have worked for many months to bring these 
artifacts back to their former glory, as well as the artist, Myron C. 
Nutting, for all their contributions to work and restoration of the 
mural pieces. These are all wonderful contributions to the school's 
valued history and tradition.

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