University Of Alberta Library And Museums - Alberta History Mural Project

Background

Unveiled during the opening of Rutherford Library in 1951, the Alberta History mural in the Rutherford South Reading Room was a gift to the University of Alberta by artist Henry George Glyde, a faculty member and head of the Department of Art. In the decades since, there have been conversations and reflections from University of Alberta faculty, staff students and many artists and writers on how the work portrays Indigenous and European settler history in Alberta.

In January 2021, the Library and Museums portfolio formed a working group to consider what should be done with the mural, given reports of harm and its actively deteriorating condition.

Working with our community on campus and off, we aim to be transparent and share updates publicly with each milestone on this web page.

Preservation and access considerations

Preservation options for this mural are complex and costly, and are without guaranteed long-term stability. The options examined include in situ conservation treatment and removal, the latter so that the mural could be stored in an environment more conducive to long-term preservation.

A 2019 report completed by the Canadian Conservation Institute highlights the complexity of treating the mural in situ or removing it from the wall for retention purposes. The U of A further consulted with additional conservators specialising in mural restoration to get second opinions and explore both in-situ and removal options. All options to preserve the mural raise the question of long-term stability afterwards due to the mural’s current poor condition and the instability of the material used to create the work. The room's environmental conditions, primarily a library space and not a purpose-built gallery space, further limit the viability of any in-situ conservation treatment. As the mural is painted directly onto the wall, removal of the mural for retention purposes is risky and the success rate for removal is estimated to be only 50%. Removing the mural may damage it, and removal may affect the structure of the wall as part of it would need to be removed as well. Either of these preservation actions – in situ conservation treatment or removal for retention– require a commitment to monitoring and maintaining the mural indefinitely, the costs of which could be extensive given the mural’s inherent instability.

Existing Documentation and Resources

The University of Alberta Museums Art Collection has complete and detailed high-resolution photographs of the mural that can be viewed on the University of Alberta Museums Search Site. The university also has extensive documentation about the mural’s creation, including Glyde's preparatory drawings in the U of A Museums Art Collection, and many of the conversations that have occurred around the mural. All of these images and documentation would remain part of the University of Alberta Museums and/or Archives in perpetuity, enabling the mural to continue serving as a teaching and research resource.

Impacts of options

The Alberta History Mural Project Working Group has consulted with internal and external stakeholders since January 2021.

Themes from the responses collected from the feedback form and previous in-person and online engagement sessions include:

  • Preservation and Access: A call for conservation of the mural so it can remain for teaching and research purposes, and to uphold the principles of art conservation and preservation.
  • Harm to people: Those who want to see the mural removed express that it causes harm and is racist with the portrayal of Indigenous history and European settler history in Alberta.
OPTION COST RESPONSE TO: PRESERVATION AND ACCESS RESPONSE TO: HARM TO PEOPLE
1. Leave the mural as is. No additional cost to the U of A for conservation or changes.
  • The mural will continue to degrade gradually.
  • Continued access to the physical mural for teaching, research, or community engagement purposes.
  • Full digital access to the mural, as well as physical access to existing preparatory drawings within the U of A Museums Art Collection, will continue to be made available for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
 No action is taken by the U of A in response to the reports received about harm and racism.
2. Cover the mural, leaving it as-is. The mural is not visible, but is not removed. Costs associated with covering the mural.
  • The mural will continue to degrade gradually.
  • Limited access to the physical mural for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
  • Full digital access to the mural, as well as physical access to existing preparatory drawings within the U of A Museums Art Collection, will continue to be made available for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
 Some action is taken in response to the reports received about harm and racism.
3. Keep the mural as-is and add interpretive panels to explain the mural, the artist and the context in which it was created. Cost of creating materials, installation and maintenance.
  • The mural will continue to degrade gradually.
  • Continued access to the physical mural for teaching, research, or community engagement purposes.
  • Full digital access to the mural, as well as physical access to existing preparatory drawings within the U of A Museums Art Collection, will continue to be made available for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
 Some action is taken in response to the reports received about harm and racism, however panels do not prevent nor remove harm and racism.
4. Remove the mural to preserve it and keep it in storage. Resource and cost intensive for removal and storage.
  • The success rate for removal is only 50%.
  • Continued access to the physical mural for teaching, research, or community engagement purposes is unknown.
  • Full digital access to the mural, as well as physical access to existing preparatory drawings within the U of A Museums Art Collection, will continue to be made available for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
 Action is taken in response to the reports received about harm and racism.
5. Stabilization or consolidation in-situ treatment described by CCI in 2019 report (page 36)
  • Resource and cost-intensive.
  • Would require improved climate control in the Reading Room
  • The mural is kept in place and conservation efforts would attempt to address the degradation of the work.
  • Uncertain outcome on mural stability.
  • Full digital access to the mural, as well as physical access to existing preparatory drawings within the U of A Museums Art Collection, will continue to be made available for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
 No action is taken by the U of A in response to the reports received about harm and racism.
6. In-situ treatment plus covering
  • Resource and cost-intensive.
  • Would require improved climate control in the Reading Room.
  • Mural is kept in place, conservation treatment in-situ as described above and be covered.
  • Uncertain outcome on mural stability.
  • Continued access to the physical mural for teaching, research, or community engagement purposes is unknown.
  • Full digital access to the mural, as well as physical access to existing preparatory drawings within the U of A Museums Art Collection, will continue to be made available for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
 Some action is taken in response to the reports received about harm and racism.
7. Removal of the mural and deaccession from the collection Costs of removal and wall repair
  • Destruction of the mural.
  • Full digital access to the mural, as well as physical access to existing preparatory drawings within the U of A Museums Art Collection, will continue to be made available for teaching, research and community engagement purposes.
 Action is taken in response to the reports received about harm and racism.

 

Project Updates

Updates will be added to this section when changes are made on the website, updates occur in the project, and other important information for the community. 

September 16 and October 4, 2024 - Two in-person Listening Circles were hosted by the Vice-Provost (Indigenous Programming and Research), which invited First Nations, Métis and Inuit students to provide feedback on the mural and its future at the U of A. For students who could not attend the in-person sessions, a feedback form was available until October 5, 2024. 

July 23, 2024 - The final Provost-led community consultation occurred. For community members who could not attend the live online session, a feedback form was available until August 2, 2024. 

While a timeline for the decision is not finalized, the university is committed to ensuring transparency and keeping the community informed. Future decisions and rationales will be clearly and publicly communicated. 

June 17, 2024 - The final community consultation session has been rescheduled for July 23 between 1 - 3 p.m. virtually.

May 21, 2024 - Due to a scheduling conflict, the May 23rd Alberta History mural community consultation event has been postponed. The new date and time will be shared as soon as possible.

May 9, 2024 - An Alberta History Mural Project update has been posted in The Quad. A new community consultation session was announced for May 23, 2024.

September 29, 2023 - The online feedback and comments form for the Alberta History Mural Project closes.

September 13, 2023 - The second of two consultation sessions takes place at the Telus International Centre - Room 134 (2:00 pm MST to 3:00 pm MST)

August 16, 2023 - An Alberta History Mural Project update has been posted in The Quad.

August 10, 2023 - Invitation for all interested community members to attend upcoming consultation sessions to conclude the period to provide feedback on the Alberta History mural.

April 21, 2022 - An Alberta History mural project update has been posted in The Quad.

April 19, 2022 - Alberta History Conservation Assessment report webpage has been created to include details around a 2019 Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) report. 

November 22, 2021 - The working group is looking for research and teaching initiatives using the Alberta History mural. Please use the feedback form to submit information.

October 13, 2021 - Henry G. Glyde bio information has been added to the University of Alberta Museums Search Site.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this project starting now?

The events of the past year including the discovery of unmarked graves near Residential School sites in Canada and the desire for decolonization on campus have informed our efforts to work towards a resolution of this complex issue.

Additionally, following a recent conservation assessment of the mural's condition, it was confirmed that the mural is actively deteriorating.

Is the mural going to be taken down?
A final decision has not yet been made but we are committed to working towards a resolution in the coming academic year. Feel free to use the feedback form if you have questions or comments about the mural.
Can the mural be conserved?

A 2019 report completed by the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) states that the potential conservation of the mural is both complex and costly.

It would additionally require substantial renovations of the Rutherford South Reading Room to create more appropriate environmental conditions. This work would require significant financial investment, infrastructure, and staff resources to accomplish and would not be a guarantee due to the mural’s current poor condition and instability of the medium (the material with which the work was made).

More detailed information and the full CCI report can be found on the Alberta History Conservation Assessment webpage.
If the mural is removed, will images and resources still be accessible for teaching and research purposes?

Measures will be taken to ensure that records of this mural will remain for future generations. High resolution photos of the mural have already been taken and are available on the University of Alberta Museums Search Site. 

If you require specific resources regarding the Alberta History mural for your teaching and/or research, please complete our feedback form.
What is going to happen to "Sky Talk" - the Alex Janvier work of art in the Rutherford South Reading Room?
There are no plans to move this work of art. Due to the size of this painting, the location of this painting is permanent. Note that this work of art was not painted or installed as a response to Alberta History.
What has happened to “When all the World was Burned” in the Rutherford breezeway?

Unlike Alberta History, When all the World was Burned belongs to the Students' Union Art Collection. It has been removed from its current location so it can be returned to the Students' Union as part of a larger project to return art belonging to them. 

The University of Alberta Museums Art Collection does have a smaller watercolour of the larger painting titled When all the World was Burned in its collection. The University of Alberta Museums Art Collection also contains a preparatory sketch and a study of When all the World was Burned.

The Library and Museums Working Group for this project includes:

  • Dale Askey - Vice Provost (Library and Museums) & Chief Librarian
  • Jennifer Bowser - Moveable Cultural Property Advisor (University of Alberta Museums)
  • Anne Carr-Wiggin - Indigenous Initiatives Coordinator & Indigenous Initiatives Team Co-Chair (University of Alberta Library)
  • Christine Conciatori - Director (University of Alberta Museums)
  • Debbie Feisst - Head, Faculty Engagement (Sciences, Engineering and Business) & Indigenous Initiatives Team Co-Chair (University of Alberta Library)
  • Jill Horbay - Communications and Marketing Manager (University of Alberta Museums)
  • Tom Hunter - Collections Assistant (University of Alberta Museums Art Collection)
  • Nadia Kurd - Curator (University of Alberta Museums Art Collection)
  • Denise LaFitte - Acting Vice-Provost (Library and Museums) and Chief Librarian