In the Fall of 2020, the Albert B. Alkek Library received a massive new addition in décor. There is now an 82-foot mural hanging on the second floor of Alkek – one with an interesting history.
James Buchanan “Buck” Winn painted the three panels of “The History of Ranching” in 1950 when the Pearl Brewery in San Antonio commissioned him. 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 display it in the Alkek Library. Still, the mural was in 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 the unveiling. Check out the mural’s fascinating story on The Keystone Blog.
Written by IT Marketing and Communications staff.