HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 0734INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
No. 23-0734
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council August 15, 2023
Page 1 of 1
i
i7 Y
SUBJECT: WRMC HISTORIC TILE MURAL PLAQUES FINAL DESIGN
r6 rn
Yg7'3
The purpose of this Informal Report is to provide City Council with the Fort Worth Art Commission's
recommendation for the design of in -ground permanent plaques with interpretive text for the historic painted
tile murals on the facades of the Will Rogers Memorial Center (WRMC) auditorium and coliseum.
The project and budget requirement were presented to Council by Informal Report (IR 21-10630) on
August 10, 2021. Council approved the allocation of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds in the
amount of $300,000.00 and the reallocation of $100,000.00 in Public Events Capital Funds and
$35,000.00 in Public Art Funds on October 19, 2021 (M&C 21-0820).
In September 2019, the Mayor's Office asked the Fort Worth Art Commission (FWAC) to gather community input
and make a recommendation in response to a citizen's concern about the portrayal of African Americans on the
auditorium mural. At the commission's well -attended public hearing of November 21, 2019, at the Hazel Harvey
Peace Center for Neighborhoods, diverse community members spoke in favor of leaving the murals in place and
presenting historical context for the murals at the site.
The final text was developed following more than two (2) years of research and focus group meetings with
community members representing the diverse cultures depicted in the murals, consultation with local culture
and Texas history experts, and guidance from the Art Commission -appointed WRMC Interpretation Advisory
Panel. In advance of a widely promoted public hearing on June 12, 2023, at the Hazel Harvey Peace Center
for Neighborhoods, the Art Commission's endorsed draft text was made available on the Fort Worth Public
Art website (https://fwpublicart.orcl). Following the public hearing, staff incorporated input received and
published the final text on the program's website prior to the Art Commission meeting of July 17, 2023, at
which the final plaque design and text were approved.
Staff recommends Mark IV Construction to fabricate, deliver, and install fourteen (14) white bronze
plaques and all site work through their current Job Order Contract (City Secretary Contract #58067). Mark
IV Construction is a local HUB certified contractor that meets ARPA requirements and has successfully
completed other projects at WRMC.
Next Steps:
• Staff concurs with the recommended solution approved by the FWAC so unless there are
objections, staff will proceed with the project as proposed
• Timeframe for fabrication and installation is estimated at 8-10 months
• Installation timing will be closely coordinated with the Will Rogers Memorial Center
If you have any questions or concerns related to this effort, please contact Michael Crum, Director, Public
Events Department, at 817-392-2501 or Richard Zavala, Interim Director, FWLab, at 817-392-7918
David Cooke
City Manager
Attachment
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER
FORT WORTH, TEXAS
WRMC SITE PLAN AND FINAL PLAQUE DESIGN
AUDITORIUM
Mw� Y��.r ii....r.4ik �r a�i ter. i�..ti r •.
w.��..rrrf#,�r* ¢wr.�t�r�e�tiyNo*%rWON-,
*+r+• "Wwy4iyWW*MWWW4Wryas@P*gItW.�..
•w�yyFy e,+`rl+.ryr.M 4�.a irWri�#r WIJaa�rirY
VW ��4�t �w}wlM�r�7r wbw•
AWWMiil Vt
FINAL PLAQUE MATERIALS, QUANTITY & DIMENSIONS
Features white bronze plaques with three layers, including [1] a polished foreground (figures, text, and
decorative bars); [2] an anodized (or painted) smooth background (mid -layer figures); and [3] anodized pebbled
background. Raised layers are to be no more than 1/8 inch in height.
Two (2) Introductory plaques measuring approximately 30" high x 34" wide; and twelve (12) Mural scene -
specific plaques measuring approximately 30" high x 48" wide, for a total of 14 plaques.
Centrally located introductory plaques, set into vertical brick banding in the plaza, provide context for the murals
and describe the 1936 design process. The interpretation relating to the themes in each of the murals provides
a balanced and more accurate cultural history introduced in the images.
V
IN 1936, THE MURALS WERE THOUGHT TO BE THE LARGEST SET OF TILE
PAINTINGS IN THE WORLD. AS IN OTHER MONUMENTAL MURALSCREATED DURING
THE GREAT DEPRESSION THE STYLIZED THEMES DEPICT ARTISTIC
REPRESENTATIONS OF HISTORIC EVENTS. A COMMITTEE LED BY TCU
HISTORY PROFESSOR AND ONE -TERM FORT WORTH MAYOR WILLIAM
JACKSON HAMOND DESIGNED THE MURALS TO INSPIRE AN AUDIENCE
WEARY OF THE LAGGING ECONOMY WITH OVERLAPPING CULTURAL
NARRATiV£S THAT FOCUSED ON PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT. BUT THE
MURALS DID NOT REPRESENT A TRUE. EQUITABLE STORY. ADDED IN 2o22,
INTERPRETATIVE PLAQUES ENCOURAGE VIEWERS TO CONSIDER A
CHALLENGING HISTORY AND ASK THE CRITICAL QUESTIONS THAT MAY
TRULY LEAD TO PROGRESS.
BY woo. AGRICULTUP D LED THE STAB'S ECON }MCC G ROWTN- TEXAS PACOUCEO AC MOST ONE TINIRD OF AMEPI COS COTTON,
THIS SCV-NE APPEARS TO DEPICT TERA.NT FARMING AND SHARECROPPING, SYSTEMS WACH ALLOWED WORKERS TO FARM
RENTED LAND FOR A.SHARk OF THE H4RVESTED C!?DPS. ALTHOUGH IT RARI=LY ADVANCED FREEC>M2N AND PlOOR VYMrES TO
PAF2m C V WKRSWP, -HF, FIRST TWO DEC Dr5 OF TWI`NTIETP-CENTURY TExnS WEPC PROSPFRCUS. AFTER wCFDLD wAR
0914-igia WH5*I FIELD VVOPK.f6 MOVED TO LARGSk TOWNS FOR BETTEP WORKAND=DUCAT;ONAL OPPORTUNITIES, LAND
4WNERS WERE FCRCaD TO MODERM;ZE, U53NG MACHINERY TO HAI?VEST COVER TWENFY,i FVE MILLICN ACRES OF COTTON,
WHFI AT. CO#N. AND 0i HER CIiLMVAT�f) CRODS.
COLISEUM PLAQUES FINAL TEXT
�UnaCuni nIU101 nIL1UUUUw1v riauI
ie
The Will Rogers Memorial Center's coliseum and auditorium were the centerpieces of the 1936 Frontier
Centennial, a celebration of 100 years of Texas independence. Exciting displays and reenactments of frontier
life glorified popular mythology of the "Old West." The 200-foot-long, hand -painted tile murals on the two
buildings' facades feature highly romanticized interpretations of cultural histories. Installed in 2023, these
plaques result from a community -centered City of Fort Worth initiative supported with federal American Rescue
Plan Act funds to promote cultural equity and understanding.
Coliseum Mural Plaque 1
p ry Lin
rllllf
1 12 IRA
For over 15,000 years, the land now identified as Texas was home to Native American societies, including the
Caddo, Comanche, Apache, Atakapa, Tonkawa, Lipan, Coahuila, Wichita, Waco, Keechi, and Tawakoni. These
sophisticated tribal nations, with unique languages and cultural practices, hunted the plains, worked the land,
raised families, and engaged in trade. When Texas became a Republic in 1836, President Sam Houston
established policies promoting friendship and trade with Indigenous tribes, however, future administrations
disagreed with his stance, leading to mistrust and warfare for years.
ColiseumPlaque
I
Indigenous people lived in a harmonious and spiritual relationship with the American buffalo and all of nature.
Many depended on the bison for food, clothing, and tools, and honored them in stories and ceremonies. Plains
Nations Indians were also skilled horse riders and breeders as well as agile hunters. By the late 1700s, their
settlements moved efficiently across the plains following herd migrations. When overhunting, years of serious
drought, and governmental policies led to the near extermination of the bison in 1878, Anglo colonists were
more empowered to suppress and control Native people.
Coliseum Mural Plaque 3
MCI
['i1 ELF
LIM .me .; J I I
In 1825, Stephen F. Austin brought 300 families to the Mexican province of Tejas, where Indigenous people
vastly outnumbered Anglo immigrants. To control Indigenous land, Mexico granted land agents (empresarios)
like Austin to recruit Anglo colonists to settle expansive territories. The first colony, with a population of 1,790,
0
Coliseum Mural Plaque 3 (con't)
including 443 enslaved people, spread between the Brazos and Colorado Rivers. Stories of dangerous
expeditions onto Native lands led by rugged frontiersmen shaped the stereotypes of the `peaceful and
industrious colonist' braving attacks of the so called `uncivilized Indians'.
Coliseum Mural Plaque 4
Wi
a m
i
The Lone Star flag flew over the Texas Republic from 1836 to 1846. Trading posts promoted the exchange of
Native textiles, jewelry, and basketry for food, clothing, and other necessities. Although this scene depicts
peaceful trade, the years preceding Texas Independence were full of conflict and violence. When Mexican law
banned slavery in 1829, differences in cultural and political thinking led to revolution. To protect their families,
Indigenous peoples and nations moved deeper into their ancestral homelands as more Anglos came to the new
Republic. Eventually, Native Americans were forcibly removed.
Coliseum Mural Plaque 5
Ai
!
itafvE�AN _
l�',if.fl
1
F,AN
I��
The United States annexed The Republic of Texas in 1845 as the 28th state. The first state census listed
212,592 people residing in Texas. By 1860, the railroad was important for long-distance travel and
transportation of goods. The economy depended on agriculture, particularly cotton, and cattle ranching. Both
brought prosperity to Texas and large landowners. Although slavery was abolished in the Confederate States in
1863, news of emancipation did not come to Texas until June 19, 1865, which, through the tireless efforts of
Fort Worth's Opal Lee, became a national holiday, Juneteenth, in 2021.
Coliseum Mural Plaque 6
)7"J.
10
11 j �. ■I �E A
htbl<141. III = '. 411* ' w?. ql o�'� !�k S
*ar�li r•�''Ku :t=are
Although the Mexican Vaquero is not shown in this scene, many modern-day ranching techniques and popular
cowboy practices can be traced to them. Skilled horse and cattlemen, Vaqueros participated in traditional
sporting events called Charreria, the precursor of the modern-day rodeo. Working ranch hands by day, mestizo
(mixed Native American and Spanish people), Black, Anglo and Indigenous horsemen often competed in roping
and riding competitions in their free time. By the 1890s, organized rodeos were popular spectator events that
gave cowboys a chance to demonstrate skills honed on the range.
5
FINAL AUDITORIUM PLAQUE TEXT
kuaitorium iviurai introauctory via,
1ue
In 1936, these murals were considered the largest set of mosaics in the world. Like other public artwork created
during the Great Depression (1929-1939), stylized images feature intertwined cultural stories. Themes directed
by Texas Christian University Professor and one -term Fort Worth Mayor William Jackson Hammond focused on
progress and achievement. Nevertheless, the murals did not represent an accurate story. The goal of these
interpretative plaques is to encourage viewers to learn more about Texas' multifaceted history and to foster
cultural understanding and equity in our community.
Auditorium Mural Plaque 1
Spain, France, and Mexico explored and occupied Native American land from 1519 until 1836. Each nation's
influence can still be seen today. First to claim the new territory, the Spanish named it Tejas, the Caddo word
for "friendship." But Spanish missions set up as cultural centers for training and education enabled Spain to take
Native lands and resources by forcing religious and cultural assimilation. The departing Spanish conquistador
and the sterned-faced and traditionally dressed Mexican trio reference Mexico's rejection of colonial rule in 1810
and the fight for Mexican independence.
Auditorium Mural Plaque 2
7 f K qv.di
�P
After Stephen F. Austin brought the first colonizing settlers to Texas, other Anglo immigrants seeking new
opportunities followed, including David "Davy" Crockett. When Texas became a state in 1845 and Anglo
population tripled in fifteen years, Indigenous people resisted intrusions onto their lands. Many were killed,
enslaved, or forced into Anglo society. The 1850 Texas Census, including immigrants and enslaved people,
recorded significant ethnic diversity in Texas. Joining the Confederate States in 1861, Texas seceded from the
Union. It rejoined five years after the bloody Civil War ended.
Auditorium Mural Plaque 3
®� Aq� ;
M.
Auditorium Mural Plaque 3 (cont')
Texas ranching has been a major economic industry since 1730. The ancient practice of branding, permanently
marking by hot iron, was brought to the New World by the Spanish. It became state law in 1848, requiring cattle
owners to register unique brands as legal proof of ownership. With the invention of barbed wire (1874), Anglo
landownership, made possible after the forceable removal of Native people, boomed, and vast parcels of land
for grazing cattle and farming were created. Workers, by necessity and by force, were ethnically diverse,
including women and enslaved Blacks and Indigenous people.
Auditorium Mural Plaque 4
64k-1.
Use of the land and its value was changing dramatically. For the first two decades of 20th century, agriculture
led the state's economic growth. Texas produced almost one third of America's cotton. This scene depicts
tenant farming and sharecropping, systems in which freedmen, poor white, and Mexican workers farmed rented
land for a share of the harvested crops. Sharecropping rarely resulted in farm ownership. After World War 1
(1914-1918), many laborers moved to cities for work, forcing landowners to modernize with machinery to
harvest millions of acres of cotton, wheat, and other crops.
Auditorium Mural Plaque 5
J i i....
O
The modern Texas economy began to boom in 1901. The discovery of oil in Beaumont was international news.
Spindletop, the largest gusher the world had ever seen, blew oil more than 150 feet high and produced an
unprecedented 100,000 barrels of oil per day and 3.5 million barrels the first year. By 1940, Texas led all U.S.
states in oil production. Industrialization influenced growth in construction, shipping, transportation, and
manufacturing and oil displaced agriculture as the economic powerhouse in Texas. As urban areas grew, the
use of the land and its resources was changing more profoundly.
Auditorium Mural Plaque 6
Nib
t�f 1�
�� F
New Deal programs helped Texas recover from the Great Depression (1929-1939). Federal funding for parks,
highways, and public buildings provided much -needed work and improved infrastructure. Though not
acknowledged in this scene, a diversity of men and women contributed to the building of new school buildings,
the county hospital, a new city hall and public library, and the Will Rogers Memorial Center, including the
Pioneer Tower, Coliseum, and Auditorium. Progress and achievement had changed the state, and the city, but
not without commitment and not without sacrifice.
7