Painted-over mural causes consternation

NEW YORK — A mural of constellations in the night sky adorned a third-floor ceiling at DeWitt Clinton High School for more than 75 years, one of thousands of artworks here and around the country supported by New Deal programs to employ artists and beautify public spaces.

But Scorpio, Taurus and the rest now are hidden under bright blue paint, slathered on during a repair project, and preservationists say the painting-over of the mural “Constellations” by German-born artist Alfred Floegel was a travesty.

“That was an amazing act of vandalism that they had no right to do,” said Gray Brechin, the founder of a project called the Living New Deal that catalogs public works funded by the Franklin Delano Roosevelt administration.

The mural cover-up first was reported in the Daily News, which said it happened last November. Doug Cohen, a spokesman for the New York Department of Education, said the mural was painted over during roof repairs at the 89year-old Bronx school.

He said officials are “exploring ways to restore this historic artwork.”

One art restorer said it would be possible, though expensive, to remove the blue paint from “Constellations.”

Haskins said “Constellations” is not the first historic school mural to be painted over.

“Every once in a while you get a dingbat principal that gets a roller out and tells maintenance to give it a fresh coat of paint,” he said. “I’ve seen it happen all over the country.”

Frank da Cruz / Associated Press This 1930s mural by Alfred Floegel was painted over during a repair project at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx area of New York. Art advocates call it a travesty.