Lost Murals Found at Harcum College

Bryn Mawr, PA -- October 12, 2017 -- An historically significant collection of "lost" murals was discovered in a remote storage area in the basement of Klein Hall. While a half dozen floor-to-ceiling murals have stood in the Klein Dining Hall for decades, the others created as part of a 20-year student mural project at Harcum College, were believed to have been lost or destroyed in the intervening years.

They were created under the guidance of the late artist and veteran educator Martin Zipin and were found by College employees cleaning out storage space as part of a fitness center/Klein gymnasium renovation project.

The “Murals at Harcum,” designed and painted by Harcum College students, are an extraordinary, oversized collection of art inspired by Martin Zipin (1920-1991). From 1967 to 1987, under Zipin’s guidance, each painting class designed a mural for Klein Hall. Each mural was supervised by one student and completed by a group of students. Vibrantly painted on wood panels, the murals vary from about 4' x 8' to 6' x 12'. Similar to
political poster style, the murals depict serious and timely topics such as the war in Vietnam, the 1985 Move bombing, and the AIDS epidemic as well as lighter topics such as the Philadelphia Flyers winning the
Stanley Cup, the Pac-Man craze, and the “Boss” Bruce Springsteen.

In the book titled Murals at Harcum 1967-1987, Zipin said, “The murals are really sociological documents — a history of our times, as seen through the eyes of our young students.”

Zipin, an American artist and educator, was a Harcum faculty member for 38 years. In the 1960s, Zipin suggested to then-President Philip Klein that the school purchase art work to decorate the dining area in Klein Hall, built in 1964. Klein had a better idea. He wanted Zipin and his students to fill the walls. That was the beginning of the “Murals at Harcum.”

Food stains and dirt have tarnished the murals hanging in the dining area. Years ago, some of the murals were removed from the dining area, dismantled and stored. Recently discovered, these murals have been tainted by grime, scratches, and damaged panels. As a result, Harcum College will embark on a restoration project.

To save and preserve the murals for posterity, the “Murals at Harcum” will be restored to as close to their original condition as possible. Upon completion, the murals will be displayed on the campus of Harcum College.

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About Harcum College
Harcum College, one of Pennsylvania’s first independent, associate’s degree-granting colleges, was founded in Bryn Mawr, PA in 1915, and was the first college in Pennsylvania chartered by the state to grant associate degrees. Harcum offers fully accredited, career-ready majors in nursing, the allied health professions, business, and social sciences on campus and regionally, as well as lifelong learning programs and
certificate programs.