Making Murals that Withstand a Hurricane

>> IN THE 20'S THROUGH THE 60'S, THAT'S THE TIME WHEN NERO'S BECAME SO POPULAR. >> COINCIDENTALLY THAT IT IS. >> MURALS CAME IN VOGUE IN THIS COUNTRY DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION. WHEN THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION HIRED MORE THAN 15,000 ARTISTS TO LIFT THE NATION'S SPIRITS. THE PRESS RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN DISTRESS, BUSINESS DISTRICTS ARE USING EUROS TO TRANSFORM BUILDINGS AND ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS INTO HISTORIC AND CULTURAL LANDMARKS. BUT BUILDINGS AND WALLS CAN BE COMPROMISED BY THE ELEMENTS, INCLUDING HURRICANES. SO GORDA, WHICH HAS GIVEN ITSELF THE NICKNAME OF MURAL TOWN HAS DECIDED NOT TO PAINT MURALS ON BUILDINGS ANYMORE. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THE GORDA, HISTORIC MURAL SOCIETY IS DOING INSTEAD. KELLY IS PRESIDENT OF THE GORDA. HISTORIC MURALS INSIDE. SHE HAS MIRRORLESS KEYS GOODSON ON SPEED DIAL. SHE CALLS HIM WHATEVER ONE OF THE SOCIETY'S MURALS FAILS. SHE'S HAD TO CALL THEM A LOT. THE SOCIETY HAS LOST TWO-THIRDS OF ITS MURALS OVER THE COURSE OF ITS 31 YEAR. HISTORY. >> WE'VE LOST 9 URALS 2 WALL ISSUES LIKE STUCCO FAILING OR WATER INTRUSION. THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WE'VE LOST. ANOTHER 11 WHEN BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN TORN DOWN FOR EITHER HURT BECAUSE OF HURRICANES OR REDEVELOPMENT, LOSING A MURALS ABOUT SO MUCH MORE THAN THE ART. >> OR THE MONEY, THE SOCIETY HAS SHELLED OUT AN ARTIST, THESE MATERIALS AND UPKEEP. >> OUR MISSION IS TO ACTUALLY PRESERVE OUR LOCAL HISTORY THROUGH ART AND EDUCATION. AND WE DO THAT WITH PUBLIC MURALS AND EACH OF YEAR-OLDS CAPTURES A SLICE OF OUR LOCAL HISTORY. >> FOR EXAMPLE, THE SOCIETY COMMISSIONED A MURAL FOR THE SOUTH WALL OF THE STORE IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY COURTHOUSE IN 2014, IT'S DEDICATED TO THE LIFE AND TIMES OF WEALTHY BLACK LANDOWNER GEORGE BROWN WHO SOLD CHARLOTTE COUNTY, THE LAND FOR THE COURTHOUSE. BUT WITHIN 2 YEARS, THE MURAL EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM. >> RIGHT AFTER A RAINSTORM, I JUST WALKING DOWN THE SIDEWALK AND I LOOKED AND I SAW BUBBLES FORMING ON THE MURAL AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT IT WAS IN HERE. THEY WERE FILLED WITH WATER. BY THE TIME WE ACTUALLY REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING ON. MOST OF THE MURAL HAD LIFTED FROM THE SURFACE. >> AS A STOPGAP, THE MURAL SOCIETY TOOK A HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPH OF THE MURAL PRINTED ON VINYL WHICH THEY GLUE TO ALUMINUM PANELS. BUT FINAL DOESN'T HOLD UP IN SOUTHWEST FAR AS LIGHT AND HUMIDITY. SO CALLED GOODSON. >> KEITH GOODSON AGREED TO REPAY THEM. YOU'RE ALL FOR US ON YOUR CLASS. AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OFF THE FINAL AND INSTALL A MURAL COSTLY. NOW, ONCE AGAIN, HAVE A HAND-PAINTED MURAL. >> BASICALLY, IT IS A VERY THIN TYPE OF THAT. AN ALMOST MATERIAL THAT WHEN WE PAINTED WE PRIME IT AND THEN WE HAD ON TOP OF THAT PRIMER, GOODSON COULD HAVE GLUED HIS MURAL ON THE WALL. BUT IN GORDA, THAT'S NOT A GREAT OPTION. >> THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUILDINGS HERE IN TOWN OR OLDER, 50 PLUS YEARS. SO WE'RE ON SANDY SOIL. THEY SETTLED A CRACK. WE END UP HAVING ISSUES WITH MURALS A LOT. >> INSTEAD, GOODSON ATTACHED HIS RURAL CLOCK TO ALUMINUM PANELS WITH THE GEL THAT HARDENS INTO A PROTECTIVE TILE LIKE THE NEW YEAR. IT'S JUST KIND OF LIKE. >> MESHES WITH THE SURFACE, IT'S SORT OF LIKE THE PAIN BECOMES NOW ONE, WHAT THAT SURFACE AND PRETTY MUCH INDESTRUCTIBLE. IT'S AMAZING. >> GOODSON HAS USED MURAL CLOTH ON 8 OF THE SOCIETY'S MURALS EARLY-ON. HE IN THE SOCIETY'S FABRICATOR BOWL TO THE ALUMINUM PANELS TO THE SIDE OF THE BUILDING OR OTHER WALL. NOW THEY USE CRUISE THAT ENABLE THE MURAL SOCIETY TO REMOVE THE MURAL IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR STORM. >> SO WE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS ONE OF THE POSITIVES WHERE WE COULD SAY, WOW, WE HAVE THESE PANEL. WE CAN REMOVE THE MUD FOR HURRICANES COMING ACTUALLY FOR THE PAST SEVERAL HURRICANES. WE HAVEN'T REMOVED THEM AND THEY'VE ACTUALLY FARED BETTER IN SOME CASES THAN THE BUILDING THEMSELVES. >> THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO 3 MURALS ON THE GORDA BOAT CLUB BUILDING IN GILCHRIST PARK. >> THE STORM SURGE WAS SO SEVERE THAT IT ACTUALLY BREACHED ALL THE WINDOWS AND THE DOORS OF THE BUILDING AND WASH ALL THE CONTENTS OUT INTO THE HARBOR, INCLUDING EVEN DISHES. THE MURAL WOULD HAVE BEEN AT LEAST HALFWAY UNDERWATER. IT CAME THROUGH FINE. THERE WAS NO ISSUES WHATSOEVER. IT HAD TO WIPE IT DOWN AND SOME DIRT ON IT. >> IT'S ALSO IMPERATIVE TO HAVE THAT OPTION. SHOULD THE BUILDING BE COMPROMISED BY FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OR OTHER EVENTS? >> WE DECIDED ALL OUR FUTURE MURALS. WE'RE GOING TO BE REMOVABLE ALUMINUM PANELS WITH MURAL CLOCK. >> AND AND THAT'S PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT IN A TOWN LIKE OR WHERE YOU HAVE A LOT OF OLDER BUILDING, CORRECT FOR WDSU NEWS, TOM. ALL. >> FOR MORE ON THE ART