SOULAGES TILE MURAL TO BE REINSTALLED

PIERRE SOULAGES, AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED ARTIST OF FRENCH ORIGIN, WHOSE WORKS WERE RECENTLY EXHIBITED IN A RETROSPECTIVE AT THE POMPIDOU CENTRE IN PARIS. IN 1968, SOULAGES CREATED A SITE-SPECIFIC TILE MURAL COMMISSIONED BY THE OWNERS OF ONE OLIVER PLAZA, AN OFFICE BUILDING IN PITTSBURGH. IN THE SPRING OF 2009, THE OLIVER BUILDING WAS SOLD AND THE NEW OWNERS PLANNED TO REMOVE THE 14 x 20 FOOT MURAL, COMPOSED OF 294 INDIVIDUAL, HAND-FORMED CERAMIC TILES. THE MASTERWORK, UNVEILED IN MAY OF 1968, WAS OFFERED TO MUSEUMS AND ORGANIZATIONS, BUT NONE WERE WILLING TO UNDERTAKE THE DIFFICULT REMOVAL OF THE WORK. THE DIRECTOR AND BOARD OF THE BUTLER INSTITUTE ACCEPTED THE WORK AS A GIFT FROM THE NEW OWNERS OF THE OLIVER BUILDING, AND REMOVED THE DELICATE TILE MURAL IN AN EXTENSIVE TEN-DAY PERIOD IN JULY 2009. THE EXTRAORDINARY WORK (NOW UNDERGOING FINE ART CONSERVATION) WILL BE REINSTALLED IN A GLASS-FRONTED ROOM, CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE MASSIVE PIECE. DESIGNED BY BART GILMORE OF CORTLAND, OHIO, THE 'SOULAGES GALLERY' WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AT THE INSTITUTE'S TRUMBULL BRANCH, LOCATED IN HOWLAND TOWNSHIP, OHIO. THE SOULAGES MURAL, TITLED '14 MAY, 1968', WILL BE FEATURED IN THE NEW GALLERY, AND WILL BE ACCESSIBLE FOR PUBLIC VIEWING NIGHT AND DAY, FREE OF CHARGE.