Kraft, Arthur Mural

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St. Joseph Museums

The image is a newspaper clipping titled "Arthur Kraft's Mural" from the Kansas City Star in 1989. It discusses the deteriorating condition of a mosaic on the Children's Library's exterior wall, created by the late Arthur M. Kraft. The mosaic, which once brought pride and beauty to the library and was seen as a testament to Kraft's talent, now suffers from significant cracks. This issue is emblematic of neglect within the Kansas City School District, where maintenance has been deferred. The article also mentions problems with other parts of the building, such as a warped floor due to water leaks. It criticizes the wasteful attitude towards property maintenance and encourages proactive care to prevent further decay.

The image is a newspaper clipping titled "Arthur Kraft's Mural" from the Kansas City Star in 1989. It discusses the deteriorating condition of a mosaic on the Children's Library's exterior wall, created by the late Arthur M. Kraft. The mosaic, which once brought pride and beauty to the library and was seen as a testament to Kraft's talent, now suffers from significant cracks. This issue is emblematic of neglect within the Kansas City School District, where maintenance has been deferred. The article also mentions problems with other parts of the building, such as a warped floor due to water leaks. It criticizes the wasteful attitude towards property maintenance and encourages proactive care to prevent further decay.

Name/Title

Kraft, Arthur Mural

Entry/Object ID

AM2012.13.7

Scope and Content

Kraft, Arthur Mural is a newspaper article printed in the "Kansas City Star" newspaper in 1989 expressing concern over the disrepair of a mosaic mural by Arthur Kraft. The mural is located on the outside wall of the Children's Library in Kansas City. Arthur Mayfield Kraft was a native of Kansas City, attended Southwest High School, the Kansas City Art Institute and Yale University. While at Yale, he won an Alice Kimball English Award in 1946 to study abroad. His paintings took first prize at both the Army Arts Exhibition in San Francisco in 1945 and at the Fifth Annual Audubon Artists Exhibition in New York in 1946. Mr. Kraft has four metal sculptures at the famous Northland Shopping Center in Detroit, Michigan. His works have appeared at the Salon of Jean Cocteau at the Palais Royale in Paris and in 1949 at a one-man show in New York at the Jacques Selegmann Gallery. In Kansas City, his murals are in the Muehlebach Hotel, Macy's, Pickwick Hotel, the Kansas City Public Library, Douglass School, and Security National Bank , to name a few. Arthur Kraft was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1956 by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. His is composed of brilliant colors and fantasy figures and beautiful shapes. Arthur Kraft was a patient at the St. Joseph State Hospital #2 for a short period of time.

Lexicon

LOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials

Art, Murals, Artists

Search Terms

Mosaic Murals, St. Joseph State Hospital No. 2, Glore Psychiatric Museum

Legacy Lexicon

Object Name

News Clipping

Condition

Overall Condition

Good

Maintenance

Maintenance History

Date

Jun 26, 2012

Relationships

Related Person or Organization

Person or Organization

Kraft, Arthur