FAC Theater Lounge - Downstairs

This mural was painted in 1936 by Archie Musick on the walls of the downstairs lounge in the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. It was restored in 1985 by Mary Ann Bransby. Musick, an instructor at the Broadmoor Art Academy, “creates an airy mural strongly influenced by traditional Oriental landscape painting” that includes depictions of dozens of wildlife creatures from both current and prehistoric periods. Musick comments about this mural in his autobiography “Musick Medley” as follows: ” With a suggestion from Mechau [Frank], I decided to keep my design delicate and airy by simply rubbing dry pigment on the snow-white wall with a rag, outlining birds and animals with a fine pencil line and sealing it by spraying a mixture of mastic varnish and turpentine with a flit gun.” See photos below for selected details of this mural. (Source: “The Murals of Colorado: Walls that Speak” and “Musick Medley”)