  | Art Sherman '50 restores the Memorial Union murals. | |||||||||||||||
Generations of URI students have enjoyed the cartoon murals in the Memorial Union that recreate student life in the late '40s and early '50s. Even though the bright colors faded with time, the pictures remained lively depictions of campus activities that have changed little over the decades. At the invitation of Bruce Hamilton, director of the Memorial Union, Art Sherman '50, professor emeritus of physical education, spent the summer perched on a ladder, oil paints in hand, restoring the murals that he created in 1953. How long did it take to paint the originals? "It took me about a year commuting from Providence," Art recalls. "Sometimes I'd come down and work all night when the building was quiet. I remember how nice people were. I'd take a break to sit and have coffee with friends, and they would make suggestions. For instance, the first guard rail I painted in the station scene (top left) was this ugly yellow metal; then someone suggested that I change it to the black and white wooden railing that would have existed in the '40s." In restoring, Art did a little updating. "The naval officer [station scene] was originally a civilian, but I changed his clothes because his jacket represents the era--there was a big influx of veterans after the war." Art's first cartoons decorated the original Quonset Hut Union. When the present Memorial Union was constructed in 1953, manager Chester Berry asked Art to paint three murals. The missing mural, which was painted over long ago, depicted URI Athletics with legendary coaches Frank Keaney and Fred Tootell. Art himself appears in the station scene. "I'm the eye peering out of the crate."
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