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A small crew is working to clean and restore the mural by Mexican artist and architect Juan O’Gorman on the Lila Cockrell Theatre at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center. The mural was installed in 1967 just ahead of HemisFair ’68, for which it had been commissioned.

“Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas,” the mosaic mural created by Juan O’Gorman that stretches across the exterior of the Lila Cockrell Theatre, depicts the development of Mesoamerican and European cultures.

Despite decades of exposure to the sun, wind and rain, there are just a few places where Juan O’Gorman’s epic mosaic mural at the Henry B. González Convention Center betrays its age.

Those spots are getting some TLC for the first time since it was installed for HemisFair ’68. The city's Convention & Sports Facilities Department and Department of Arts & Culture came together to clean and  restore the 130-by-22 foot piece, which stretches across the exterior of the Lila Cockrell Theatre high above the River Walk.

“Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas,” the 130-by-22-foot mural created by artist and architect Juan O’Gorman for HemisFair ’68, is being cleaned and restored

“The artist built his pieces to last, that’s for sure, and so we’re excited to do this upkeep, get it it cleaned up little bit and make it last for another 50-plus years and beyond,” said Krystal Jones, executive director of the Department of Arts & Culture.

Work began Aug. 1 on the sprawling artwork, titled “Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas.” It is expected to be completed by the middle of next week.

The project sprang from a plan to replace aging gutters and make some roof repairs around the mural. As long as the scaffolding was in place, it made sense to also take a look at the artwork and see what kind of attention it might need, said architect Guillermo G. Moya, who works for the sports facilities department. So they reached out to the arts department to set it up.

The mural's intricate imagery depicts the development of Mesoamerican and European cultures. The title comes from the theme for HemisFair '68, for which it was commissioned.

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The mural is in pretty good shape, Moya said. The main issue is that about 100 stones have been dislodged over the years. That may sound like a lot, but considering the fact that it is comprised of more than 400,000, it's a pretty tiny number.

The public art division of the city’s arts department worked with Bridge Projects, a San Antonio-based art firm, to track down stones that would match those that had gone missing. The stones — which include rose quartz, volcanic red, black volcanic and yellow jasper — came from across the state and around the country, Jones said.

A small crew is working horizontally from top to bottom to affix the new stones with an epoxy solution, Moya said. 

“Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas,” the sprawling mural on the exterior of the Lila Cockrell Theatre, is being restored. It also will be cleaned.

Once they’re finished, the mural will get a gentle scrubbing — just enough to remove the grime but being careful not to dislodge anything, he said.

“It’s an important piece so we want to take care of it,” he said.

O'Gorman, who died in 1982, was a well-regarded artist and architect. Among the works for which he is best known are the studio he designed in 1932 for Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and the Central Library at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, on which he worked with two other architects. Both structures are in Mexico City.

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The artist constructed his HemisFair mural in Mexico. It was sent to San Antonio via truck, arriving in 540 precast concrete panels. Each panel then was secured to the exterior of the Convention Center.

Artist and architect Juan O’Gorman shows a study for “Confluence of Civilizations in the Americas,” the epic mosaic mural he was commissioned to create for HemisFair ’68. The mural is being cleaned and restored for the first time since it was installed.

It is situated across from another mural titled "“Confluence of Civilizations,” which also was commissioned for HemisFair. That piece is an abstract glass tile piece by artist Carlos Mérida. It was restored a few years ago as part of the renovation of the Convention Center.

“They cleaned it; they put some sealant on it; and it just looks beautiful,” said Patricia Muzquiz Cantor, executive director of the convention department. “We brought it back to life, and the colors became so much more vibrant.”

The department had long wanted to do the same thing for the O'Gorman mural, and this seemed like the perfect time to do it, she said.

“We’re really happy that we’re giving it the care it deserves so that it can be enjoyed by future generations of San Antonians and our visitors alike,” she said.

dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN