University News

Half of the wall mural "Fort Dearborn" in the third floor auditorium of Sherman Hall has been preserved to show the different work makes. The remainder of the piece will be preserved in late October.
[Download Print-Quality Image]

The Sherman Hall wall mural "Mormon Temple Ruins – Nauvoo, IL will be restored in late October thanks to the fundraising efforts of University Archives and Special Collections Coordinator Jeff Hancks. He will speak about the temple in the Sherman Hall third floor auditorium on Oct. 14.
[Download Print-Quality Image]

Hancks to Speak about Nauvoo's First Temple Oct. 14

October 8, 2014

Share |
Printer friendly version

MACOMB, IL – The history of the Mormon Temple in Nauvoo, IL, and the predominant religion of that western Illinois community will be the topic of a lecture at Western Illinois University Tuesday, Oct. 14 by University Archives and Special Collections Coordinator Jeff Hancks.

The lecture, "A Home for the Most High: Nauvoo's First Temple," begins at 7 p.m. in the third floor auditorium of Sherman Hall and is being held in advance of artistic restoration efforts beginning on two of the auditorium's paintings, including one of the ruins of the Mormon Temple in Nauvoo.

The Sherman Hall auditorium contains a total of four painted murals by artist Herbert L. Conner, including one that was half-restored in December 2013 by art conservators from The Conservation Center of Chicago to show the difference that restoration efforts make. The center also previously restored several of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) pieces in the permanent collection of the University Art Gallery.

The half-restored mural in Sherman Hall is an 1820s depiction of "Fort Dearborn 1820." Directly across the auditorium is a second mural, "Mormon Temple Ruins – Nauvoo, IL. The other two murals, which the Western Illinois University Foundation eventually hopes to raise money to restore, are of the "Last Stand of the Illini at Starved Rock on the Illinois" and "Winter Quarters of the Marquette – 1674."

While the Foundation will pay for the balance of the "Fort Dearborn 1820" piece, Hancks helped raise the money to pay for the "Mormon Temple Ruins – Nauvoo, IL" piece. The lead donor is the Mormon Historic Sites Foundation in Utah, and other donors include WIU alumnus Randy Sollenberger, of Macomb, former WIU College of Business and Technology Dean Tom Erekson and Hancks and his wife, Meredith.

"We appreciate the support of these donors to help us with the restoration efforts, which are part of the ongoing renovations of the Sherman Hall auditorium," said WIU Vice President for Advancement and Public Services Brad Bainter.

Hancks also serves as a professor of regional and Icarian studies at Western, and he is a researcher, writer and presenter on various aspects of western Illinois history. Hancks is the author of "Scandinavians in Michigan," "Western Illinois University: A Campus History" and is the founding editor of the upcoming series "Celebrating the Peoples of Illinois."

"Restoration of this painting was vital because it is the only one of the four that is of western Illinois," Hancks said. "It is important to preserve that regional painting."

During Hancks' lecture, he will speak about the history of the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter-day Saints. He will also discuss why the Saints came to Nauvoo, what their life was like in the community and why a majority of Nauvoo's Saints migrated to the Salt Lake Valley after the death of their prophet, Joseph Smith.

The original Nauvoo Temple was burned by arsonists in 1848, and the Icarians attempted to rebuild it for their own use. The balance of the building was destroyed by an 1850 tornado. The Sherman Hall mural depicts the ruins left behind after the tornado.

In addition to Hancks' lecture, art conservators from the Conservation Center of Chicago will speak at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28 in the Sherman Hall auditorium. They will talk about their careers, training and the WIU restoration work.

All of the events are open free to the public.

Hancks' lecture is co-sponsored by the WIU Foundation and the WIU Art Gallery. For more information, visit wiu.edu/artgallery.



Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing