|
Milford Zornes Fresco "Ramona" |
|
||||
In conjunction with the 90th season celebration of the Ramona Bowl in Hemet, California, the 1942 fresco “Ramona” by Milford Zornes was also recognized last Saturday, February 9. The fresco has been at the Bowl for over 70 years and the anniversary of the play “Ramona” is an apt time to reintroduce this outstanding piece of art. A collaborative effort of design and workmanship, the fresco was designed by Barbara Taylor, one of the students at the Otis Art Institute who worked on the painting along with Zornes. The daunting 16x18 foot fresco completed in February 1942, has been called a “national treasure” by Ilia Anossov, internationally renowned fresco painter and founder of Fresco School. The history of the fresco was discussed at the event, and speakers included Annossov, Laura Doroca (Otis College of Art and Design), and Bill Anderson (owner of Anderson Gallery in Sunset Beach, an artist and long time friend of Milford Zornes). The fresco was photographed by local photographer Gene Sasse, who made a limited number of giclee prints available. The lower 4 feet of the fresco has been painted over, and without that portion, the full drama of the piece is lost. Few people know about the existence of “Ramona”, and fewer still have knowledge that it was a work by Zornes. Anossov recommends that it be restored and preserved and noted that frescos last hundreds of years without fading. Truly a “Hidden Treasure”, the Zornes fresco remains in Hemet waiting to be restored to its original beauty. |
||||||
Fresco as it looks today |
||||||
copy by: Laurie Morrison |
||||||
The full fresco |
||||||
© 2013 Inland Empire Museum of Art
| ||||||
