A Beloved Mosaic’s New Lease on Life

“Man — Creator of Order and Disorder” returns to its former glory. Bryce Richter

As a mosaic in the busy William H. Sewell Social Sciences Building, Man — Creator of Order and Disorder has been bumped by passersby since its installation in 1963. Last May, the UW brought in Milwaukee conservator Cricket Harbeck to restore the colorful work by James Watrous ’31, MS’33, PhD’39, creator of the Memorial Union’s Paul Bunyan murals and other beloved campus art. Armed with a headlamp and brushes, Harbeck returned the piece to its former glory. She even replaced some of the glass tessera tiles with identical versions from Watrous’s original supply. Miraculously, the tiles were still in campus storage, safely packed in Babcock ice cream tubs.

Published in the Winter 2019 issue