HARTFORD The abstract murals at the XL Center have gone largely underappreciated — even unnoticed — for years, but now they will be catching a lot more attention: Turns out, they are worth millions of dollars.
Two murals by Harlem Renaissance artist Romare Bearden have been valued at $4.2 million by a New York appraiser. The city of Hartford hired the appraiser in anticipation of moving the murals beforecoming renovations to the XL Center arena.
The works, intended as public art, were commissioned in 1980 for what was then known as the Hartford Civic Center. The murals — the larger being 16 feet by 10 feet — are hung in the concourse in the northwest corner, above entrance doors to the arena.
The appraisal, made public this week, was sought once it became clear the murals wouldn't be used as part of a $35 million renovation to the aging building.
The appraisal, by Michael R. Chisolm, pegged "Untitled," representing music and other cultural events, at $2 million. "Olympics," depicting sporting events and represented by a single but divided athlete, is valued at $2.2 million. The athlete is a black basketball player on one side and a white hockey player on the other.
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-xl-center-murals-appraisal-20140520,0,5888023.story
Two murals by Harlem Renaissance artist Romare Bearden have been valued at $4.2 million by a New York appraiser. The city of Hartford hired the appraiser in anticipation of moving the murals beforecoming renovations to the XL Center arena.
The works, intended as public art, were commissioned in 1980 for what was then known as the Hartford Civic Center. The murals — the larger being 16 feet by 10 feet — are hung in the concourse in the northwest corner, above entrance doors to the arena.
The appraisal, made public this week, was sought once it became clear the murals wouldn't be used as part of a $35 million renovation to the aging building.
The appraisal, by Michael R. Chisolm, pegged "Untitled," representing music and other cultural events, at $2 million. "Olympics," depicting sporting events and represented by a single but divided athlete, is valued at $2.2 million. The athlete is a black basketball player on one side and a white hockey player on the other.
http://www.courant.com/business/hc-xl-center-murals-appraisal-20140520,0,5888023.story
