The Fire Next Time II

“The Fire Next Time II” by Dewey Crumpler is located on the exterior of the gymnasium at the Joseph Lee Recreation Center in San Francisco, California. The mural is a national icon of African- American history and is beloved by the local community.

ARG Conservation Services was contracted to treat the cracks, holes, dirt, graffiti, discolored coatings, and peeling paint on the mural. Deterioration allowed water to penetrate the substrate, causing damage to the building and mural. Areas of completely detached painted surface (“lacunae”) impeded a cohesive reading of the mural.

The main objective of the treatment was to prevent further deterioration and achieve an overall integrated visual restoration. The goals of the treatment included patching areas of missing concrete, consolidating historic and culturally significant paint layers, filling cracks to reduce water penetration, and in-painting lacunae to improve visual integration of the mural.

The result of the treatment preserves this beloved and historically significant mural for the communmity. Educational programming for local school children was developed in conjunction with the mural restoration.