In the News

2022

2022 Preservation Awards Announced

Burlington, VT, June 9, 2022 -- The Preservation Trust of Vermont today will award five Preservation Awards to individuals and organizations that have made special contributions to preserving Vermont’s historic architecture, downtowns and village centers. The awards will be presented at the Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference in St. Johnsbury. More than 300 people will be on hand to celebrate.

Receiving 2022 awards are:

Friends of the Lost Mural for the saving, moving and painstaking restoration of the Lost Mural now located in the lobby of the Ohavi Zedek Synagogue in Burlington.

The Preservation Trust of Vermont is a statewide organization that builds community through preservation of Vermont’s downtowns and village centers. www.ptvermont.org

“A Gorgeous, Long-Lost Mural of the 10 Commandments Has Been Uncovered, Offering a Glimpse Into a Vanished Art Style: The so-called 'Lost Mural' was hidden behind a wall for decades.”
Art World - 08/18/2022

2021

"This Place in History: Lost Mural Project," Segment One
Vermont Historical Society - 1/28/2021

"This Place in History: Lost Mural Project ," Segment Two
Vermont Historical Society - 1/28/2021

More than a Market
Historic New England - February 2021

Restoration of unique 1910 mural continues in Burlington synagogue
My Champlain Valley - 8/23/2021

Lithuanian Ambassador to the United States Visits the Lost Mural
CCTV - 8/20/2021

Preservation Trust of Vermont 2021 Annual Report

2020

Five Years Ago This May We Moved the Lost Mural!

Because of the support of the local, regional, and international communities, the Friends of the Lost Mural is celebrating an exciting milestone - it's the 5th anniversary of the Mural’s historic move!

We’d like to invite you to join us in celebrating this anniversary, and also to catch you up on what the Friends of the Lost Mural have been working on over the past five years, and especially in the past few months.

May 6, 2020 marks five years since the Mural’s historic move from 105 Hyde Street in Burlington to Ohavi Zedek Synagogue, about four-tenths of a mile up the road. Many of you may recall the incredible feat of moving the Mural….and if you don’t, you can watch it here!

Today, the mural hangs in the public lobby of Ohavi Zedek Synagogue.

With the mural safely installed in the lobby of Ohavi Zedek, the Friends Board could begin to prepare for the next phase of its existence. How could we ensure that generations to come will be able to see and experience the power of the Mural? How do we tell the multitude of stories that emanate from the Mural? What role does the Mural play in the larger context of the immigrant experience in Vermont? The questions -- and the possibilities -- were endless.

To that end, last November, the Friends of the Lost Mural brought together an impressive cohort of museum directors, arts experts, and cultural historians to brainstorm the tremendous potential of the Lost Mural. They encouraged the Board to prioritize the continued restoration of the mural. Without professional art conservation, none of the exciting possibilities mentioned above would, well, be possible.

The most immediate and urgent step in the conservation of the mural is to carefully remove the layer of varnish on the mural’s surface before it hardens any further. We are busily working on applications for grants to help subsidize $150,000 for this cleaning, which will not only protect the mural, but will also reveal its vibrant original colors. A bigger total goal of $300,000 would additionally enable us to restore the damaged areas of the mural, bringing it fully back to its original appearance.

We look forward to the completion of this work in the near future because we know that the mural’s message of hope and determination will be even more powerful when its original colors are able to shine once again!

One of the things we have learned by showing the mural to thousands of visitors over the past five years is that even after 110 years, the mural’s story still resonates -- maybe now more than ever. We must stand together to restore our faith in hope and humanity and to not take our beloved community history, struggles and freedoms for granted.

Wishing all of you health and safety during these uncertain times.

The Friends of the Lost Mural

If you’d like to join in the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the mural’s move, you can explore “Five Fascinating Facts for the Mural’s 5th Anniversary.” You can also help us explore how the mural’s colors might look after cleaning by coloring your own version of the Lost Mural and then sharing it with us on Facebook or by email: friendsofthelostmural@gmail.com