Historic mural could return to Ukiah, this time at City Hall

The Benjamin Cunningham mural that graced the walls of the now-shuttered Ukiah post office could be installed at City Hall under a tentative deal adopted by the City Council on Wednesday.|
GLENDA ANDERSON
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

A historic mural that graced the former downtown Ukiah post office from 1937 until the facility’s closure in 2012 is expected to return to its hometown in the near future.

The Ukiah City Council on Wednesday adopted a tentative agreement with the U.S. Postal Service that allows the mural to be displayed at City Hall. The agreement is contingent on the city buying a $100,000 insurance policy on the mural and taking other precautions to keep it safe.

“Resources of Soil” was painted by famed muralist Benjamin Cunningham as part of the federal Public Works of Art Project. Murals by Cunningham, who studied under famed Mexican painter Diego Rivera, also are on display in San Francisco’s Coit Tower.

The postal service removed the mural from the downtown Ukiah post office shortly after the building was sold to a private party. It was sent away for restoration before being offered on loan to the city.

The mural, about 12 feet wide by 6 feet tall, will be displayed behind protective glass and monitored by cameras.

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