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455 East Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85203

MesaTemple.org
  • Visitors’ Center
  • Family History Classes
  • Visit
  • Events
  • Inspiration
  • History
  • Resources
    • Sunday Service
    • Announcements
    • Temple Session Schedule & Info
    • Contact Us

A Look Back … New Murals Honor Original Artists

Homepage History A Look Back ... New Murals Honor Original Artists

A Look Back … New Murals Honor Original Artists

Jill Adair
May 29, 2022
History, Mesa, Mesa Temple, Uncategorized

“We felt the spirit of the temple every night,” Linda Christensen said of the pioneer era painters. “Those from the other side of the veil were there. We felt their help and support, and protection. There are those on the other side of the veil who were very interested in the restoration of this temple.”

Mural artist Linda Curley Christensen. Photo: Kary Ann Hoopes. Copyright: Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Linda Christensen, who was born in Idaho and grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, had no formal training at art school but loved to paint. By chance, she met Lee Gray, the senior architect and the design team for the Church. At the time, the team was in the planning stages of choosing artwork for the soon-to-be-built Conference Center. In the course of her conversation with Gray, it was discovered that Linda was an artist. Intrigued, he asked to see her portfolio. “I find it no coincidence to find you here,” Gray said. Linda was then invited to paint for the Church full-time, starting with the Conference Center.

Murals in the Conference Center in Salt Lake City. Photo: ldstemple.pics

Restoration of the murals in the Mesa Arizona Temple was significant. Although Linda had worked on nearly 30 temples, this would be her largest project. A team of art restorationists set up shop in Mesa before the temple closed for the renovation. For three months, they arrived at the temple at 10 p.m., working until 4:30 in the morning, matching paints and preparing for the restoration project of the murals.

It took a team of art restorationists years to renovate the Mesa Temple’s murals. Photo: Kary Ann Hoopes

After careful examination and many hours of labor, it was determined that saving the historical murals painted on burlap was impossible as they had significantly deteriorated due to heat and moisture. Contacting her superiors, Linda asked what direction she and her team should go. For months, they waited to hear back as the temple department, the art committee, and the general contractors discussed the dilemma. Then the reply came, all new murals were requested in some areas.

The baptistry and grand staircase feature murals that are original to the temple. These murals were cleaned and repaired by Parma Conservation. The baptistry murals were painted by J. Leo Fairbanks with assistance from his father and his brother. They include a depiction of the baptism and confirmation of Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery at the Susquehanna River.

The original baptistry mural was cleaned and remains in renovated temple by artist J. Leo Fairbanks. Photo: Kary Ann Hoopes

The original murals at the top of the grand staircase were painted by Lee Greene Richards and depicts Joseph Smith preaching to the Native Americans and the baptism of Native Americans.

Original murals by artist Lee Greene Richards remain upstairs in area of Grand Staircase. Photo: Kary Ann Hoopes
Photo: Kary Ann Hoopes

The new team hoped to stay in harmony with the original artist’s work. A photograph of Norwegian-born Latter-day Saint artist Frithjof Weberg standing on scaffolding as he creates the mural for the Creation Room survived. A similar photo was taken as Linda worked to recreate the original artist’s work, down to the detail of painting a palm branch and in the exact location of Weberg’s.

Artist Frithjof Weberg painting one of the original murals in the 1920s. Photo: From the collection of Craig Smith
Linda Christensen painting a palm tree in the exact location as Weberg’s. Photo by Kary Ann Hoopes

A framed section of Weberg’s original mural from the Garden Room was preserved and is hanging on the wall in the basement of the temple.

Photo: Kary Ann Hoopes

Three years were needed to complete the Mesa Arizona Temple murals, which were all done in Wallsburg, Utah, and painted on linen. When completed, the murals were shipped in a climate-controlled truck to Mesa, where Linda and her team of eighteen did the installation, which took six weeks.

A team of artists install the murals. Photo: Kary Ann Hoopes

Through their time, the artists felt close to the original painters and appreciated their sacrifice as they painted through the Arizona summer to finish the murals.

“Many had tough times,” Linda Christensen said of these pioneer era painters. She continued, “We felt the spirit of the temple every night. Those from the other side of the veil were there. We felt their help and support, and protection. There are those on the other side of the veil who were very interested in the restoration of this temple.”

Mural artists in Wallsburg, Utah. Photo courtesy of Linda Christensen (seated center front)
Tags: Downtown Mesa Mesa Mesa Arizona Mesa Temple temples The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Thursday, 9, Jun
A Look Back … A Glimpse of the Building of the Temple
Sunday, 29, May
A Look Back … New Murals Honor Original Artists
Thursday, 26, May
A Look Back … A Granite Match is “All Miracles”
Sunday, 10, Apr
Easter Pageant Soundtrack Broadcast on Easter
Wednesday, 23, Feb
The Mesa Easter Pageant returns in April 2022
Friday, 21, Jan
FOX 10 report: Easter pageant returns in 2022, to be held at Mesa Arizona Temple

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