Los Seis de Boulder Sculpture
Exhibit curated by Hillary Morgan. Special thanks to Megan Friedel and Megan Lambert for their input, as well as Claire Woodcock for her work on the accompanying video.
Background on Sculpture
In 2020, the Los Seis de Boulder public art sculpture became a permanent part of CU Boulder Libraries’ Rare and Distinctive Collections. The ceramic and concrete sculpture, designed by alumna artist Jasmine Baetz (MFA Ceramics ‘20) and over 200 community members, represents the lives of six Chicanx students and activists affiliated with CU Boulder, who died when two car bombs exploded in Boulder in May 1974. The Libraries’ Rare & Distinctive Collections team worked closely with Baetz and community members to support the development of the sculpture in 2018-2019. The Libraries’ acquisition of Los Seis de Boulder is part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the history and legacy of CU’s Chicanx and Latinx communities, as well as other BIPOC or under-represented communities on campus.
Check out other primary source materials held by the Libraries’ Rare and Distinctive Collections that document the history of El Movimiento and the deaths of Los Seis on the CU Chicanx and Latinx History collection on the CU Digital Library.
Learning How to Care for the Sculpture
Working in a large research library, our team is used to dealing with a wide variety of collections items and materials; however, this is our first time working with the care and maintenance of a large, outdoor sculpture. So where to start?
The key to effective treatment of our varied collections materials is collaboration. We can’t know everything about all the materials we care for, so we occasionally rely on the help of other experts to advise us on the best course of action. We learned more about the statue's creation and the artist's long-term vision for it from ceramicist and project lead Jasmine Baetz. We then met with a public art conservator in July 2020 to review the statue and get her proposed treatment plan. We used this information to better understand potential hazards and areas of concern, order materials for treatment and care, develop a maintenance schedule, and discuss potential contingencies for treatment.
Monitoring Process
For the first year, Preservation cleaned the sculpture every 3 months to monitor it through all seasons. After 12 months, we felt confident to move the care schedule to every 6 months. Every Preservation visit to the sculpture includes : documenting any changes to the sculpture from the last visit, monitoring cracks, checking for loose or broken tiles, cleaning dirt or stains, noting current offerings and creating photographic documentation. We store all of our documentation in Preservation’s Airtable database. This allows us to write up treatment carried out and link photos. We are also able to easily share these posts with others involved in the care of the sculpture.
Next Steps
Using the proposed treatment plan as a guide, we have worked to develop contingency plans in the event of structurally concerning cracks, and missing, cracked or loose tiles. With consistent monitoring we hope to address concerns quickly and effectively as they arise, as well as prevent further issues as the piece naturally wears with age.
Part of the beauty of outdoor art is that it develops a patina over time from exposure to its environment. Our goal is not to completely prevent this natural aging, but rather to make sure that this memorial remains intact for future generations to encounter and learn from. We are honored to play a role in the life of this object and continue its preservation for years to come.