The bird people who were the face of the south side of the Ulrich Museum are still out of commission, due to a five-year restoration vacation.

The mosaic mural, “Personnage Oiseaux” (bird people), by Joan Miró, came down in September 2011 for repairs. Measuring in at 28 feet high by 52 feet in length, the 80 panels were removed and sent off to California, Mo., to Russel-Marti Conservation Services, Inc.

The original architectural design of the Ulrich has a large brick wall for the façade.

“It kind of cried out for something to animate it,” said Bob Workman, director of the museum.

By 1977, artist Joan Miró donated a plan for the mural after many requests from Ulrich Museum officials. He painted a canvas mock-up of the image, which was shared with stained glass production company Ateliers Loires in Chartres, France.

There, the art saw its realization as thousands of pieces of glass were stained in vibrant colors. Cuts of marble and slate filled in the whites, blacks and greys. These pieces, called tesserae, were affixed to a marine grade particleboard backing with an epoxy, the best available at the time. The mural mosaic went up in 1978.

Exposure to extreme weather changes began wearing on the bird people. The original installation had an air cavity behind the mural, but no ventilation system. Rapid temperature changes in the air cavity, intensified by constant exposure to the sun’s rays, caused the components to expand and contract, said Marianne Marti, president of Russell-Marti Conservation.

The particleboard, steel framework and tesserae would swell and shrink, but at different rates. The epoxy holding it all together gave out, and stones fell.

“At one point, they put a big net under it to catch the stones,” Workman said.

The conservators at Russell-Marti Conservation are partially deconstructing the mosaic and reconstructing it with materials more compatible with one another. Marti said the old particleboard backing is being replaced with a stainless steel backing bridged by flexible silicone.

Once the restoration is complete, Workman said it will take at least six months to reinstall the mural. “Personnage Oiseaux” is scheduled to begin the reinstallation process in late 2016.

Marti and her team continue to work on the mural until completed. They understand how significant it is to Wichita State and the Wichita community.

“It’s very humbling, and it’s an honor and a thrill,” Marti said. “We’re constantly aware of our responsibility to it and look forward to seeing it finished and back in its home at the Ulrich.”