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Spanish artist Joan Miró’s Personanages Oiseaux (Bird People) has brightened and inspired since its installation in the fall of 1978. It adorns the façade of the Ulrich Museum and is one of Miró’s largest works in the United States and his only glass mosaic mural.
The idea of his art connecting with young people at a university and inspiring learning motivated Miró to accept WSU’s commission. Fittingly, Student Government Association student fees helped pay for the mural, along with private donors.
In 2016, after a five-year cleaning and restoration process, the 26 by 52-foot mural returned to the Ulrich.
The mosaic is made of vividly colored Venetian glass and white and gray marble by artisans at the Ateliers de Jacques Loire in Chartres, France.
Martin Bush, the former WSU vice president for academic resources and Ulrich founding director, is responsible for enticing Miró to do the work. Pierre Matisse, Miró’s dealer, attended the dedication ceremony and called it one of his most important works.