Found: Milton Wolsky painting depicts 1970 Stars Over VEISHEA "Oliver!" production

Stars Over VEISHEA (SOV) stage productions were as much a part of the annual student-run celebration as the parade and cherry pies. In 1970, an American artist named Milton Wolsky created a painting that depicts “Oliver!,” the SOV production that year. Born in Omaha, Nebr., in 1916, Wolsky was an artist and illustrator in New York in the Golden Age in the 1940s and 50s, and his work appeared in numerous magazines including Time and Esquire. By 1970, Wolsky had been back in Omaha for some time painting and working for advertising giant Bozell & Jacobs. InterNorth/Northern Natural Gas Co. was a client for which he painted a series of 37 high-profile buildings in and around Nebraska and Iowa.

Meanwhile in Ames, construction of C.Y. Stephens Auditorium was completed in 1969. The following year, a SOV stage scene of “Oliver!” would become part of the collection of 37 painted by Wolsky, who died in 1981. Each completed piece in the series was typically given to the entity, according to Patrick Drickey, director, Gallery 1516, in Omaha. This means that Wolsky’s painting of the Stephens interior was likely gifted to Iowa State University.

Stephens' Executive Director, Tammy Koolbeck confirmed the painting was found in backstage storage in November 2020 by staff. A few current staff members have memories of the painting hanging in a past employee’s office until she left in the late 1990s for another position.

Unprotected and aging for decades, the 22-inch by 22-inch (black ink and watercolor) painting was received by then Collections Conservator Sonya Barron on Jan. 13, 2021, and all things considered, it was in good condition. Barron put forth a treatment proposal and set about using a dry technique to remove the mat from the front of the painting and peel away the layers of fabric and cardboard to expose the adhesive that was used to attach them. The backing board was removed from the painting using the same process. The conservation treatment began in February and took about three months.

Upon completion of the treatments, the painting was placed in an archival folder for storage. It is now back in the custody of Tammy Koolbeck at Stephens Auditorium.

The restored "Oliver!" painting will be officially unveiled at 4 p.m., Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in the main floor lobby of Stephens Auditorium. Remarks will be delivered at 4:15 p.m. Posters of the painting will be offered for purchase. The public is invited to attend.

During the mat backing removal and conservation treatment process, Barron documented her activities in nine time-lapse videos, linked below: