Renovations at the New York Studio School in Greenwich Village have uncovered several historic murals, shedding new light on the building’s rich artistic legacy. The school, housed in a complex of adjoining townhouses and carriage houses that once belonged to Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, is currently undergoing a $2.2 million renovation to address long-overdue repairs, including updating public spaces to meet ADA compliance.

Founded by Whitney, the artist and philanthropist behind the Whitney Museum of American Art, the property served as the original home of the museum before relocating uptown. In 1967, the New York Studio School moved into the compound. Since then, generations of students have worked within its studios, some leaving their own marks on the walls.

During the renovation this summer, the school’s executive director, Matthew Ritchie, along with Matthew Baird of Baird Architects, discovered a mural hidden behind a wall slated to become a bathroom. The artwork, created in 1928 by artist and designer Robert E. Locher, originally decorated Whitney’s dining room. Despite years of being concealed, the mural remained remarkably intact, featuring iridescent green paint with reddish brown bands.

Further investigation revealed an additional Locher mural nearby—a trompe l’oeil design depicting nearly floor-to-ceiling Doric columns. This discovery adds to the historic significance of the building and highlights its connection to early 20th-century art.

A third mural uncovered during the renovations appears in a space frequently used for student exhibitions. Covered previously by fiberboard, the mural is the earliest known work by British-born artist Cecily Brown, painted in 1992 when she was an exchange student at the school. The piece includes a provocative depiction of two penises bending toward each other and the phrase “LIVE LIFE BRAVELY.” To protect the mural while preserving the display area, a white cabinet has been installed around it.

Conservation experts have begun examining the Locher murals, though plans for their preservation and integration into the renovated space remain under discussion. The current phase of the project is expected to conclude this fall, with a second phase planned to extend into the building’s upper floors, potentially revealing additional hidden artworks.

“These rooms launched 120 years of contemporary art,” Ritchie said, emphasizing the school’s role in fostering creativity across generations and anticipating future discoveries as the renovation progresses.