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Coye Mural Dedicated

Sat, Oct 23, 2010

Coye Mural Dedicated

What appeared to a rush on the Hamilton Post Office was actually the dedication of a recently acquired piece of art.

On Saturday morning about 100 people gather in and outside of the post office to dedicate the acquisition of the large Lee Brown Coye mural that has hung in the post office lobby since 1995. The mural was recently acquired by members of the community when it looked as though its owner -- Jim Metz -- was going to remove and sell it.

The painting was dedicated -- as a condition of the sale -- in memory of John Cheshire, a Colgate grad who died in a plane crash in 1974.TWA Flight 841crashed into the Ionian Sea after a terrorist bomb exploded in it cargo hold.

Cheshire was a friend of Metz's and his brother, Dick Cheshire, was a Colgate professor and still lives in the village.

Denise Leone, who led the grassroots effort to acquire the painting, explained that it formerly hung in Doane's Steak House on Lebanon Street, which eventually became Hickey's. When Metz bought Hickey's, he put the paining in storage until Leone convinced him to put it on display at he post office for the village's bicentennial.

Mayor Sue McVaugh praised Leone and the people d\who donated toward the $36,000 purchase.

"Denise brought people together, but no one ever said, 'Let's get a grant to pay for it.'  They new they had to keep it in the village and they worked to do just that."

Bruce Mosley spoke on behalf of Colgate, which donated to the purchase, said acquisition of the mural is like "shining a spotlight on our history."

Also on Saturday, Robert Coye, son of the artist explained some of the history of the work and others that he had done. Coye said one his father's mural, which was created as part of the Works Project Administration, was painted in the Cazenovia school. However, he said it was painted over when some of the townspeople decided they did not like some of the content.

Devan Cheshire, the son of John, also spoke. We said the family was honored by the dedication. His mother, John's widow, and his sister were also at the event.

Dick Cheshire also spoke in remembrance of his brother.

A reception and luncheon followed the dedication.

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