The artwork is a piece of history, a steel mask of Martin Luther King Jr. that graced Manual High School’s halls for decades after the assassination of the civil rights leader.
When the bust disappeared from the bottom shelf of a display case early this year, no one noticed it was gone for months.
In February, Jim McNally, a former school historian, discovered the disappearance, and the school reported it stolen to Denver police.
McNally launched an investigation and found the piece at the home of its creator, Ron Kessinger, an artist and designer, who lives in Commerce City.
“It caused me a lot of concern,” said McNally, who graduated from Manual in 1957. “I couldn’t sleep.”
How the bust wound up at Kessinger’s home is a tale of missing pieces, hard feelings and poor communication.
Kessinger, who said he is “getting on to 80” made the piece shortly after King’s death in 1968.
He received $800 for the work, and it was given a place of honor on a podium in the school foyer.
At some point, someone moved the bust to the bottom shelf of a nearby display case.
Late this winter, he decided to stop at the school and see the bust. He found it “under a pile of basketballs and footballs, and stuff,” he said. The eyes were missing.
There were few people at the school at the time, but he gave his card to a woman who was working in the office and told her he would take it to his shop and refurbish it.
She informed an unknown higher-up that he was taking it and got approval, he recalled. Kessinger left his card and took the bust home.
He didn’t bother to return it. “I wanted to see what would happen, and I didn’t hear from anybody. I wanted somebody to show some interest, but they didn’t. I got the impression nobody really cared about it. This is some emotional stuff for me.”
Contacted about the disappearance, Denver Public Schools spokesman Doug Schepman said he would try to find someone who could talk about it, but he didn’t call back.
Al Schnegel berger, the school’s unofficial historian, and McNally contacted Kessinger after seeing a newspaper photo of the statue naming him as the artist.
“I told them to come out and get it,” Kessinger said.
Kessinger has since returned the refurbished bust to the school.
“It will be displayed in the office area where it is secure,” Schnegelberger said.
Kessinger admits being offended that his creation was ignored, but he said he was also upset that a national hero’s bust was hidden away. “I really admired him. I think he did a lot for the country.”
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671, tmcghee@denverpost.com or
