Udall Department of the Interior Building: Nailor Murals – Washington DC

State:
WASHINGTON-DC

Site Type:
Art Works, Murals

New Deal Agencies:
Arts Programs, Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA)

Completed:
1940

Artist:
Gerald Nailor

Quality of Information:
Very Good

Marked:
Yes

Site Survival:
Extant

Description

The Stewart Lee Udall Department of the Interior building contains one of the largest collections of New Deal art in Washington DC by some of the finest American artists of the time.

From 1939 to 1941, Gerald Nailor, a Navajo, and other Indian artists were invited by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts to Washington to study with Olaf Normandy and then paint murals in the Interior building.  

In the South Penthouse (8th floor), Nailor painted three large murals called “Navajo Scenes” in 1940: “Preparing Yarn For Weaving” (West Wall), “The Hunting Ground” (South Wall on both side of entry door) and “Initiation Ceremony” (West Wall).

Nailor also painted a wall mural in the Arts and Crafts Shop.

The Department of Interior Museum offers regular mural tours; check their website for information and registration. 

For more information on the Interior building, its art and the artists, see Look and Perrault 1986. Artworks begin on p. 110.

 

Source notes

Look, David and Carole Perrault. The Interior Building: Its Architecture and Its Art. Washington DC: US Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1986.  pp. 110-172.   https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015029850214&view=1up&seq=1

www.doi.gov

McLerran, Jennifer. 2009. A New Deal for Native Art: Indian Arts and Federal Policy, 1933-1943. University of Arizona Press.

 

Site originally submitted by New Deal Art Registry on December 30, 2014.
Additional contributions by Richard A Walker.

Location Info


1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240

Coordinates: 38.8943, -77.0425

Site Details

created on last modified on

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Contribute to this Site

We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal project site.

Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site

Join the Conversation

Please note:

  • We are not involved in the management of New Deal sites and have no information about visits, hours or rentals.
  • This page shows all the information we have for this site; if you have new information or photos to share, click the button above.

Your email address will not be published, shared, or sold.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.