Ben Messick Sites

In 1937, Lucile Lloyd (assisted by Ben Messick) completed a mural, "Origin and Development of the Name of the State of California," for the State Building in Los Angeles, CA. The mural received funding from the Federal Art Project (FAP). In fact, Lloyd was the first woman in Southern California to receive a FAP commission. The mural's three panels "tell the history of the name of California. The two side panels portray important flags that have flown over the state. The central panel shows the history and development of the state through the Spanish, Mexican, and American eras. Realistic figures trace...

In 1934, Leo Katz painted a three-panel mural in the lobby of Frank Wiggins Trade School (today's Los Angeles Trade-Technical College) in Los Angeles, CA. Katz was assisted by artists Tyrone Comfort and Ben Messick. The side panels were funded by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP); the central panel was completed at Katz' own expense following the termination of the PWAP in May 1934. The April 1937 issue of Los Angeles School Journal noted that an "unsuccessful attempt" was made by a first artist before Katz took over. Having "just returned from Mexico filled with enthusiasm from his study...