Grace Clements Sites

Petrachrome mural by Grace Clements. "Damien High is renovating their physical plant and the music building was one of the structures that needed some T.L.C. While removing the stucco that covered the building's facade the mural was uncovered. What the workers had found was Grace Clements' The Spirit of Music... This mural utilizes a technique called "petra-chrome," which was invented by Stanton Macdonald-Wright for the Federal Art Programs. It is concrete that is colored to create a permanent and weather resistant art work. It is a cousin of tile and opus sectile, but one that is more affordable and uniquely suited to...

This colorful 38' x 22' mosaic, "Recreation in Long Beach," was created under the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP). Produced by a large group of artists—whose tile signatures surround the giant artwork—it was the largest WPA mosaic upon its completion in 1938. The mosaic depicts a variety of recreational activities associated with 1930s Long Beach, including swimming, croquet and horseshoes. Notably, it depicts both men and women at play, with a range of skin tones and dress, including uniforms. The mosaic originally adorned the Municipal Auditorium, which was demolished and replaced by the Terrace Theater. In 1982, the mosaic was relocated to...

In 1937, Grace Clements adorned a 30-foot curved bench at Santa Monica High School with petrachrome mosaics depicting ocean life. Created under the auspices of the WPA Federal Arts Project (FAP), "Senior Bench" is located in a landscaped area south of the Greek Amphitheater. Clements used the petrachrome method "whereby tinted cement mortar mixed with crushed rock, glass, or tile is applied to the mural surface, with different colored sections delineated by strips of brass. Once hardened, the cement is polished to create a bold, striking appearance. This method was developed by Santa Monica artist Stanton Macdonald-Wright while he was serving...

Grace Rivet Clements and Helen Lundeberg painted two 18' by 33' frescoes for Venice High School (Los Angeles, CA) in 1941: “History of Southern California” and “History of Early California.”  The frescoes were funded by the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) and the artists were assisted by Aurel J. Leitner, Edwin T. Emery, Miriam Farrington, and Serena Swanson.  The two murals are located in the school library. Sylvia Moore writes that the frescoes "narrate the history of California in unrelated vignettes that seem to float across the walls of the library. On the east wall is the History of Early California,...