John Ballator Sites

The New Deal is responsible for a magnificent array of artworks that embellish the Department of Justice building. The Treasury Section of Fine Arts commissioned artists to create 68 murals between 1936 and 1941 for $68,000, or one percent of the building cost.  The building’s murals depict scenes of daily life from American history and allegories on the role of justice in American society. John Ballator created a tempera on canvas mural, "Contemporary Justice and Man," for the Justice Department in 1936-37. "The artist’s composition suggests an ascending scale of values, with an ideally planned community (Greenbelt, Maryland) at the top. While some...

The two panels of the New Deal mural "Development of St. Johns" were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts for the St. John's Station post office. The building served as the St. John's Station Post Office and is currently the Portland Baha'i Center. These wall murals, located in the entryway, "depict the history and industrial development of the St. Johns area." (portlandbahai.org)