Stanton Macdonald-Wright Sites

Two large petrachrome murals by Stanton Macdonald-Wright flank the entrance to Santa Monica City Hall. Each one is two-stories high and wraps around a corner of the lobby. The murals would have been funded by the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP), since Macdonald-Wright was supervisor for the FAP's Southern California division from 1935 to 1943. Macdonald-Wright pioneered the petrachrome method, whereby a mural is painted with a liquid mixture of materials including crushed tile, marble and granite. The mural on the south side of the lobby is entitled "Recreation in Santa Monica" and represents popular spectator sports of the time, such as...

Stanton Macdonald-Wright designed the mosaic "Early (Spanish) California" for Edison Middle School in Los Angeles, CA, in 1937. It was funded by the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) and hangs in the school auditorium's foyer. Albert King likely executed the tile work. The mosaic depicts vaqueros wrangling cows, miners panning for gold, and workers building a railroad. A “Californio” couple stands in the center of the image. Tiles of different shapes give the mosaic a variety of textures. Macdonald-Wright was supervisor for the Southern California division of the FAP from 1935 to 1943. He is considered “an important proponent of the nonrepresentational styles of...

This colorful mosaic by Stanton Macdonald-Wright is installed above the doors to the auditorium at Hooper Avenue Elementary School in Los Angeles, CA. Entitled "Products of Nature and Inventions of Man," the mosaic was created under the auspices of the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) in 1936-37. A 1936 article in California Arts & Architecture described the partially completed work: "This mosaic mural will be approximately eight feet wide by seven feet high. It symbolizes the products of nature and the works of man. The mosaic, a form of mural decoration developed by the Federal Art Project in southern California, is...

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, Stanton Macdonald-Wright (assisted by Albert King) completed a tile mosaic wall panel for a drinking fountain at the old Santa Monica Public Library in Santa Monica, CA. He received funding from the Federal Art Project (FAP). The mosaic panel was presumably lost during the demolition of the old library (located at 503 Santa Monica Boulevard) in 1974. However, Macdonald-Wright painted a mural, “Invention and Imagination" (1935), in the library's reading room that has subsequently been reinstalled at the new Santa Monica Public Library, one block away. Macdonald-Wright was supervisor for the Southern California division of the FAP from 1935 to 1943....

An enormous mural cycle by Stanton Macdonald-Wright, entitled  "Invention and Imagination," hangs in the Santa Monica Public Library.  It consists of 30 panels painted on plywood and covers a total of 2,000 square feet.  The mural cycle was created under the auspices of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in 1934 and completed in 1935. In the original installation in the old Santa Monica Public Library at 503 Santa Monica Boulevard, the murals covered all the wall space in the reading room. When that library was torn down in 1965, the mural panels were put in storage at the Smithsonian...

Artist Stanton Macdonald-Wright designed two murals for Barnum Hall Theater at Santa Monica High School. The works were funded by the Federal Arts Project (FAP). In 1938, Macdonald-Wright completed a mural titled "Entrance of the Gods into Valhalla" upon Barnum Hall's asbestos stage curtain. The following year, he completed an 8x8-foot mosaic titled "Landing of the Vikings in Vinland" in the theater's foyer. Macdonald-Wright was supervisor for the Southern California division of the FAP from 1935 to 1943. He is considered "an important proponent of the nonrepresentational styles of art on the New Deal projects" (Kalfatovic, p. 370). His other New Deal–funded...

The mosaic is situated in the entrance to the building (formerly the South Gate Public Library). It has recently been designated a culturally significant landmark. "The tile mosaic entitled Evolution of Writing was created by Stanton MacDonald-Wright during his employ with the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). Mr. Wright served as WPA Art Project Director for Southern California and later as technical advisor for seven western states. It was during his position as technical advisor (approximately 1938--1942) that the South Gate mosaic was created. During his affiliation with the WPA (1935--1942), Mr. Wright became interested in new techniques for architectural decoration and...

Artist Stanton Macdonald-Wright designed a series of tile mosaics for University High School (now University High School Charter) in Los Angeles, CA. The work was funded by the Federal Arts Project (FAP). The mosaics would "fill lunettes (arched window spaces which have no windows) and will treat of music, art, and literature " (Wells, p. 24). Macdonald-Wright was supervisor for the Southern California division of the FAP from 1935 to 1943. He is considered "an important proponent of the nonrepresentational styles of art on the New Deal projects" (Kalfatovic, p. 370). Macdonald-Wright's other New Deal–funded works in the region include murals at the...