Arts Programs Sites

Oncell: "In 1934, as part of a local Public Works Art Project, three Houston area artists were commissioned to paint murals in the Houston Public Library (HPL) building.  The murals found on the first and second floors of the Julia Ideson Building now constitute the largest collection of depression-era murals found in the city of Houston. This triptych, or three piece set, found in our first floor hallway depict Spanish scenes and symbols painted by artist Angela McDonnell of Galveston.  In 1930, Miss McDonnell had obtained passage on a cargo ship leaving Houston and ended up in Barcelona, Spain. ...

In 1936, Ben Knott completed an oil on canvas mural entitled 'Decorative Map of the World' for the fourth floor corridor, East School, of what was then Julia Richman High School, with funding from the Federal Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP). The high school building that housed the mural has since been converted into the Julia Richman Education Complex. The building complex now serves as the site of six separate small schools. The Living New Deal needs further information to determine the current status of the mural.

In 1937, Remo Scardigli created a redwood sculpture of Father Junipero Serra, the founder of the Spanish Mission system in 18th century Alta California.  Scardigli's work was sponsored by the Federal Art Project (FAP).  The sculpture stood for 50 years in Devendorf Park in the center of Carmel, but was removed sometime around 2015 when passions flared over the beatification of Father Serra by Pope John-Paul II and another statue of Serra at Carmel Mission was damaged. The Scardigli sculpture is reportedly in storage with the city Public Works department, as of 2023. Father Serra's remains are buried at the foot of...

From the Kansas State University website: "David Hicks Overmyer painted the four Historic Farrell Library murals in 1934 as part of the federal government’s Public works of Art Project. Each of these murals is 11’ x 14’ and their subjects symbolize the four major academic pursuits of the institution at the time: science and industry, agriculture and animal husbandry, the arts, and home economics. Overmyer, an illustrator, artist, and muralist, was born in Topeka, Kansas in 1889 and died there in 1973. He has murals in several other Kansas sites including courthouses in Ft. Scott and Norton, Topeka High School,...

This aluminum bas relief titled "Mercury" was created by Peter Paul Ott with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

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 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. George Biddle painted a five-panel fresco mural, "Society Freed through Justice," in 1936.  The second panel was restored c. 1973, after damage to the wall behind it. "This five-panel mural illustrates the importance of justice in the lives of...

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. Emil Bisttram painted an oil on canvas mural, "Contemporary Justice and Woman" (1939). "This intricate oil-on-canvas mural shows a figure of Justice cutting the chains of tradition, which is represented by an old crouching shrew that had bound women....

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. Louis Bouché painted a large oil on canvas mural, "Activities of the Department of Justice" in 1937.   This is the only artwork at the Department of Justice paid for by the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP) rather than...

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 Steuart Curry provided two oil on canvas lunettes, "Movement of the Population Westward" and "Law Versus Mob Rule, " in 1937.  Curry was key artist in the Regionalist movement of the time. "'Movement Westward' captures the hardships faced...

While the overall  design of the Department of Justice building conforms with the dominant Neoclassical theme of the Federal Triangle, it is distinguished by Art Deco architectural elements and the use of aluminum details.  The entrances feature 20-foot-high aluminum doors and interior stair railings, grilles, and trim are done in cast aluminum. Sculptor C. Paul Jennewein was selected by the architects  to create a unified design concept for the building's exterior and interior spaces, designing 57 sculptural elements from monument statues and bas-reliefs on the exterior to interior Art Deco torcheres and light fixtures.  (GSA) The dating of Jennewein's work is uncertain,...

In addition to his overall design work on the sculptural elements of the Department of Justice, C. Paul Jennewein designed six free-standing statues in the interior of the building. One group of four is called "Water," "Earth," "Fire," and "Air".  The carving of the statues in Alabama Limestone was done by Roger Morigi c. 1934-36, with support from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.  The Jennewein/Morigi statues stand in the south central elevator lobby on the fifth floor of the Justice Department. Two others are known as "The Great Hall Statues: The Spirit of Justice and The Majesty of Law".  They are 12.5'...

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. Leon Kroll painted two very large lunettes, "Justice Triumphant" and "Justice Defeated", in 1936. "In Justice Triumphant, two figures symbolize justice: a woman, and a black-robed Judge who is portrayed by Justice Harlan Stone. Justice Defeated represents the tragedy and havoc caused by the absence of justice. The atmosphere is dark, with dead trees, a threatening sky, and a barren...

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. Henry Varnum Poor painted a complex, 12-panel fresco mural, "Justice Department Bureaus and Divisions," in 1936. The first set of panels around the doorways of rooms 5111 and 5114 depict the ac­tivities of the Bureau of Prisons and the...

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. Symeon Shimin painted the mural "Contemporary Justice and the Child" in 1940.  It was restored at one point after moisture in the wall damaged the tempura-on-canvas painting.  "This intricate mural portrays two groups: on the left, the faces of...

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 1935 and 1941 for $68,000, or one percent of the building cost. From 1935 t0 1941, Maurice Sterne painted a monumental series of 20 mural panels for the Library's two-story Reading Room, called "Man's Struggle for Justice".   At the two ends of the room are triptyches entitled, "Attributes of Justice" and "Continuity of the Law".  Along the sides are two rows of panels (7 on each side, it appears):   "Brute...

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. Boardman Robinson painted an enormous set of 18 tempera murals "Great Events and Figures of Law" in 1938, covering roughly 1000 square feet of canvas. The murals surround the stairway leading to The Great Hall on the 2d...

"In 1937 construction was begun on the high school auditorium. It was to cost $179,000. Designed in a classic Greek rotunda rather than a traditional shape by famed architect Robert Stanton, it was completed in March of 1939." The auditorium, also known as the Robert Stanton Theater, is on the National Register of Historical Places, and was awarded with a 2005 Art Deco Preservation Award from the Art Deco Society of California.

Jo Mora created the cement bas relief, entitled "Theater Through the Ages," in 1937 for the exterior of the school auditorium then under construction. The sculpture was funded by the WPA Federal Art Project. He also created a 2′ by 2’6″ aluminum bas relief for the interior of the auditorium entitled "The Spirit of Music."

This canvas mural "The Battle of Kings Mountain" by Verona Burkhard was painted in 1941 with Treasury Section funding for the town's post office. It was moved to the city hall in the 1980s.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's old Kingsessing Station post office hosted a pair of New Deal murals: "Philadelphia Waterways with Ben Franklin Bridge" and "View of Downtown Philadelphia Skyline," that were installed in the post office lobby in 1939. The murals were painted by Moses and Raphael Soyer. Upon relocation of postal services in Kingsessing, the murals were removed from the old post office. Presently the murals hang along the back wall of the offices of USPS's Philadelphia Metro District—a facility near the city's primary mail processing plant that is not accessible to the public. The murals have been sliced vertically into multiple segments...

In 1939, Robert Kittredge was commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts to create artwork for the newly-completed Flagstaff post office (later known as the Federal Building). He created a wooden bas-relief, "Arizona Logging," which was installed in 1940. The sculpture speaks to the logging industry, which was a critical part of Flagstaff's economy for decades. Three loggers are depicted putting logs onto a wagon using a "cant dog" poll. When the old post office/federal building was sold in 1983, the bas-relief was moved to the stairwell of the new wing of the Coconino County Courthouse, one-half block north.  

These two mural panels of "Covered Wagon and Indians," each 8'  x 28', were completed by an unknown artist in 1939 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project.

Three lunettes and three borders now located at the Kozminski Community Academy in Chicago were produced with the help of New Deal funds in 1942.

As part of the New Deal reconstruction of Mission La Purisima, the Federal Arts Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was asked to send in professional painters to finish the interior of the buildings. In 1938, FAP artists were employed in painting the pulpit and railing in the chapel of the padres' residence building, under the supervision of Douglas Parshall of Santa Barbara (Savage, p. 151).  in 1940, artist Harry Hemle got the job of decorating the interior of the completed church.  Hemle painted the walls, alter decorations and pulpit, with the assistance of two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees...

As part of the New Deal reconstruction of Mission La Purisima, Helen Seegert created a concrete fountain at the east end of the complex in 1936.  It was paid for by the Federal Arts Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

A statue of the Marquis de LaFayette in Revolutionary War uniform constructed of concrete by sculptor Arnold Foerster was installed and dedicated in 1937. His other known work is his collaboration on the astronomers monument at Griffith Observatory.

This 6' cast-stone sculpture of Florence Nightingale was completed in 1937 with WPA Federal Art Project funds by sculptor David Edstrom.

The Laguna Honda Hospital contains five 8' x 6' murals by Glen Wessels, painted with funding from the PWAP in 1934. Four of the murals depict the elements "Earth," "Air," "Water" and "Fire," while a fifth is called "The Professions."

During the Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration was the greatest and most ambitious agency to come out of FDR’s New Deal that employed mostly the unskilled. One sector of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was the Federal Art Project (FAP), and from that was born the Mural Division. This sought to not only employ artists that were struggling financially, but also to bring art to the public. There were many divisions of the FAP that had similar goals, but the Mural Division had a grand vision, and a lasting legacy. It showcased the talent of many artists in that...

The historic Lamb County Library building in Littlefield, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: "West Texas," a set of two New Deal tymstone sculptures completed by William McVey in 1948.

This 1939 mural "Afternoon on a Texas Ranch" by Ethel Edwards was a winner of the Treasury Section's 48-State Post Office Mural Competition. It was originally located in the Lampasas post office constructed in 1938, but was moved to the city hall when the post office moved to a new location.

A 43' x 20' oil mural was painted on the steel fire curtain in the auditorium at Lane Tech High School by artist John Edwin Walley. It was installed in 1936 with funding from the WPA's Federal Art Project and restored in 1997. One commentary on the mural says this: "The imposing Native American figure called "the lean Indian," painted on the steel fire curtain of the school auditorium, was the first of many artworks to be commissioned for Lane Tech, then all male, during the New Deal years. The school had moved to a new building in 1934, and Lane's principal...

Among several other New Deal artworks at the Lane Tech High School are these carved mahogany bas-reliefs in the school library. These 15' x 6' reliefs were carved by sculptor Peter Paul Ott, with assistance from wood workers Conzelman, Meuzenmeier, Sarner, Ericksen and McGrory. The reliefs were completed between 1936 and 1938 with support from the WPA Federal Art Project.

Among the many Federal Art Project (FAP) funded artworks at Lane Tech High school is a four-panel fresco in the auditorium, "Teaching of the Arts," painted by Mitchell Siporin in 1938. Each panel is 15' x 3'6." From A Guide to Chicago's Murals (2001): "Four vertical panels mounted between the exterior doors of the Lane Tech auditorium describe the teaching of the humanities. They were painted when the school was all male. In each, Mitchell Siporin portrays the figure of a mentor or teacher standing behind that of a young student. For literature, a wise-looking older man with his arm outstretched gently...

Among the New Deal artworks at Lane Tech High School are several frescoes in the school lunchroom, each depicting a different period of "Epochs in the History of Man." These large (12' x 14') frescoes were painted by Edgar Britton in 1937 under the Federal Art Project (FAP), a branch of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Two 14-foot figures titled "Boys Rising From the Sea" were created by Charles Umlauf under the auspices of the WPA Federal Art Project.  These sculptures are placed in front of the school.  They are part of a group of New Deal artworks that embellish Lane Tech College Prep High School

Langston Terrace Dwellings, opened in 1938, was the first U.S. Government-funded public housing project in Washington and the second in the nation.  Initial funding came from the Public Works Administration (PWA); later the U.S. Housing Authority stepped in to complete the job. The International Style complex was designed by African-American architect Hilyard Robinson, a native Washingtonian. It embodies Robinson's belief in the ability of fine buildings and art to inspire and uplift residents. Langston Terrace is well known for its artworks.   Five large animal sculptures by Hugh Collins, Lenore Thomas and Joe Goethe double as climbing structures in the children's playground. The Washington...

Langston Terrace Dwellings, opened in 1938, was the first U.S. Government funded public housing project in Washington and the second in the nation.  Initial funding came from the Public Works Administration (PWA); later the U.S. Housing Authority stepped in to complete the job. The International Style complex was designed by African American architect Hilyard Robinson, a native Washingtonian. It embodies Robinson's belief in the ability of fine buildings and art to inspire and uplift residents. Langston Terrace is enhanced by its artworks. Daniel Olney's terra-cotta frieze, "The Progress of the Negro Race",  lines the central courtyard and chronicles African American history from enslavement...

The WPA's Federal Art Project commissioned a set of murals for what was then the auditorium of Laramie's East Side School, now the Laramie Plains Civic Center. The murals are still housed in the building. "Wyoming schools also benefited from the WPA Federal Art Project , which was responsible for a number of murals painted inside the buildings. Although the list of school murals is incomplete, it includes ... nine panels in the Laramie High School Auditorium by Florence Ware of Salt Lake City ..." "The Laramie panels remain in the auditorium of the school, which is now the Laramie Plains Civic...