Arts Programs Sites

This Section of Fine Arts tempera-on-canvas mural “Saturday in Enterprise” was painted by Virginia-born artist Paul Arlt for the Enterprise post office in 1941. Arlt received the commission on the basis of an entry in the 48 States Competition, depicting a city scene of downtown Enterprise at the corner of the famous boll weevil monument. The mural now hangs in the Enterprise public library.

The egg tempera-on-gesso mural "Reforestation" was commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts under the Treasury Department and installed in what was then the post office for Haleyville, Alabama in 1940. "When the post office moved in 1970, the city took over the old post office building. Since then, the mural has been painted over at least 3 times. Three silver dollar sized areas of paint have been removed by an art conservator. The local historical society is in the process of raising funds to have the entire mural uncovered--upwards of $25,000." (newdealartregistry.com)

Rockport, Massachusetts's public library houses a Federal Art Project (FAP) mural titled "Rockport Goes to War". The mural was painted by Samuel F. Hershey. The mural hands in a corridor on the second floor.

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

“In the Cleveland region, the Cleveland Public Library was the largest recipient of art that was funded by Federal programs in the Depression era. The leadership of Linda Eastman, Library Director from 1918 to 1938, was crucial. She believed in the importance of the arts in supporting learning and she was encouraged by the enthusiasm of her brother, painter William Joseph Eastman. Three major murals were painted for the Main Library Building; six murals were painted for branch libraries; children’s sections were decorated with ceramics and dolls (pg 33) that served as aids during story-telling; numerous easel paintings portrayed historical and...

The library contains four murals by Jerry Bywaters completed under the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) in in 1934: "Rebuilding Paris," "The 1916 Paris Fire--3rd Worst in American History," "John Chisum," and "Davy Crockett.  

Two beautiful bas-relief wood carvings by Remo Scardigli hang in the Monterey Public Library.  The were originally in the old library, then moved to the new one when the old building was replaced. The 2.5' x 8' oak wood carving, "Monterey Fisherman" and the 33 x 23 inch wood relief "Artichoke Pickers" both hang on the main floor near the main desk. The exact date of the carvings is not known to us.

This 16' x 6' oil on canvas entitled "The Old Tavern" was painted by Nicolai Cikovsky in 1937 for the former Silver Spring Post Office, under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. When the old post office closed down in 1981, the mural was moved to the Silver Spring Public Library – which itself relocated in recent years to Wayne Avenue.

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...

Public School 11, formerly Public School 91, and also known as the Highbridge School, is a Romanesque Revival building built in 1889. In 1937-39, a two-panel oil on canvas mural by Francis Costa was added over the stage. Painted under the auspices of the WPA's Federal Art Project, the murals depict The Old Bronx & The Bronx Today.

Walter Inglis Anderson and his brother, James McConnell Anderson were commissioned in 1935 to create murals for the 1927 Ocean Springs Public High School as part of the Public Works of Art Project. “Ocean Springs: Past and Present” was a six-panel oil on canvas. “The Fish and Bird Mural” was a tile mural constructed in four sections. Both are in the Walter Anderson Museum of Art since 1991. Anderson’s murals were painted on canvas sheets and then glued to the wall of the school auditorium, flanking the stage. Two were 14 feet long horizontal panels and placed on the wall between...

The historic Purcell Station post office in Plymouth, Michigan houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Plymouth Trail," by Carlos Lopez. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The historic Quay County Courthouse in Tucumcari, New Mexico houses an example of New Deal artwork: "I, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Have Passed This Way and Left my Mark," a 9' x 15' mural created by Ben Carlton Mead. The work was likely commissioned by the Federal Art Project, though further confirmation of the commissioning agency is requested.  

The Astoria branch of the Queens Borough Public Library received a series of murals as well as accompanying sculptures under the Works Progress Administration (WPA)'s Federal Art Project. "here was no controversy about the playful mural commissioned in 1938 for the children's reading room of the Queens Borough Astoria branch, which celebrated the centennial of its building last year. Painted by Max Spivak (1906-81), an artist little known today, the mural, depicting whimsical circus and opera puppets, was originally done in five parts. But three have been lost, as have all of the original polychromed figures, by the sculptor Eugenie Gershoy,...

The Raleigh Art Center, an initiative of the Federal Art Project, was a Works Progress Administration initiative to promote a culture of art in North Carolina and is the direct predecessor of what is today the North Carolina Museum of Art. It was first and foremost a specific space at 413 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh’s main street, sandwiched between a hotel and a Chinese laundromat in a formerly vacant store, opposite the Hotel Sir Walter Raleigh, the most prestigious social space in town. Sponsored jointly by the City of Raleigh, North Carolina Art Society, Chamber of Commerce, State Historical Commission, and...

The Raton Museum houses a substantial collection of W.P.A.-sponsored artwork by way of the Federal Art Project (F.A.P.), in addition to a mural that had been created for the former post office in Raton. Photos of the F.A.P. works are not permitted.

Mildred Waltrip painted the two-panel, oil-on-canvas mural "Robin Hood" (each panel measuring 5'3" x 6'11") in 1940 for the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. "Two murals commissioned by the WPA, placed above the twin wooden benches of a niche or inglenook, bracket the entryway into the main building of the hundred-year-old Tudor-style school building. They illustrate episodes from the life of Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw and popular hero who was said to have been born about 1160. Interwoven among the medieval figures in the first mural are descriptive captions: 'Merry Men of Robin Hood; Richard ye Lion-Hearted, King...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness...

In 1936, three WPA artists—Henry Wadsworth Moore, Velma Buckner, and Alan Flavelle—painted portraits of 11 former Washington, DC Recorders of Deeds, for placement in the Recorders’ office space at 412 D Street NW.  When the new Recorder of Deeds Building was constructed in 1941-1943, at 515 D Street NW (and funded by the New Deal’s Public Works Administration), the portraits were moved there. The current location(s) of these portraits is unknown to the Living New Deal, but they could still be in the 515 D Street NW building (the building has been closed to the public for many years, after the...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

Arnold Brasz created four wood parquetry murals depicting the "History of Redlands" by theme: "Hispanics," "Orchard," "Pioneers" and "Harvesting." The murals were created in 1940 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. They are located in the Redlands Historical Museum.

This 1938 Section of Fine Arts mural"Miners at Work" by Jacob Elshin was originally installed in the Renton post office. Elshin "actually visited underground mines and sketched miners at work for his mural in Renton, Washington, that depicted this historic aspect of the city." (tfaoi.com)

The city of Fall River was originally home to the Wampanoag Native American tribe, but this group was displaced relatively rapidly in the 1600s with the establishment of colonies in modern day Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The city of Fall River grew during the colonial era, but reached its heyday in the 1800s with the expansion of the textile industry. The fast moving Quequechan River provided an excellent source of water power that helped the city to become known as the "Queen City of the Cotton Industry" in the United States. This rich history was the inspiration for the...

Completed by Paul Rohland in 1940, "Dogwood and Azaleas" was originally installed in the Decatur, GA post office. The above photo dates to when it resided there, before being moved to the Federal Building in Atlanta.

This oil-on-canvas mural "General Sully at Yellowstone" was painted by J. K. Ralston in 1942 in what was then the Sidney Post Office. It was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The building is now used by the Richland County Extension Office and is known as the the Donald G. Nutter Building. The post office moved to a new building in 1987.

The historic former New Deal post office and federal building—now the Richmond County Administration Building—in Rockingham, North Carolina received an example of New Deal artwork upon its completion. Commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, Edward Laning painted this triptych, "The Post as Connecting Thread in Human Life," in 1937. The work can be found n the lobby near the building's entrance.

The Richmond County courts are home to two set of murals, one by Axel Horn, a New York-based artist, and another by Charles Davis, an African American artist based in Chicago.  The murals were painted in 1937-38 under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project. There are five murals by Horn, painted with egg tempera on gessoed masonite, 114" x 60" each.  The overall title is Economic Pursuits of the Early American Settlers. The murals have have been moved several times.  They were originally installed in a large workshop  for the benefit of the indigent residents at the Farm Colony,  which was across the road from...

The Richmond County courts are home to two set of murals, one by Axel Horn, a New York-based artist, and another by Charles Davis, an African American artist based in Chicago.  The murals were painted in 1937-38 under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project. There are six murals by Davis, in egg tempura on Masonite panels. Davis titled his murals The Progress of American Industry, with the following themes: Railroad Builders Lumbering Agriculture Mining Steel Workers Bridge Builders The murals have have been moved several times.  They were originally installed in a large workshop  for the benefit of the indigent residents at the Farm Colony,  which...

In 1936 Philip Evergood completed a 160-foot mural entitled "The Story of Richmond Hill," with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project. "The left and lighter side of the mural celebrates the bucolic pleasures of Queens, with citizens making merry (couples dancing in the park), The right and darker side depicts less rosy conditions in the heart of the metropolis (laborers and children). A middle section shows planners and dreamers. The mural is displayed over bookcases in the main reading room." (loc.gov)

"Beginning in 1936, Alland supervised the Photo-Mural Section of the Federal Art Project. He installed photo-murals at the Newark Public Library (1936) and at the Riker's Island Penitentiary library (1937)."   (https://dlib.nyu.edu) The Riker's Island mural, entitled "Approach to Manhattan" was designed specifically for the prison. As Alland's submission statement explained: "The subject of this photomural utilizes the familiar aspects of the normal and happy family in the City. The main purpose of this decoration, besides that of relieving the monotony and changing the aspects of a huge prison hall, into a livable library, where those prisoners who have gained the privilege through...

"Ben Shahn's WPA mural planned for the Rikers Island Penitentiary mess hall was rejected in 1935, the year the prison opened. Harold Lehman's WPA mural "Man's Daily Bread" was mounted there instead circa 1936 but was removed decades later. Thus in a sense, both the planned Shahn mural and the actual Lehman mural could be counted as two murals "missing" in Rikers Island Penitentiary WPA art history. Considerably worse for wear but not missing is a third Rikers Island Penitentiary WPA mural: Anton Refregier's "Home and the Family." Its presence enhances the historic landmark character of NYC's oldest structure in continuous correction-related use. In 1937...

This ceramic panel is at the west entrance of the Rincon Annex.  We have no information on the artist and provenance of this piece.