Arts Programs Sites

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...

This 4' by 3' cast stone relief entitled "Comedy, Tragedy, Music" was produced by Olinka Hrdy in 1937 with Federal Art Project (FAP) funds. It is located on the primary (east) façade of Barnum Hall and depicts stylized Greek comedy and tragedy masks as well as musical instruments. According to a 2018 Historic Resources Group report, "some sources credit this piece to Ella Buchanan and Stefan de Vriendt, but this appears to be erroneous" (p. 24).

A 5x5-foot carved wood bas-relief depicting four "Workers" is located in the library over the circulation desk. It was produced in 1937 with Federal Art Project (FAP) funds. The artist is unknown. "Research suggests that the art piece was salvaged around 1970, when the library was relocated from the English Building to the Language Building and the original library space was converted to classrooms" (HRG Report, p. 89).

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...

Several New Deal art works grace the Santa Monica high school campus, including a 7-foot-high cast stone sculpture titled "The Viking." Located on the patio between the Art and History buildings, the sculpture was created by John Palo-Kangas in 1937 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP). "The sculpture is set upon a rectangular concrete basin which has been capped. The backdrop for the sculpture is composed of patterned blocks with a stylized wave design"—blocks which "also appear in the foyer of Barnum Hall and around the main entrance of the History Building" (HRG Report, p. 24).

The petrachrome murals "Santa Paula" and "Youth" were created by Buckley MacGurrin with WPA Federal Art Project (FAP) funds for Santa Paula High School in Santa Paula, CA. MacGurrin also painted a pair of FAP murals for the former Hall of Records in Los Angeles, CA, which was demolished in 1971. The status of these murals is unknown.

"In addition to the public-works projects, Santa Fe also had more than its share of New Deal-financed art and craft projects designed to train young men and women in traditional skills while producing works of art for public buildings. Perhaps the best known of the New Deal art in Santa Fe are the six murals landscapes on canvas affixed to the walls by William Penhallow Henderson in the U.S. District Court building on Federal Place. The old courthouse, built between 1853 and 1889, recently got three more New Deal artworks scenes of Navajo life painted by Warren Rollins for a...

The five panels of this mural depicting the "History of Chicago" are titled: "Father Marquette," "Fort Dearborn," "Great Chicago Fire of 1871," "World's Columbian Exposition of 1893," and "Century of Progress World's Fair of 1933." They were painted by Lucile Ward in 1940 with funds from the WPA Federal Art Project. It was restored in 1997.  

Malvin Gary Johnson painted two murals, "Nat Turner" and "Toussaint L'Ouverture" in 1934 with funds provided by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP).

George Melville Smith painted two 9' x 9' murals for the Schubert School: "The Life of Franz Schubert" and "The Hurricane." They were painted in 1938 with WPA Federal Art Project funds.

This 5' high black diorite sculpture "The Aztec" was carved by Donal Hord and his team in 1936, a project that took a year to complete.  The one-ton block of stone they sculpted was quarried locally from Escondido. Previously in front of Heppner Hall, it was moved from its original location to make way for the San Diego Trolley Project. It currently stands in the University's Prospective Student Center. From the San Diego Travel Tips website: "In 1936, San Diego sculptor Donal Hord was commissioned to carve a statue for the campus of San Diego State University. He completed the work,...

The Public Works Administration funded the construction of a sewage disposal plant in Denver, CO.

Wendell Jones painted this Section of Fine Arts oil on canvas mural, "Farmer Family" for the Johnson City post office in 1940. "Farmer Family" was moved from the old post office when a new one was built and now hangs in the Sherrod Library on the East Tennessee State University campus. The figure below the cow's tail is a self-portrait of the artist. The Red Setter was Jones's dog and the Irish Setter belonged to friend George Ludin, another prominent artists.  

This mural "Local Industries" by Natalie Henry was completed with support from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts in 1940. It was originally in the Springville Post Office, but it is now on display at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. From the University of Central Arkansas: "Natalie Henry was commissioned to create a mural for Springdale, Arkansas as a result of an Honorable Mention in a Section of Fine Arts competition. She visited town and observed that most farms within the area had vineyards and orchards and that the houses were quite well maintained. She used her father, brother, and...

The early development of Silver Falls State Park can be credited to several of the New Deal programs. A significant portion of the land for the park was purchased by the Federal Resettlement Administration (RA) c. 1935, and developed for recreational use through the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) between 1935 and 1942. During that period, a distinction was made between Silver Falls Park, which was accessible to the public, and the area designated as the Silver Creek Recreation Development Area (RDA), which was a special federal program designed to allow urban...

This 1938 Section of Fine Arts oil-on-canvas mural "Local Pursuits" by Ambrose Patterson was painted for the then Mount Vernon post office. The building (and mural) are now part of Skagit Valley College's Business Resource Center. “Born in Australia, Patterson studied in Europe before moving to the United States. In 1919, he sounded the School of Painting and Design at the University of Washington. The mural “Local Pursuits” highlights Skagit County’s agricultural industries, including dairy.” (depts.washington.edu)  

The mural was painted in 1934 by Raymond Breinin, an artist hired by the Public Works Art Project. Soon after its completion, the mural became the subject of a political controversy and the school board voted to cover it.  The remnants of the mural are located at the Skokie School Learning Center. The original artwork was 40 foot-wide by 10 foot-tall.

Dacre F. Boulton painted two oil-on-canvas murals, "Industrial" and "Winter," for the U.S. Department of Labor in 1933-1934 with funds provided by the Public Works of Art Project of the Treasury Department (PWAP).  The Smithsonian American Art Museum received this and other artworks in the 1960s when they were transferred from federal offices that had previously displayed them.  The Boulton murals are not on display.

Lily Furedi's oil-on-canvas mural, "Subway," was painted in 1934 under the auspices of the Public Works of Art Project – a relief program to hire unemployed artists. The Smithsonian American Art Museum received Subway and other surviving artworks in the 1960s when they were transferred from the agencies that had previously displayed them. Furedi's painting was transferred from the National Park Service, U. S. Department of the Interior, though it is not known where it was originally hung.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum contains hundreds of New Deal artworks.  Some are on permanent display, many are not. Of those, some are brought out for specific exhibitions from time to time. One permanent display on New Deal art features Eugenie Gershoy's sculptures, "Goddess of Fertility" and New Deal artists at work.  There is a nice plaque acknowledging the Public Works of Art Project and the Federal Arts Project and the thousands of artworks produced under those New Deal arts programs.

Harry W. Scheuch completed two murals for the PWAP titled "Workers on the Cathedral of Learning" and "Finishing the Cathedral of Learning" that were transferred from U.S. Department of Labor to the Smithsonian American Art Museum. According to the Smithsonian: "Artist Harry Scheuch painted the Cathedral of Learning twice for the PWAP. The first image is a close-up view of the masons at work(1964.1.157), while this second painting (1964.1.42) is a more distant view that reveals the horde of workers involved. Together the two paintings tell the story of this mighty undertaking. The forty-two-story structure was not substantially completed until 1937,...

"Bulloch Hall" by Frances Lee Turner was painted in 1934 under the auspices of either the Civil Works Administration (CWA) or the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), which gave work to unemployed artists in the early years of the New Deal. The painting traveled from Roswell GA to Washington DC to be hung in the White House. It was transferred to the Smithsonian in 1965. The painting, like hundreds of other New Deal artworks in the American Art Museum,  is not presently on display.  

Carl Mose created two sculptures depicting "Communication" and "Land" for the (now former) Salina courthouse and post office.  

Four striking limestone sculptures were created by Walker Hancock as part of a Federal Art Project Commission. The work, “Courage, Vision, Sacrifice, Loyalty” was installed around the entrances to St. Louis's historic Soldiers' Memorial in 1939. UMSL.edu: "Walker Hancock, a St. Louis native, created the beautiful statues that adorn both entrances to the Soldiers Memorial. Hancock attended Washington Universtiy, where he studied under Victor Holm. He was not the first choice to create the statues, but when the first artist could not fulfill the obligation, Hancock was next in line. The statues were created during the heart of the depression and a New...

Hans E. Prehn created this plaster sculpture "Saw Mill," financed by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, for the old post office. It was moved to the Cotton Museum in the early 2000's and is not viewable in the front lobby.

Ethel Magafan painted this mural, entitled "The Horse Corral," in 1942 for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

These tempera murals depicting the "History of Printing Through the Ages" were created by Suzanne Miller with FAP funds. There were originally five panels in this series; two have been destroyed, but the murals depicting the history of printing in China, Egypt, and "Modern" times remain.

South Park and the nearby Cazenovia Park in Buffalo were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the late 19th century. The caption to the Works Progress Administration (WPA) photo pictured here lists this water tank as one of five water tanks built by the Public Works Administration (PWA) in South Park during the Great Depression. It notes that while the PWA built the water tank structure, the WPA laid the foundations for the steel work "...and put in water lines." More information is needed to determine the present status and exact location of this water tank.

Sculptor Merrell Gage created a three-panel bas relief above the entrance to the South Pasadena High School Auditorium in South Pasadena, CA, likely with Federal Arts Project (FAP) funding. Gage, an instructor at the University of Southern California and at the Chouinard Art Institute, served as judge for the FAP. His own New Deal–funded works in the region include a frieze and free-standing pylon at Hollywood High School in Los Angeles, CA.

Artist Jason Herron sculpted "Erda" (1936) for South Pasadena High School in South Pasadena, CA, with Federal Arts Project (FAP) funds. The sculpture was painted terracotta. Los Angeles Public Library lists the sculpture as missing. According to a 1937 article in the Los Angeles School Journal, "Jason Herron is a young lady whose art study has included work under Merrill Gage at USC, Chamberlain in Pasadena, and one year of study at various places in Europe" (Wells, p. 25). Herron's extant New Deal–funded works in Los Angeles, CA, include the Power of Water Fountain (1935) at Lafayette Park and a sculpture at...

In 1937, P. G. Napolitano completed a mural at South Pasadena Junior High School (today's South Pasadena Middle School) in South Pasadena, CA. Located in the school's music room, the mural received funding from the Federal Art Project (FAP). “Mr. Napolitano’s main interest has always been in murals, which he executes in tempra (egg white), in frescoes, and in Sgraffito which he introduced here in creative work. Much of his work is marked by the omission of pretty detail and mere decorativeness until only the essential stand out; economy of line, rhythm, and strength are the three uppermost qualities” (Wells,...

This 1941 mural by Victor Arnautoff depicts "South San Francisco, Past and Present." The 3-panel oil on canvas was funded by the Section of Fine Arts in 1941.

The South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) located at 3831 South Michigan Avenue on the South Side of Chicago, provided a permanent space for the creation and preservation of artwork made by African American artists from the surrounding community. The SSCAC is one of two WPA funded Art Centers that has never closed its doors, and is also the earliest African American Art Center to be created in the United States. The federal government primarily funded the project, but it was financial support from the African American community that made the idea of an Art Center a reality. According to the...

In 1938 Carl E. Noble completed six oil-on-canvas murals depicting the history of firefighting for the Hempstead Volunteer Fire Department’s Southside Hose Co. No. 2. The murals wrap around the company's second-floor meeting room. Noble painted the murals for the Hempstead Fire Department under the Federal Art Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The titles of the six murals are: Pioneer Fire Fighting, Old Time Fire Gong, First Hempstead Hose Cart, Hempstead Riding Academy Fire, and Modern Fire Fighting Equipment (2 murals). The murals, while not generally accessible to the public, are still intact. The Long Island Historical Journal recounts...

The mural "Harvesting Tobacco" by Roy Schat was commissioned by the federal Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds. Originally created for the then-new Whiteville post office, the work was completed in 1941. Since the post office's relocation the mural is now on display at Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, NC.

Philadelphia's historic Southwark Station post office contains two Section of Fine Arts murals by Robert E. Larter. The oil on canvas murals were painted in 1938 and entitled "Iron Plantation Near Southwark - 1800" and "Shipyards at Southwark - 1800." : In 1938, the Section of Fine Arts commissioned the 26 year old artist Robert E. Larter to paint two oil-on-canvas murals on opposite ends of the post office’s interior. They are respectively titled “Iron Plantation Near Southwark – 1800″ and “Shipyards at Southwark-1800.” The shipyard mural is inaccessible to the public, since the post office built a wall of mailboxes two feet...

"Philadelphia artist Walter Gardner (1902-1996) painted “The Streets of Philadelphia” in 1937 for the Spring Garden Post Office, one of many across the country built as part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal.  The painting depicts a bustling street scene with workers unloading goods in front of the Merchant Exchange on Dock Street.  Murals like this one represent an important chapter in American history, when federal policies encouraged the production of art “for the masses” to combat the economic and social challenges wrought by the Great Depression.  Gardner was an English-born painter who emigrated to Philadelphia as a teenager and studied...

The post office contains a 1942 Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "History of Squirrel Hill." The oil on canvas mural was painted by Alan Thompson.

This 14-foot-tall stainless steel and granite sculpture of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, founder of the Chinese Republic, was sculpted by Beniamino Bufano and completed in 1937 with FAP funds.  "Revered as the 'Father of Modern China,' Sun Yat-sen visited San Francisco in the early 1900s and often relaxed in St. Mary's Square." (Guide.)  

"However reluctant to see their state go on the federal dole, Cheyenne officials accepted, in June, 1933, Wyoming's first New Deal relief allotment. By December some 8000 Wyomingites were at work on jobs financed by the Civil Works Administration. A handful of these people -perhaps a half dozen -were part of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), working in Cheyenne. This federal agency lasted only about six months and its work in Wyoming was minimal; a mural in McCormick Junior High in Cheyenne, and some decorative work in the State Capitol Building, but the tasks were the first example...