Arts Programs Sites

"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...

This oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Builders of Salem," was painted in 1942 by Andrew McD. Vincent, with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The original post office lobby was subdivided into Conference Rooms A & B when the building became the Executive Building, and the mural now hangs in Conference Room A (https://www.oregon.gov/DAS/EAM/pages/building_info/executive.aspx).

The Stockton Federal Building contains two 1936 murals funded by the Section of Fine Arts. This mural "Modern Transport of the Mail" by Frank Bergman is an 8' x 12' oil on canvas depicting the delivery of mail.

The Stockton Federal Building contains two 1936 murals funded by the Section of Fine Arts. This oil on canvas mural "Mail And Travel By Stage" by Jose Moya del Pino depicts stage coach travel in early California.

This WPA sculpture "Bear and Head" by Beniamino Bufano was created in 1935 and placed here in 1945. It measures 5'4" long and 3' wide, and is carved from black granite.

"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 ... four panels in the Rock Springs High School library by Minerva Teichert of Cokeville ..." "The Rock Springs panels were removed from the Rock Springs High School and reinstalled in the Sweetwater County School District #1 Central Administration Building in Rock Springs."

The Works Progress Administration commissioned the modernist mural in 1937 for the PWA-funded Williamsburg Housing Project in Brooklyn, New York. Only five of the murals planned for the International Style development were ever installed. Rediscovered in the 1980's after being painted over, the five installed murals were restored and are now on loan to the Brooklyn Museum. Swing Landscape was never installed at the Williamsburg Houses and has been at the IU Art Museum (now the Sidney and Lois Eskanazi Museum of Art) since 1942. A seventh mural, Sixth Avenue El, by Francis Criss also was never installed at Williamsburg...

The Mary E. Switzer Building was originally built for the Railroad Retirement Board in 1940. The building was constructed in conjunction with the original Social Security headquarters, now the Wilbur J. Cohen building.  The two stand across C street from each other.   The RRB/Switzer building is smaller and its ornamentation is simpler than that of the SSA/Cohen building.  Its only artworks are the granite bas-reliefs over the entrances by Robert Kittredge, "Railroad Employment" and "Railroad Retirement" (both 1941).  These works were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Both the Social Security Administration and the Railroad Retirement Board had to give...

This addition to the Switzer School was to the north of the building constructed in 1899 and replaced the original Switzer School which was built in 1882. The addition was completed in 1939 with funds provided by the Public Works Administration (PWA) and designed by Nate Downes. The entry is marked with cut stone and Switzer School in raised lettering. It has a brick modern deco style and consists of 12 classrooms, 6 to a floor and a large hall on the first level. It is in the process of being repurposed.

A 38' x 8' oil on canvas depicting a farm nestled in the Marin hills, "The Golden Hills of Marin" was painted by Maurice del Mue with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. The mural "was removed from the wall of the high school library in the 1960s and rolled up face-in, causing extensive damage and compression cracks." However a major restoration effort recently returned the mural to its rightful place.

The seven murals on display in the Airside E Terminal of the Tampa International Airport were commissioned from artist George Snow Hill in 1939 under New Deal sponsorship: "In the late 1930's, local artist George Snow Hill was commissioned to create these murals to adorn the walls of Tampa's newly built Peter O. Knight Airport. Hill artistically interpreted the history of flight through the contributions made by Icarus and Daedalus, Archimedes, The Montgolfier Brothers, Otto Lilienthal, Tony Jannus, The Wright Brothers, and a triptych, capturing the first scheduled airline flight in history. The murals were removed from the walls of the Peter...

"When the new courthouse was completed in January 1934, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) commissioned four of Taos’ premier artists to paint ten murals in the facility as part of the New Deal, to alleviate some of the crunching poverty resulting from the Depression... Emil Bisttram, Ward Lockwood, Bert Phillips, and Victor Higgins...would become known as the 'Taos Fresco Quartet.' The original intent of the project was to have 13 panels of murals - 11 narrow vertical ones, a round medallion over the entrance, and Higgins’ large central Ten Commandments piece. The ten completed murals were...

"When the new courthouse was completed in January 1934, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) commissioned four of Taos’ premier artists to paint ten murals in the facility as part of the New Deal, to alleviate some of the crunching poverty resulting from the Depression... Emil Bisttram, Ward Lockwood, Bert Phillips, and Victor Higgins...would become known as the 'Taos Fresco Quartet.' The original intent of the project was to have 13 panels of murals - 11 narrow vertical ones, a round medallion over the entrance, and Higgins’ large central Ten Commandments piece. The ten completed murals were...

"When the new courthouse was completed in January 1934, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) commissioned four of Taos’ premier artists to paint ten murals in the facility as part of the New Deal, to alleviate some of the crunching poverty resulting from the Depression... Emil Bisttram, Ward Lockwood, Bert Phillips, and Victor Higgins...would become known as the 'Taos Fresco Quartet.' The original intent of the project was to have 13 panels of murals - 11 narrow vertical ones, a round medallion over the entrance, and Higgins’ large central Ten Commandments piece. The ten completed murals were...

"When the new courthouse was completed in January 1934, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) commissioned four of Taos’ premier artists to paint ten murals in the facility as part of the New Deal, to alleviate some of the crunching poverty resulting from the Depression... Emil Bisttram, Ward Lockwood, Bert Phillips, and Victor Higgins...would become known as the 'Taos Fresco Quartet.' The original intent of the project was to have 13 panels of murals - 11 narrow vertical ones, a round medallion over the entrance, and Higgins’ large central Ten Commandments piece. The ten completed murals were...

A set of four murals, “History of the Printed Word”, was painted by local artist Robert Martin and unveiled in 1937. The murals were funded by the WPA’s Federal Art Project. "The four oil-painted canvas murals are attached to the walls and depict monks lettering parchments, men working on an early printing press, bookbinders in the 18th century and a (then) contemporary newspaper press" (Teaneck Virtual Library).

This cast-metal portrait bust of Admiral Albert Gleaves by Belle Kinney was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It was originally installed in the old Nashville U.S. Courthouse & Post Office building, but now resides at the Tennessee State Capitol.

The mural entitled "Scenes from Tennessee History," made up of 11 panels, was painted by Jihayr Zorthian.  It can be found in the Governor's Reception Hall in the Tennessee State Capitol.  The Federal Art Project (FAP) commissioned the work.

The Terminal Annex Federal Building contains two oil on canvas murals by Peter Hurd: "Pioneer Home Builders" and “Airmail Over Texas.” They were painted in 1940-1941 with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. From an entry on the website Unvisited Dallas by Noah Jeppson: Soon after the Terminal Annex was completed, three murals were commissioned and a national design competition was held. From an entry field of 149 applicants regionalist painter Peter Hurd — who rose to national fame in the 1930s — won the anonymous competition (the winning designs were displayed with all other entries at the Dallas Museum...

Three murals were commissioned for Tewksbury Hospital by the Federal Art Project. The works presented scenes related to the heritage of the area, and were created by: Maurice Compris (looms); Samuel F. Hershey (quarries and factory work); and W. Lester Stevens (farm work, boat building, and fishing).

A Harold Everett "Bubi" Jessen mural entitled "Pageant of Texas," created with funding from the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), hangs on a wall within the Colonial Era Mission of Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga, at the Goliad State Park and Historic Site. This mural once hung at the Texas State Capitol building.

This bas relief "Cotton and Tobacco" by Paul Rudin was completed with the help of Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1939. The Daily Record Newspaper office was previously the town's post office.

Nassau County's Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building houses a set of four murals created as a New Deal project. They are located above the staircases, at the second floor of the building's rotunda. Created by Robert Gaston Herbert, these Federal Art Project-funded murals depict "important events in Nassau County's history," and were restored in 2007. Mural descriptions: Gov. Theodore Roosevelt laying the corner-stone of the Nassau Co. Court-house, July 13th, 1900. The Youngs Mansion, Oyster Bay, built in 1652 by Thomas Youngs. George Washington honored the house with an over-night visit in 1790. New York's counties were created in 1683 by Gov....

Modernization efforts conducted on Theodore Roosevelt High School in 2013 uncovered two 1934 frescoes by Nelson Rosenberg and students at the school, entitled "Adolescent America" and "American Panorama."  Rosenberg was funded under the Public Works of Art Project, which gave commissions to unemployed artists in the Great Depression. The frescoes were restored and are apparently now on display in the cafeteria. The school itself was built 1930-1932, before the New Deal began.

In 1937, Ross Dickinson painted "History of the Recorded Word" in the Thomas Jefferson High School library (Los Angeles, CA) with Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Arts Project funding. The mural is comprised of four panels, each 10' by 5.5'. The panels depict the history of printing, with subjects including hieroglyphs, manuscripts, and modern printing. After six months of research, Dickinson painted the mural in five weeks. According to the Los Angeles Sentinel (one of the most influential African-American newspapers in the Western United States), "Dickinson was employed as an art teacher at the Art Center School of Los Angeles and needed...

Artist Ross Dickinson designed two tile mosaics for Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Angeles, CA. He received funding from the Federal Arts Project (FAP). The mosaics "give glimpses of Indian pueblo life, one showing the influence of the crafts taught by the mission fathers" (Wells, p. 23). According to a 1937 article in the Los Angeles School Journal, "The greatest single patron of Federal art among the schools of the Los Angeles system is Thomas Start King Junior High School, whose principal is Dr. Alice Ball Struthers. The possessions of that school could well serve as a model and be...

This sculpture by Djey el Djey, entitled "The Vanquished Race" (or "The Vanishing Race"), was commissioned by the WPA's Federal Arts Project (FAP) in 1936. It is located at Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Angeles, CA. "Mr. Djey el Djey is an earnest young man, justly proud of this, his first real successful piece," noted a 1937 article in the Los Angeles School Journal. "'Vanquished Race' was of such merit that it was featured as the cover picture of an issue of the no New York magazine Art Digest. It was also reproduced in the London 'Studio' line with...

Artist P. G. Napolitano painted a pair of murals, titled "Spirit of the Fiesta," at Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Angeles, CA. The two 9' by 12' panels—featuring a male and female figure—are located above the north court balcony. Napolitano received funding from the Federal Arts 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...

Artist James Redmond painted a small mural, titled "California Horsemen," at Thomas Starr King Middle School in Los Angeles, CA. He received funding from the Federal Arts Project (FAP). Redmond reportedly preferred "California Horsemen" to the large mural he painted at Banning High School in Los Angeles, CA (Wells, p. 21). His other New Deal–funded works in the region include a post office mural in Compton, CA. According to a 1937 article in the Los Angeles School Journal, "The greatest single patron of Federal art among the schools of the Los Angeles system is Thomas Start King Junior High School, whose principal...

Timberline Lodge was built in 1936-38 as a ski lodge 6,000 feet up on Mount Hood, and it still serves that purpose.  It was equally a showcase for the accomplishments of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The four-story structure was built in Northwestern rustic style using large timbers and local stone, with a striking central "headhouse" built in a hexagon around a 90-foot stone chimney with large fireplaces on all sides. The interior is a marvel of decorative elements designed to feature Northwestern native and pioneer styles in wood carving, furniture, textiles, metal work, light fixtures, stone work and paintings. The interior decor...

Timberline Lodge was built in 1936-38 as a ski lodge 6,000 feet up on Mount Hood, and it still serves that purpose.  It was equally a showcase for the accomplishments of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The four-story structure was built in Northwestern rustic style using large timbers and local stone, with a striking central "headhouse" built in a hexagon around a 90-foot stone chimney with large fireplaces on all sides. The interior is a marvel of decorative elements designed to feature Northwestern native and pioneer styles in wood carving, furniture, textiles, metal work, light fixtures, stone work and paintings. The interior decor...

Timberline Lodge was built in 1936-38 as a ski lodge 6,000 feet up on Mount Hood, and it still serves that purpose.  It was equally a showcase for the accomplishments of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The four-story structure was built in Northwestern rustic style using large timbers and local stone, with a striking central "headhouse" built in a hexagon around a 90-foot stone chimney with large fireplaces on all sides. The interior is a marvel of decorative elements designed to feature Northwestern native and pioneer styles in wood carving, furniture, textiles, metal work, light fixtures, stone work and paintings. The interior decor...

Timberline Lodge was built in 1936-38 as a ski lodge 6,000 feet up on Mount Hood, and it still serves that purpose.  It was equally a showcase for the accomplishments of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The four-story structure was built in Northwestern rustic style using large timbers and local stone, with a striking central "headhouse" built in a hexagon around a 90-foot stone chimney with large fireplaces on all sides. The interior is a marvel of decorative elements designed to feature Northwestern native and pioneer styles in wood carving, furniture, textiles, metal work, light fixtures, stone work and paintings. The interior decor...

Timberline Lodge was built in 1936-38 as a ski lodge 6,000 feet up on Mount Hood, and it still serves that purpose.  It was equally a showcase for the accomplishments of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The four-story structure was built in Northwestern rustic style using large timbers and local stone, with a striking central "headhouse" built in a hexagon around a 90-foot stone chimney with large fireplaces on all sides. The interior is a marvel of decorative elements designed to feature Northwestern native and pioneer styles in wood carving, furniture, textiles, metal work, light fixtures, stone work and paintings. The interior decor...

The Timothy Ahearn Memorial in New Haven, Connecticut was created under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project in 1937.

The Reptile House was the first of five buildings constructed by the WPA at the Toledo Zoo. These buildings are still in use today. FAP artist Forrest "Woody" LaPlante was one of three muralists who painted botanical backgrounds in each reptile exhibit. Most of these murals were destroyed in the 1970s, but the remaining murals were restored by LaPlante in the 1990s. The building was constructed from materials recycled from local areas, such as the Wabash Railroad shops and the former Miami and Erie canals. The architecture of the building was inspired by Spanish and Moorish styles in reference to the city's...

Topeka High School has three examples of David Hicks Overmyer’s work, two carried out under the WPA’s Federal Art Project. The first is the large painting “Pageant of Old England” which was commissioned by the Topeka School Board in 1936, completed in 1937, and funded by the FAP. It was created for the English Room, an oversized classroom that includes a fireplace, Tudor-style woodwork, and a gothic-arched stage. The painting shows a group of medieval figures passing through an English village with a large castle in the background. “Pageant of Old England” currently still hangs in the English Room. In 1938,...

In 1936-1937, Anna Katharine Skeele painted mural titled "Home Life in Old Taos" which was commissioned by the Federal Arts Project (FAP). Skeele was a Monrovia, California based artist known for her portraits and focus on Native Americans in the Southwest. "Home in Old Taos" was her first mural painting. She made several trips to Taos, New Mexico to research and develop ideas for the painting. "Home Life in Old Taos" is 8' x 30'  and is oil on canvas. It "depicts Pueblo Indian men and women working on daily tasks, such as grinding corn and collecting water from a river near...

These three murals "...and 14 others were originally created as public art specifically for Danvers Town Hall. The project began in 1934 under the joint auspices of the Works Progress Administration Artist and Writers Project and the then solidly Republican Town of Danvers. Numerous local citizens, including William C. Endicott, Jasper Marsh, Lester Couch, Harriet S. Tapley, Ivan G. Smith, Victor D. Elmere, William R. Lynch and the local VFW donated cash for the materials used in the project, while the Federal WPA Administration paid the artists' modest salaries. Principal artist of these works of art on canvas was Richard V....

The Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) created a set of murals for what was then the Junior-Senior High School in Darien, Connecticut, now its town hall. "In Darien, approximately 11  artists, Robert Pallesen, James Daugherty, Arthur Gibson Hull, Remington Schulyer, Loran Wilford and William J. Schaldach among them, were employed to create artwork, most of which was done in the town’s schools (today’s Town Hall building was the town’s High School in 1934)."