Art Works Sites

"The city of Norwalk, Conn., has one of the nation’s largest surviving collections of W.P.A. murals, thanks to a restoration effort in the 1980s that preserved nearly two dozen in the old Norwalk High School, now City Hall. The rescued artwork is on display there, while other murals decorate Norwalk Community College, the city’s public library and maritime aquarium, and other public places. Though many of the murals depict scenes from local history, several are more exotic: Five murals by an artist named Arthur G. Hull illustrate imagined scenes from the travels of Marco Polo. The Hull murals are on permanent...

George Avison's 1937 mural "The Duke vs. The King" was commissioned for the Center School (since destroyed) by the WPA Federal Art Project. It is now located at the Norwalk Community College. Medium: oil on canvas Size: 9'10" x 3'5" Restoration Info: Property of City of Norwalk, CT, WPA Art Collection. Restored ca.1986

Alexander Rummler painted two murals for the Norwalk High School cafeteria: "Birds of Connecticut" and "Mammals of Connecticut." The murals were funded by the WPA Federal Art Project. They are now located in the Baker Library at Norwalk Community College. Medium: oil on canvas Size: c. 10' x 6' Restoration Info: Property of City of Norwalk, CT, WPA Art Collection. Restored ca.1986.

The Norwalk Public Library contains two WPA Federal Art Project murals by Justin Gruelle: "The Chinese Nightingale" and "Aladdin." The murals were originally installed at the South Norwalk Public Library. They were restored in 1986.

Artist Arthur Gibson Hull painted a series of murals depicting the travels of Marco Polo, including: "Africa," "China," "India," "Venice, the Musicians" and "Venice, the Ship." The murals were originally installedin 1940-41 at the Norwalk High School, with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. They were restored in 1986 and are now located in the Norwalk Transit District building.  

Sculptor Richard "Dick" O'Hanlon created two wooden bas-relief panels for the Salinas, California post office and federal building -- now called the Steinbeck Station Post Office.   The works were funded by the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP) and installed in 1936.  One is titled "Cowboy and Bull" and the other "Cowboy and Horse."  They are carved in black walnut. The reliefs hang at either end of the long lobby. They appear to be in very good condition. Originally from Long Beach, California, O'Hanlon (1906-1985) joined other young California artists like Frederick Olmsted apprenticing with Diego Rivera at the San Francisco Art Institute...

Frederick Mulhaupt painted two large pieces for the old Maplewood School in 1934-35. They were later moved to their current location at the O'Maley Middle School. "Native American Life on Cape Ann" is composed of one 6' x 40 panel and two 6' x 6' panels. It was painted in 1934. The 12' x 20' mural "Gloucester Harbor" was painted in 1935 with funds from the WPA Federal Art Project.  

A 4 x 9 foot mural, "Our Daily Bread," was painted by Frederick Stoddard in 1934 with the help of New Deal funds for the old Central Grammar School – now O'Maley Middle School in Gloucester MA. Given the date, the work was almost surely paid for by the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), which hired unemployed artists in the depth of the Depression.  

This ceramic relief "Physical Education" by Louise Pain was created with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project.

The O'Toole School contains a WPA mural entitled "Characters from Children's Literatur" by Alex Topp (Topchevsky). "Alex Topp was born in Chicago, where he studied at the Hull House under his older brother Morris and earned his MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago. Topchevsky worked for the WPA as an easel painter and executed murals for multiple government buildings. He traveled and painted in Mexico, Central America and Europe and is known for his social realist works from the 1930s and 1940s."   (richardnortongallery.com) Medium: tempera on canvas Size: 5'3"h x 24'w

    Frances Badger completed these two oil-on-canvas murals, entitled "Sailor with Spyglass" and "Treasure Island," in 1936 with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. They were originally painted for the Louis Stevenson Playground but have since been moved to the second floor of the Oak Park Historical Society, where they were restored in 1996. A third mural at that site has been lost. Badger "was one of the foremost female WPA artists in Illinois. In addition to her murals in Oak Park, she also painted four murals for what was then a girls' detention center in Joliet and...

Bas relief murals depicting agricultural and economic themes were completed between 1938 and 1940 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

This fresco (overpainted with acrylic during restoration) by Ethel Spears was completed with FAP funds in 1936.

This mural (4 large and 8 small panels) entitled "The Legend of Charlemagne" by Carl Scheffler was completed with FAP funds in 1936.  

This sculpture was completed with FAP funds in 1936. The original ceramic tile has been lost.

In 1939, Alfred Lenzi designed two wooden reliefs for the Oakton school with WPA Federal Art Project funds. The 3' x 9' "Farm Animals" was completed with assistance from wood worker Rudolph Franz. The 3′ x 11′ "Wild Animals" was completed with assistance from wood worker Svend Ericksen.

Two murals, "Fishing" and "Farming" painted in 1940 for the Nathan Clifford Elementary School and moved in 2012 to the new Ocean Avenue Elementary School that replaced it.

The historic Old Chelsea Station post office houses examples of New Deal artwork: two sculptures, titled "Deer" and "Bears," by Paul Fiene, housed just inside the public entrance on 18th Street. Made of "cast stone with silver leaf finish," the works were commissioned by  the Treasury Section of Fine Arts and completed in 1938.

The heart of today's Greenbelt, Maryland – popularly known as "Old Greenbelt" – is a large, planned community laid out and constructed during the New Deal. It features community facilities such as a school, theater and community center, a large number and variety of housing, basic infrastructure of roads, water and sewers, and extensive landscaping and an attached forest.  Almost all of the original facilities are still intact. Greenbelt was one of four greenbelt towns initiated by Rex Tugwell, head of the Resettlement Administration (RA). Greendale, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee, and Greenhills, Ohio, near Cincinnati, are other surviving greenbelt towns; a fourth,...

The Lincoln Hospital (also known as the Lincoln Medical and Health Center), has contained several WPA murals. During the 1930s, the Lincoln Hospital (then located at 141st St. and Southern Blvd. in the Bronx) received at least three WPA murals. Ruth Egri painted a large mural entitled "Disease, Cure and Prevention" for the hospital in 1938-1939; Eric Mose painted another WPA mural for the hospital in 1938; and Albert Kelly painted a multi-panel mural entitled "Circus Parade." In 1976, the hospital moved to its present location. Unfortunately, a conversation with an employee of Lincoln Medical Center in 2016 leads us to...

Ruth Egri painted a large WPA mural entitled "Disease, Cure and Prevention" in 1938-1939 for the Lincoln Hospital (then located at 141st St. and Southern Blvd. in the Bronx). In 1976, the hospital moved to its present location on 149th St. The mural’s current status is unknown, but it was probably lost in the demolition of the old hospital c. 2010.

In 1938, artist Albert Kelly painted a multi-panel mural entitled "The Circus" (it may also have been known as "Circus Parade") for the children's ward at the old Lincoln Hospital (then located at 141st St. and Southern Blvd.) in the Bronx. In 1976, the hospital moved to its present location on 149th St. The mural’s current status is unknown, but it was probably lost in the demolition of the old hospital c. 2010.

In 1938 Eric Mose created murals for Lincoln Hospital (also known as the Lincoln Medical and Health Center) in the Bronx with funding from the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP) (Smithsonian Archives of American Art). The hospital (then located at 141st St. and Southern Blvd. in the Bronx) moved to its present location on 149th St. in 1976. The mural’s current status is unknown, but it was probably lost in the demolition of the old hospital c. 2010.

The two 9' x 34' panels of the mural "The Children's World" were painted by Francis Coan with WPA Federal Art Project funds. They were moved from the Hild Library and restored in 1998.  

https://clevelandhistorical.org: "Under the direction of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Public Library, the Cleveland FAP employed needy artists adorning schools and public buildings throughout Greater Cleveland. The Cleveland Heights school district requested works pertaining to children's themes and the American Scene during the late 1930s and 1940s. Oxford Elementary received funding for two murals, two hydrocals, and thirty-five ceramics (though only some of the ceramics were completed)." "Early in 1937, two murals done directly on the walls of the first floor corridor were executed at Oxford School by Gladys Carambella. These showed the stories of the Pied Piper of...

https://clevelandhistorical.org: "Under the direction of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Cleveland Public Library, the Cleveland FAP employed needy artists adorning schools and public buildings throughout Greater Cleveland. The Cleveland Heights school district requested works pertaining to children's themes and the American Scene during the late 1930s and 1940s. Oxford Elementary received funding for two murals, two hydrocals, and thirty-five ceramics (though only some of the ceramics were completed)." "In 1941, artists LeRoy Flint and Henry Olmer, inspired by the history of Cleveland, created a pair of relief panels for Oxford depicting "Agriculture" and "Industry." They were sculpted in clay, but...

Daniel Celentano completed this oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Children in Creative & Cultural Activities," in 1940 through the Works Progress Administration (WPA). It is currently located in the auditorium of P.S. 150 in Queens.

The school auditorium contains a set of murals by Sacha Moldovan entitled "New York Old and New," painted under the auspices of the WPA. "Drawing inspiration from historic images of New York as well as 1930s views of the city, Sacha Moldovan created a fanciful panorama of New York City, old and new, blending recognizable landmarks with a naïve sensibility. Moldovan was born in Russia but lived and worked in Paris, where he came of age artistically as a member of the School of  Paris, befriending Henri Matisse and Chaim Soutine. Moldovan’s paintings feature thick applications of brilliant color, heavy outlines, and...

In 1939, Herman Simms completed a mural for the entranceway of P.S. 216 in Brooklyn with funding from the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The mural is entitled "Children in Vocational Activities and Children in Directed and Undirected Play." The New York Times explains that "...Herman Simms, a 29-year-old artist kept off the bread lines by the Works Progress Administration, painted a mural in the entranceway of Public School 216 in Gravesend, Brooklyn....It took him eight months. He was paid $20 a week." It describes the mural thus: "One piece of the mural dealt with classroom activities -- music instruction, home economics and...

August (Gus Gay) was hired by the Federal Art Project to paint a mural in the Pacific Grove High School Library in 1935.  It was a very ambitious mural that took three years to complete, even with the assistance of young artist Bruce Ariss. The 10 x 150 foot mural was one of the largest in California, depicting the Monterey coastline from Point Pinos lighthouse to Monterey Custom House, with Cannery Row at the center. The mural was completely destroyed by a fire at the school in December 1946.

The delightful Painted Desert Inn was created by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), working under the National Park Service (NPS), with a grant from the Public Works Administration (PWA), from 1936 to 1940. The design of the Desert Inn by the NPS's Lyle Bennett is Pueblo Revival style, which was popular in the Southwest at the time. It features a flat roof, stucco walls and rounded corners, with open beam ceilings and protruding roof timbers.   There are elegant interior decorations done by the CCC enrollees, including etched floors, wooden furniture, metal light fixtures and painted skylight glass. Walls murals were added...

An 18-foot art deco sculpture, "Santa Monica" by Eugene Morahan, is located in Palisades Park at the foot of Wilshire Blvd in Santa Monica, CA. It was created in 1934 with funding from the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP).

"Palmer Park became part of the Chicago Park District in 1934, when the city's 22 independent park commissions were consolidated into a new unified system. Later that year, park district art director James Edward McBurney created three murals for Palmer Park as a Works Progress Administration project funded by the federal government. The three are: "Native Americans," "explorers," and "Dutch settlers."

The historic former Palmer Square post office in Princeton, New Jersey houses an example of New Deal artwork: a large mural, entitled "Columbia under the Palm," painted by Karl Free in 1939. The mural remains in place despite USPS having sold the building to private interests and the building undergoing multiple transformations since that time. "One of the distinctive features of the post office building is a controversial 1939 mural depicting Native Americans kneeling at the arrival of European colonists, a scene that some have denounced as racist."   (https://www.nj.com)

Harodl Bugbee completed two murals for the museum. "The Cattlemen" was completed with funds from the PWAP in 1934. "Ranch Headquarters" was completed in 1940 with support from the WPA Federal Art Project.

Ben Carlton Mead completed two New Deal murals for the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. One, "Coronado's Coming" was painted in 1934 with funding from the PWAP. Another, "Antelope Creek Focus" was painted in 1940 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project.  

This photo shows WPA Federal Art Project artists giving members of the Paragon Boys' Club a lessons in mural painting.

The former Parcel Post Building in Richmond, Virginia housed multiple examples of New Deal artwork: murals by Paul Cadmus and Jared French, respectively, which were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Paul Cadmus's work was a mural with respective titles: "Pocahontas Saving the Life of Captain John Smith," "Walter Raleigh," and "William Byrd." Believed to be removed from the Parcel Post Building in the 1960s, the mural was found rolled up in storage in Philadelphia. Since restored, the work is now housed in the library at the Lewis F. Powell Jr. United States Courthouse, which is next door to...

The former Parcel Post Building in Richmond, Virginia housed multiple examples of New Deal artwork: murals by Paul Cadmus and Jared French, respectively, which were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Gerard French’s work was a mural: "Stuart’s Raiders at the Swollen Ford," featuring companion portraits of Jeb Stuart, and John Pelham “in wings attached to either end of the scene.” Believed to be removed from the Parcel Post Building in the 1960s, the mural was found rolled up in storage in Philadelphia. Since restored, the work is now housed in the library at the Lewis F. Powell Jr. United...

"The Parklawn Housing Project, Milwaukee, WI was built by the WPA. Part of the philosophy was to incorporate art with mixed income families. There are two sculptures entitled "Fishing" and "Music" still extant done by WPA artists in the central park area of Parklawn (artists unknown), although there is extensive damage on both sculptures."