Art Works Sites

"Landscape" is an example of New Deal artwork, completed by Milton Avery in 1939 under the auspices of the Section of Fine Arts. The oil-on-canvas mural measures 12' x 4'.

John Sharp painted this oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Summer," in 1941 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Sharp also called this mural, "Imaginary Farm."

The mural "The First Crossing at Rocky Ford" hangs in the lobby of the historic Rocky Ford post office. "With the Great Depression, fewer people could afford to patronize the arts, severely impacting the careers of artists. The Treasury Departments Section of Fine Arts provided employment by sponsoring artwork in federal buildings. Many of the post offices constructed during the Depression were decorated with murals or other artworks commissioned by the Section of Fine Arts. Funds for artwork were based on 1% of the total appropriation for the buildings construction. Victor Higgins was hired to paint a mural above the postmasters...

The historic post office in Rocky Mount, Virginia houses an example of New Deal artwork: the mural "Life in Rocky Mount," painted by Roy Hilton. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

This oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Harbor at Rogers City," was painted by James Calder and installed on September 16, 1941. Calder painted three post office murals in Michigan, including "St. Clair River" in St. Clair and "Waiting for the Mail" on the wall of the Grand Ledge Post Office, portraying a farm family anticipating their daily delivery.

Medium: oil on canvas Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Rugby, the Geographical Center of North America." The work was painted by Kenneth Callahan and completed and installed in 1943. According to the project's contract, dated May 28, 1942, Mr. Callahan was to be paid $850 for his efforts.

Rainey Bennett completed this oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Hart Fellows, Builder of Rushville," in 1939 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the Rushville post office lobby.

The historic post office in Rusk, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts-commissioned mural, titled "Agriculture and Industry at Rusk," completed in 1939.

The post office contains a Section of Fine Arts oil-on-canvas mural entitled "Wheat Workers" painted in 1940 by Martyl Schweig. This is a classic regionalist portrayal of wheat workers in the fields during the transition from hand work to a mechanized harvest. The motion and hard work is palpable and in the background are the oil derricks that western Kansas is also known for. Martyl was born to Aimee Schweig, a well-known artist in St. Louis and one of the organizers of the Ste. Genevieve artist colony that thrived from 1930-1940. Martyl was a prodigy, studying with her mother and the other...

A Section of Fine Arts fresco entitled "Shipment of the First Iron Produced in Russellville" was painted for the Russellville, Alabama post office in 1938 by Conrad A. Albrizzio. "The mural for Russellville turned out to be one of the most controversial in Alabama. Albrizzio submitted two sketches of local industry shortly after he was invited to undertake the commission. The Section office chose the scene of a local quarry over that of an early iron mine. The Section apparently made their decision in early July 1937 and by the end of the month they had received numerous telegrams in protest...

The historic post office building in Rye, New York contains a New Deal Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "John Jay at His Home." The mural was painted in 1938 by Guy Pene du Bois.

The post office in Sabetha, Kansas houses an example of New Deal artwork: ""The Hare and the Tortoise," a mural by Albert T. Reid. The work was completed in 1937.

The historic post office in Saint Anthony, Idaho houses an example of New Deal artwork: an oil-on-canvas mural entitled "The Fur Traders," painted in 1939 by Elizabeth Lochrie. The work was sponsored by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Ms. Lochrie also painted murals for the Burley, Idaho and Dillon, Montana post offices.

Section of Fine Arts mural entitled "Visions of the Development of Salem" painted in 1942 by Berni Glasgow.

This oil on canvas mural depicting desert hills now hangs in the office of the postmaster. "San Gabriel County" was painted by Ray Strong with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

These three egg tempera panels on plaster board entitled "Life in Early California" were completed in 1935 by Tom Laman, under the auspices of the Treasury Relief Art Project.

"The mural Mail Transportation was painted by Fletcher Martin. Martin was a self-taught artist, and he won the commission to paint the murals among seventy-seven artists. By the age of twelve he was working as a printer. He dropped out of high school and held odd jobs like lumberjack and professional boxer. He served in the Navy in the early 20s until finally ending up in Los Angeles teaching at art schools such Otis Art Institute. Mail Transportation is an oil an canvas that shows how mail is transported no matter the conditions, whether it is in the frozen arctic or...

The historic post office in Sandusky, Michigan houses an example of New Deal artwork: "Cattle Auctions," an oil and tempera mural by Frank Cassara. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

Richard Jansen painted this oil on canvas mural, entitled "Threshing Wheat," in 1942 for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the post office lobby.

The post office contains a 1940 Section of Fine Arts mural by Vance Kirkland entitled “The Opening of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Country.”

Oil on canvas entitled "Wild Horses by Moonlight" painted by Philip von Saltza in 1940. "Swedish-born Philip von Saltza, a resident of Maine in the 1930's, painted post office murals in Vermont and New Hampshire. This mural was not originally created for its location in Schuyler, Nebraska. It was originally entered in an Arizona post office competition, but the government assigned the unchanged design to Schuyler in eastern Nebraska. When local residents complained about tall cacti in the landscape, von Saltza superimposed cottonwood trees! As a result,this change made the citizens of Schuyler much happier with their mural." (https://communitydisc.westside66.org)

" 1941, Buffalo artist Amy Jones painted the 5'6" by 12' mural, depicting the sparing of the Glen family during the 1690 Schenectady massacre, a key turning point in the early history of Scotia." The mural, entitled "The Glen Family Spared by French and Indians - 1690," was painted under the Section of Fine Arts program.

The historic post office in Sebastopol, California contains a New Deal mural: "Agriculture" (1937), 4' x 15' oil on canvas, painted by Malette Dean.

This Section funded mural "Prehistoric Life in Florida" was painted for the Sebring post office in 1942 by Charles R. Knight. It now hangs in the Sebring Public Library.

The post office contains a 1941 Section of Fine Arts mural by Albert C. Runquist entitled Loggers and Millworkers. "Known as the "Gateway to the North Cascades," Sedro-Wooley is located along the Skagit River in Skagit County. The mural depicts one of the area's primary industries, timber. The artist, Albert Runquist, was from Aberdeen, Washington and studied at the University of Oregon as well as the Art Student's League of New York." (depts.washington.edu)

This New Deal mural entitled "Chicken Farm" was painted by William H. Calfee in 1942. It was a winner of the Section's 48-State mural competition.

The tempera-on-canvas mural "Susquehanna Trail" was painted as a federal Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts project by George Rickey. The work was installed in the lobby of the then-new Selinsgrove post office in 1939.

The tempera-on-canvas mural "Susquehanna Trail" was painted as a federal Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts project by Harry Sternberg. The work was installed in the lobby of the then-new Sellersville post office in 1937.

The oil-on-canvas mural "Land of Irrigation," by Norman Chamberlain, was installed at the Selma Post Office on March 24, 1938. Before beginning the piece, Chamberlain traveled to Selma to get a sense of the local community. Local newspaper editor Lowell Pratt Clark took him for a tour of the surrounding countryside, including a visit to a local peach cannery. The final work reflected the town's agricultural economy, in particular irrigated peach and grape production. Chamberlain was paid $1500 for the work.

Acee Blue Eagle completed this oil-on-canvas mural, entitled "Seminole Indian Village Scene," in 1939 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It is viewable in the Seminole post office lobby.

"New Deal mural entitled "Men & Wheat" painted by Joe Jones in 1940. Mr Jones also painted murals for the post offices in Charleston & Dexter, MO; Anthony, KS and Magnolia, AR. All the murals depict a harvest scene and all but Dexter depict wheat harvesting."

The mural "Comanches" was painted with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds in 1942.

Oil on canvas entitled "The First Settlers" painted by Eugene Higgins in 1939.

The historic Shelton, Connecticut post office houses a federal Treasury Section of Fine Arts-funded mural entitled "River Landscape." The work was painted by Frede Vidar and installed in the post office lobby in 1940.

This tempera mural "Skid Row" by Richard Haines was a winner of the Treasury Section's 48-State Post Office Mural Competition. "When Section officials in Washington, D.C., chose Minneapolis artist Richard Haines to paint a mural for the new post office in Shelton, Washington, the local community openly complained about the selection. Haines tried to make the best of the situation and his logging-themed, egg tempera mural, “The Skid Road,” was actually the only one in the state completed on site. “Whenever possible,” he commented, “I feel painting of the murals on the spot should be encouraged. It is an enlightening experience...

Oil on canvas entitled "General Sully at Yellowstone" by J. K. Ralston (1942).

New Deal mural "Indian Harvest" painted by Richard Olsen in 1940 with funds provided by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The Siler City Post Office contains a Section of Fine Arts mural by Maxwell B. Starr entitled "Building the First House at Siler's Crossroads." Medium: oil on canvas

The oil-on-canvas mural "Captain John Smith Trading With the Indians" was painted by William Abbot Cheever in 1941. The mural, which hangs in the lobby of the Smithfield, Virginia post office, was restored in 2009.

The historic Smithville post office houses an example of New Deal artwork: "The Law—Texas Rangers" (1940), an oil-on-canvas mural by Minette Teichmueller. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.