The New York Times wrote the following in 2003 in a retrospective article of New Jersey-based artist Michael Lenson: “[Mr. Lenson] moved to Newark and applied at the W.P.A. office on Halsey Street … Soon, Mr. Lenson was designing and… read more
Rex Brandt was commissioned by the PWAP to paint five murals for Chemawa Junior High School in Riverside, CA. At the time, Brandt was a student at Riverside Community College. When the school was remodeled in 1973, the murals were… read more
The Cheyenne Botanic Gardens were established well after the advent of the New Deal. However, some WPA efforts can be seen at the site. “The site for the Children’s Village is centered in what used to be a city parks… read more
The Chief Johnson Totem Pole was raised in 1901 and restored by Native carvers enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) between 1939-1941. The carvers trained at the Saxman workshop did the restoration work. The restoration work was part of… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed the Chief Shakes Historic Site in 1940 on a 0.704 acre tract of land located on Shakes Island in Wrangell Harbor. The park was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Bear Up Mountain Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed the Chief Shakes Historic Site in 1940 on an acre of land located on Shakes Island in Wrangell. The clan house is a 1940 replica of an early 19th Century Tlingit community house. The… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Kadashan Crane Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the poles… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Kadashan Red Snapper Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Kicksetti Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the poles surrounding… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Killer Whale Totem in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the poles surrounding… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Raven Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the poles surrounding… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Sea Lion Prince Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Sea Serpent Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the poles… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Sun Totem Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the poles… read more
Tlingit craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the Three Frogs Pole in 1940. The restoration was part of a larger U.S. Forest Service program focused on the restoration of totems and Native cultural assets. Seven of the poles… read more
Craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps carved a copy of the Back Potlatch Ring Pole. The pole stands 15 feet tall. The flying groundhog was replaced with an eagle in 1939.
Craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps carved a copy of one of two mortuary posts, called Two Eagle Memorial Pole. The pole stands 15’ tall. The original, which has burned, belonged to the Eagle Leg House in Old Kasaan…. read more
Craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps restored the original Ha’u Pole. The Kasaan Haida Heritage Foundation describes the significance of the figures represented on the pole: “Sources recount that a man from the Tlingit village of Kake carved this… read more
Craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps carved a copy of the Killer Whale Grave Figure. The original, which no longer exists, was located on the roof of a grave house on the beach in Old Kasaan. This is the… read more
The Sitting Bear Grave Marker is a reproduction from an original totem from Old Kasaan, carved by native craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps. The totem was relocated on January 30, 1939 to New Kasaan at the Whale House… read more
Craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps restored the original Skawaal Pole. The Kasaan Haida Heritage Foundation describes the significance of the figures represented on this pole: “This pole is about 50-feet high and was one of two poles which… read more
Standing in front of the Whale House, this 50-foot pole is a reproduction of an Old Kasaan original. The pole was carved in 1939 by James Peele. Chester R. Snow, a Construction Engineer for the Civilian Conservation Corps noted that the original… read more
David Peele and craftsmen enrolled in the Civilian Conservation Corps carved a copy of the Spencer Pole. The Kasaan Haida Heritage Foundation describes the significance of the figures represented on the pole: “The 40-foot Spencer Pole was raised by Kate… read more
The original Children’s Hospital opened in 1908, later merging with the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary (opened in 1890) and the Maine General Hospital (opened in 1874) to become Maine Medical Center. “WPA artists painted murals for two Portland hospitals… read more
Florian Durzynski painted two murals, “Stephen Foster” and “Frederic Chopin,” for the Chopin School in 1940 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project.
The school contains three WPA murals by Arthur Lidov depicting “Characters from Children’s Literature.” Medium: tempera on plaster on presswood Size: 3 semi-circular panels each about 3’2″ r Restoration Info: Restored 1999
Citizen Genet School in East Greenbush, New York was constructed as a Public Works Administration (PWA) project from 1939-40. The building bears a 1939 cornerstone. Originally a high school, the facility now houses an elementary school and central offices. Striking… read more
Between 1942 and 1943, Bartholomew de Mako created the mural “Justice” for Burbank City Hall under the auspices of the Works Projects Administration (WPA) Art Program. The mural is now displayed in the lobby of the City Attorney’s Office. “Set… read more
“Hardrock Miners” "The City Auditorium showcases two New Deal murals that face each other in the curved walls above the ticket counters, and explain the early dichotomy of the city. Archie Musick's "Hardrock Miners" tells the story of the mine… read more
“The Arts” “The City Auditorium showcases two New Deal murals that face each other in the curved walls above the ticket counters, and explain the early dichotomy of the city. Archie Musick’s “Hardrock Miners” tells the story of the mine… read more
These two 50′ x 45′ low-relief polished marble mosaics depicting “Organic and Inorganic Science” by the Swiss-born artist Herman Volz are located in the south portico of San Francisco City College’s Science Hall. Juan Breda served as assistant mosaicist for… read more
These two 12′ x 8′ tempera fresco murals painted by Frederick Olmsted reside in the front lobby of San Francisco City College’s Science Building over the west entrance stairs. Two murals depict students engaged in scientific research. Muted earth tones… read more
“My mural will picture the fusion between the great past of the Latin American lands, as it is deeply rooted in the soil, and the high mechanical developments of the United States.” – Diego Rivera This 22′ by 74′ fresco… read more
The scene is of a large spreading tree, probably a coastal pine in a fanciful setting with mountains in the background, a giraffe on the left side, and a woman sitting under the tree, a man behind and to her… read more
The historic Belmont City Hall, constructed as the city’s post office, houses an example of New Deal artwork. The mural “Mayor Chronicle’s South Fork Boys” was completed by Peter DeAnna in 1940; the work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of… read more
This 1940 Section of Fine Arts oil-on-canvas mural by Lance W. Hart, “Construction of a Skid Road in the 80’s,” was painted for what was then the Snohomish post office. The mural remains in the original location, which is now… read more
Titled “Captain Gray Entering Tillamook Bay,” this mural depicts Captain Gray, who is best known for discovery of the Columbia River in the year 1792. Four years prior to that, however, he became the first white man, on record, to… read more
This 10′ x 27′ fresco “The Blessings of Water” was painted by Edward Millman in 1937 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. It was restored in 1994.
