Art Works Sites

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness...

In 1936, three WPA artists—Henry Wadsworth Moore, Velma Buckner, and Alan Flavelle—painted portraits of 11 former Washington, DC Recorders of Deeds, for placement in the Recorders’ office space at 412 D Street NW.  When the new Recorder of Deeds Building was constructed in 1941-1943, at 515 D Street NW (and funded by the New Deal’s Public Works Administration), the portraits were moved there. The current location(s) of these portraits is unknown to the Living New Deal, but they could still be in the 515 D Street NW building (the building has been closed to the public for many years, after the...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

“Although the ROD Building was a municipal building, the District of Columbia's peculiar sovereignty status required that the federal government approve its construction, and that the Treasury Department Section of Fine Art play a major role in its art program… The Treasury Sections December 1, 1942 announcement of the ROD Building mural competition was a term paper-like, ten page document that required artists to submit their entries unsigned for anonymous judging… A press release announced that the winners wide geographic dispersion and almost equal female-male ratio, as well as the inclusion of accomplished African-American painter William Edouard Scott, proved the fairness of...

Arnold Brasz created four wood parquetry murals depicting the "History of Redlands" by theme: "Hispanics," "Orchard," "Pioneers" and "Harvesting." The murals were created in 1940 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. They are located in the Redlands Historical Museum.

This 1938 Section of Fine Arts mural"Miners at Work" by Jacob Elshin was originally installed in the Renton post office. Elshin "actually visited underground mines and sketched miners at work for his mural in Renton, Washington, that depicted this historic aspect of the city." (tfaoi.com)

The city of Fall River was originally home to the Wampanoag Native American tribe, but this group was displaced relatively rapidly in the 1600s with the establishment of colonies in modern day Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. The city of Fall River grew during the colonial era, but reached its heyday in the 1800s with the expansion of the textile industry. The fast moving Quequechan River provided an excellent source of water power that helped the city to become known as the "Queen City of the Cotton Industry" in the United States. This rich history was the inspiration for the...

Completed by Paul Rohland in 1940, "Dogwood and Azaleas" was originally installed in the Decatur, GA post office. The above photo dates to when it resided there, before being moved to the Federal Building in Atlanta.

This oil-on-canvas mural "General Sully at Yellowstone" was painted by J. K. Ralston in 1942 in what was then the Sidney Post Office. It was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. The building is now used by the Richland County Extension Office and is known as the the Donald G. Nutter Building. The post office moved to a new building in 1987.

The historic former New Deal post office and federal building—now the Richmond County Administration Building—in Rockingham, North Carolina received an example of New Deal artwork upon its completion. Commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, Edward Laning painted this triptych, "The Post as Connecting Thread in Human Life," in 1937. The work can be found n the lobby near the building's entrance.

The Richmond County courts are home to two set of murals, one by Axel Horn, a New York-based artist, and another by Charles Davis, an African American artist based in Chicago.  The murals were painted in 1937-38 under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project. There are five murals by Horn, painted with egg tempera on gessoed masonite, 114" x 60" each.  The overall title is Economic Pursuits of the Early American Settlers. The murals have have been moved several times.  They were originally installed in a large workshop  for the benefit of the indigent residents at the Farm Colony,  which was across the road from...

The Richmond County courts are home to two set of murals, one by Axel Horn, a New York-based artist, and another by Charles Davis, an African American artist based in Chicago.  The murals were painted in 1937-38 under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project. There are six murals by Davis, in egg tempura on Masonite panels. Davis titled his murals The Progress of American Industry, with the following themes: Railroad Builders Lumbering Agriculture Mining Steel Workers Bridge Builders The murals have have been moved several times.  They were originally installed in a large workshop  for the benefit of the indigent residents at the Farm Colony,  which...

In 1936 Philip Evergood completed a 160-foot mural entitled "The Story of Richmond Hill," with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration's (WPA) Federal Art Project. "The left and lighter side of the mural celebrates the bucolic pleasures of Queens, with citizens making merry (couples dancing in the park), The right and darker side depicts less rosy conditions in the heart of the metropolis (laborers and children). A middle section shows planners and dreamers. The mural is displayed over bookcases in the main reading room." (loc.gov)

"Beginning in 1936, Alland supervised the Photo-Mural Section of the Federal Art Project. He installed photo-murals at the Newark Public Library (1936) and at the Riker's Island Penitentiary library (1937)."   (https://dlib.nyu.edu) The Riker's Island mural, entitled "Approach to Manhattan" was designed specifically for the prison. As Alland's submission statement explained: "The subject of this photomural utilizes the familiar aspects of the normal and happy family in the City. The main purpose of this decoration, besides that of relieving the monotony and changing the aspects of a huge prison hall, into a livable library, where those prisoners who have gained the privilege through...

"Ben Shahn's WPA mural planned for the Rikers Island Penitentiary mess hall was rejected in 1935, the year the prison opened. Harold Lehman's WPA mural "Man's Daily Bread" was mounted there instead circa 1936 but was removed decades later. Thus in a sense, both the planned Shahn mural and the actual Lehman mural could be counted as two murals "missing" in Rikers Island Penitentiary WPA art history. Considerably worse for wear but not missing is a third Rikers Island Penitentiary WPA mural: Anton Refregier's "Home and the Family." Its presence enhances the historic landmark character of NYC's oldest structure in continuous correction-related use. In 1937...

This ceramic panel is at the west entrance of the Rincon Annex.  We have no information on the artist and provenance of this piece.

The former Rincon Annex post office (now Rincon Center) has an extraordinary set of murals, 27 large panels along the upper wall of the lobby of the old post office.  They tell the "History of California" from the Spanish conquest of California to the founding of the United Nations in the city at the end of the Second World War. These murals are the work of Anton Refregier, an artist with a leftist bent and a strong streak of independence.  They are an astonishing accomplishment in terms of scale, historical vision and artistic style, which is quite unlike most mural art of...

The Firemen's Memorial facing Riverside Park on Riverside Drive at 100th Street, 1913. The NY City Parks Department website says: The memorial exemplifies a classical grandeur that characterized several civic monuments built in New York City from the 1890s to World War I, as part of an effort dubbed the City Beautiful Movement, which was meant to improve the standard of urban public design and achieve an uplifting union of art and architecture. This monument has twice undergone extensive restoration, once in the late 1930s, through a W.P.A.-sponsored conservation program, and more recently through a $2 million city-funded capital project completed...

A great number of improvements to the General Grant National Memorial ("Grant's Tomb") were undertaken by the WPA between 1935 and 1939. As the National Park Service's David Kahn (1980) explains: "In 1938 the Federal Art Project selected artists William Mues and Jeno Juszko to design the busts of William T. Sherman, Phillip H. Sheridan, George H. Thomas, James B. McPherson, and Edward Ord. The WPA installed five busts in the circular wall of the atrium surrounding the sarcophagi. After the many contributions of the WPA, the Grant Monument Association held a re-dedication of the tomb on April 27, 1939." The Riverside...

"The Joan of Arc statue on Riverside Drive at 93rd Street, by Anna Vaugh Hyatt Huntington, dedicated in 1915. In 1939, the statue was repatined, its broken sword restored, and its staircase repaired. As noted in references below, this was done by the Parks Department Monuments Restoration Project which was part of the WPA."   (kermitproject.org)

In 1936, artist Geza Kende completed an oil on canvas painting titled "Melon Field" for Robert E. Peary Middle School (formerly Gardena High School) in Gardena, CA. Located in Stephan Hall, the painting depicts a farmhouse behind rows of growing melons, with mountains in the distance. Two labels are affixed to the reverse: a label indicating that the painting had been renovated by Rash Gallery; and a label with the artist's name, title, numbered: “#13,” and inscribed: “Federal Art Project.” Stamped on the reverse of the stretcher: “Duncan Vail Co., 730 South Hill St., Los Angeles.” Kende was a Hungarian-born portrait and...

In 1939, artist Francis J. Van Halle completed an oil on canvas painting titled "Chrysanthemums" for Robert E. Peary Middle School (formerly Gardena High School) in Gardena, CA. Located in Stephan Hall, the painting depicts a vase of chrysanthemums on a stone ledge against a brown background. It is framed in a painted and gilt frame measuring 37.25 x 23.5 inches. A partial paper label is affixed to the reverse with artist’s name, title, numbered “#44” and inscribed “Federal Art Proj.”

In 1935, artist Norman Yeckley completed an oil on canvas painting titled "Deserted Rancho Landscape" for Robert E. Peary Middle School (formerly Gardena High School) in Gardena, CA. Located in Stephan Hall, the painting depicts a ramshackle adobe building in front of purple mountains. Affixed to the reverse are a label indicating that the painting was renovated by Rash Gallery and an artist’s label with the artist’s name, title and inscribed: “Reed. 7-12-35/WPA Art Project.” It is framed in a gilded frame measuring 27.5 x 33 inches.

In 1934, artist Milford Zornes completed a watercolor painting titled "The Bay" for Robert E. Peary Middle School (formerly Gardena High School) in Gardena, CA. Located in Room 18, the painting painting depicts a large tree overlooking blue water. The title is written in the lower left corner. It is framed under glazing in a wood frame with a small brass plate that reads "Public Works of Art Project." Zornes was an Oklahoma-born watercolorist for whom Western landscapes were a favorite subject. He also did a New Deal mural for the post office in Claremont, CA.

Two WPA murals by Robert Gaston Herbert were painted for what was originally the Suffolk Home in Yaphank, NY and is now a Suffolk County office building. One mural is a painting of Richard "Bull" Smith riding what was probably a mythical bull. The story of his ride around what is today called Smithtown still persists. The legend has it that an Indian sachem would give Smith all the land he could ride around on a bull in one day. The other more historically accurate mural is of Rev. Paul Cuffe, an Indian preacher, preaching to colonists and Indians. Each...

The four large granite bas reliefs installed along the side of the William Penn Annex/Robert N. C. Nix Federal Building in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania were carved by Edmond R. Amateis. They are collectively titled "Mail Delivery – North, South, East, West," and were created in 1941 with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

The two large granite reliefs "Law" and "Justice", as well as two large stone eagles, were carved by Donald De Lue. They were commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts in 1940. They are installed around the exterior of the William Penn Annex/Robert N. C. Nix Federal Building.

The abandoned children's ward of the Rockland Psychiatric Center received New Deal artwork commissioned under the auspices of the WPA—mostly likely the Federal Art Project. The works were created by Victor Pedrotti Trent. According to Abandoned NYC, some of the murals are extensively damaged, while others are still in fine condition.

Lloyd Moylan completed this fresco mural, entitled "The Dissemination of Education in New Mexico," in 1938 with funds provided by Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. It is viewable on the main stairwell and second floor of Rodgers Hall, the administration building for New Mexico Highlands University.

"New Deal mural entitled "Landing of Swedes at The Rocks in Wilmington" painted in 1938 by Albert Pels. At the time it was painted, it hung behind the judge's bench in the US Courtroom of the Wilmington Post Office and Courthouse building. With the construction of a new US Courthouse, the mural was removed to the Rodney Square Post Office in Wilmington."

This mural, "Deep Sea Magic," by Oklahoma artist Olinka Hrdy was painted in 1939 and funded by the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP). It is composed of two panels, each measuring 6' x 19', and is currently located in the foyer of Will Rogers Middle School. "The artist’s signature and 'Federal Art Project WPA; is written in the corner.... The mural depicts an underwater scene of marine life motifs. The background is a bluegreen sea with sea creatures, plants, and fish painted in a flat style with fine lines and detailing. One door (not original) is located on each wall...

Two 5' x 20' murals "Land" and "Harvest" by Nelson Pool were painted for the Roosevelt Middle School lobby with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project.

This 5' x 25' oil on canvas mural "Education" by George Wilson Walker was funded by the WPA Federal Art Project. It is on the second floor over the entrance to the auditorium balcony.

Roosevelt Park is located in Edison, New Jersey. It contains a number of picnic groves and sports facilities. The WPA did major work on the park in the 1930s. In addition to general park development, a monument honoring the laborers who built the park was erected in 1933. There is also a WPA sculpture in the park by Waylande Gregory (see linked project page).

Roosevelt Park contains a WPA sculpture by Waylande Gregory entitled "Light Dispelling Darkness." "Most visitors to Roosevelt Park in Edison, New Jersey will pass by this empty fountain thinking not much of it, their attention focused on the globe perched high at the top. However, many fail to notice the evils dispelling from the center, which make the sculpture all the more interesting and relate a bit of creativity that its maker, artist Waylande Gregory envisioned when he designed it in 1937. “Light Dispelling Darkness” was part of a New Jersey Federal Arts Project under the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA...

"The Roswell Museum and Art Center was founded in 1935 through an agreement between the City of Roswell, Works Progress Administration (WPA), Federal Art Project (FAP), Chaves County Archaeological and Historical Society, and the Roswell Friends of Art. The Museum opened in 1937, deriving its initial support from the WPA as part of a Depression era project to promote public art centers nationwide. Today, the Roswell Museum and Art Center is among a handful of these Federal Art Centers that remain in operation. In its proposed plan, the WPA established that 'the root of the community art center idea is...