Sculpture and Bas Relief Sites

This aluminum bas relief titled "Mercury" was created by Peter Paul Ott with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

While the overall  design of the Department of Justice building conforms with the dominant Neoclassical theme of the Federal Triangle, it is distinguished by Art Deco architectural elements and the use of aluminum details.  The entrances feature 20-foot-high aluminum doors and interior stair railings, grilles, and trim are done in cast aluminum. Sculptor C. Paul Jennewein was selected by the architects  to create a unified design concept for the building's exterior and interior spaces, designing 57 sculptural elements from monument statues and bas-reliefs on the exterior to interior Art Deco torcheres and light fixtures.  (GSA) The dating of Jennewein's work is uncertain,...

Jo Mora created the cement bas relief, entitled "Theater Through the Ages," in 1937 for the exterior of the school auditorium then under construction. The sculpture was funded by the WPA Federal Art Project. He also created a 2′ by 2’6″ aluminum bas relief for the interior of the auditorium entitled "The Spirit of Music."

In 1939, Robert Kittredge was commissioned by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts to create artwork for the newly-completed Flagstaff post office (later known as the Federal Building). He created a wooden bas-relief, "Arizona Logging," which was installed in 1940. The sculpture speaks to the logging industry, which was a critical part of Flagstaff's economy for decades. Three loggers are depicted putting logs onto a wagon using a "cant dog" poll. When the old post office/federal building was sold in 1983, the bas-relief was moved to the stairwell of the new wing of the Coconino County Courthouse, one-half block north.  

As part of the New Deal reconstruction of Mission La Purisima, the Federal Arts Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was asked to send in professional painters to finish the interior of the buildings. In 1938, FAP artists were employed in painting the pulpit and railing in the chapel of the padres' residence building, under the supervision of Douglas Parshall of Santa Barbara (Savage, p. 151).  in 1940, artist Harry Hemle got the job of decorating the interior of the completed church.  Hemle painted the walls, alter decorations and pulpit, with the assistance of two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees...

As part of the New Deal reconstruction of Mission La Purisima, Helen Seegert created a concrete fountain at the east end of the complex in 1936.  It was paid for by the Federal Arts Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

A statue of the Marquis de LaFayette in Revolutionary War uniform constructed of concrete by sculptor Arnold Foerster was installed and dedicated in 1937. His other known work is his collaboration on the astronomers monument at Griffith Observatory.

The historic Lamb County Library building in Littlefield, Texas houses an example of New Deal artwork: "West Texas," a set of two New Deal tymstone sculptures completed by William McVey in 1948.

Among several other New Deal artworks at the Lane Tech High School are these carved mahogany bas-reliefs in the school library. These 15' x 6' reliefs were carved by sculptor Peter Paul Ott, with assistance from wood workers Conzelman, Meuzenmeier, Sarner, Ericksen and McGrory. The reliefs were completed between 1936 and 1938 with support from the WPA Federal Art Project.

Langston Terrace Dwellings, opened in 1938, was the first U.S. Government funded public housing project in Washington and the second in the nation.  Initial funding came from the Public Works Administration (PWA); later the U.S. Housing Authority stepped in to complete the job. The International Style complex was designed by African American architect Hilyard Robinson, a native Washingtonian. It embodies Robinson's belief in the ability of fine buildings and art to inspire and uplift residents. Langston Terrace is enhanced by its artworks. Daniel Olney's terra-cotta frieze, "The Progress of the Negro Race",  lines the central courtyard and chronicles African American history from enslavement...

Marguerite Louis Blasingame completed this "pair of low-relief marble tablets of a Hawaiian couple set into a wall” (source note 1) in 1935 for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Entitled, "Hawaiian Couple," it is located in the Banyan Court gardens of Lester McCoy Pavilion in Ala Moana Park.

This stone monument, north of Big Lake Park, honors the expedition of Lewis & Clark in 1804 and their historic meeting with the Otoe and Missouri Indians. The WPA memorial was constructed in 1936 by artist Harry Edward Stinson.

The doors at the main (west) entrance and side (south) entrances to the John Adams Building of the Library of Congress are magnificent cast bronze works by sculptor Lee Lawrie. Lawrie was probably America's foremost architectural sculptor of the time, with works at Rockefeller Center and across the country. The Lawrie Doors appear to have been commissioned by the Office of the Capitol along with the rest of the building and installed as the building was completed in 1939. The exact date of their casting is unknown to us. For the three front doors to the Adams Building, Lawrie cast three bas-relief...

This carving, entitled "The Wild Beasts," hangs in the library of Lincoln Elementary School. It was designed by Andrene Kauffman and carved from oak by C. Svec.

With funding from the WPA Federal Art Project, Andrene Kauffman created two 4' x 7' wooden reliefs for the Lincoln Elementary School:  "Monkeys" and "Children in Fruit Trees."

This relief "Organ Grinder" by Louise Pain was completed with WPA Federal Art Project funds.

David Swanson completed this 3.5' x 9' wood carving, entitled "Indians and Father Lasuen," in 1936 with funds provided by the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. It is viewable in the second floor club room, above the fireplace, in the Lompoc Veterans' Memorial Building.  

The Hoover School of Fine Arts, previously known as the Lou Henry Hoover Elementary School, is graced with beautiful bas-reliefd frieze by Bartolo Mako over the entrance. The frieze depicts a scene of the early Quakers who founded the city of Whittier more than one hundred years ago. The frieze is part of the structure, which was designed by local architect William Harrison, and paid for as part of the building construction.

Icelandic sculptor Nina Saemundsson sculpted an eight-foot black cement nude of Prometheus for the Federal Arts Project (FAP). The sculpture, "Prometheus Bringing Fire to Earth" (1934), is located at the eastern Wilshire Boulevard entrance to MacArthur Park.

"Perhaps one of the most unique contributions from WPA artists is a large relief map of Mackinac Island. Measuring ninety-one inches by fifty-three inches, and made from wood, plaster, and foam, the map is impressive to look at to this day. Its features include small trees, buildings, roads, and the airport, which at the time was a simple grass runway. The map was most likely intended to be on display in a visitor center or a place for advertisements. Due to the size of the relief map, it is currently not on display and is stored with the parks’ historical...

The exterior of the Madison Square Station post office sports five bronze reliefs above its main entrance (on 23rd St.) known, collectively, as "Communication." Three were cast by Edmond R. Amateis and two by Louis Slobodkin in 1937, with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

This 3'6" x 4'6" bas relief of limestone located on the outside of the Berkeley Main Post Office titled "Post Office Activities" was created by David Slivka under the auspices of the Treasury Relief Art Project. Man at center is holding a package addressed: "From: D.S. To: All Mankind, Truth Abode on Freedom Road"

These six sunken plaster bas-reliefs depicting "The Transportation of the Mail" were installed in the Santa Barbara Main Post Office in 1937 by William Atkinson under the auspices of the Treasury Section of Fine Arts.

Beniamino Bufano created two sculptures for the Maritime Museum in 1942 with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. "Seal" is a red granite sculpture, and "Animal" a black one.

Sculpted by Stefan De Vriedt in 1936, this four-foot cast stone sculpture of two children reading was funded by the WPA Federal Arts Project (FAP). Titled "Storybook Land," it is located in McKinley Elementary School's inner courtyard in Santa Monica, CA.

Works Progress Administration (WPA) records in the National Archives report that the WPA constructed a recreation building at the McMillan Playground in northwest DC and that New Deal wood carvings were installed inside. The building opened in 1938. The playground was likely in the Bloomingdale neighborhood near the McMillan reservoir. The Park View DC blog reports that in 1934, Eleanor Roosevelt participated in a tree planting ceremony at the playground, which according to the writer was located at 1st and Bryant streets NW. There no longer appears to be a McMillan Playground, but we are told that the recreation building is still...

"The Mennonite Settler is a 17-foot limestone statue in Newton, Kansas, honoring Mennonite farmers and their wheat heritage. The statue was crafted in 1942 by Topeka artist Max Nixon out of native Kansas limestone. It depicts a bearded Mennonite farmer with hat in hand, in an attitude of prayer. The sculpture rests on a mosaic tile base with the inscription "Commemorating entry into Kansas from Russia of Turkey Red Hard Wheat by Mennonites 1874." The statue commemorates the introduction from Russia of Turkey Red hard winter wheat by Mennonite settlers, which helped make Kansas the "breadbasket of America." The statue was...

"Created through the WPA/FAP programs and a gift from the Class of 1938, this limestone marker" at MSU's Abbot Road entrance "welcomes visitors and students to the MSU campus, then known as Michigan State College. The classical column, reinterpreted in the Art Deco style of the 1930s, along with the man, horse and woman with a sheaf of wheat, recall MSU’s agricultural heritage."

"Samuel Cashwan, supervisor of the Michigan Sculpture Program for the WPA, designed the Art Deco limestone reliefs framing the southwest entrance. They depict images of dance and performance, such as children dancing to the beat of drums." Also featured on this post are four reliefs, located on the building's southeast corner.

Samuel Cashwan completed this cast concrete sculpture, entitled "Three Musicians," in 1940, with funding from the WPA Federal Art Program. From the Kresge Art Museum New Deal Walking Tour website: "The Three Musicians is all that remains of a pair of large angular cast-concrete sculptural groupings that flanked the streamlined 1930s MSU Band Shell. The Cubist sculpture, which depicts a bass player, drummer, and saxophonist, was moved to its present site when the band shell was destroyed in 1959." (https://artmuseum.msu.edu/wpa/WPA/pages/music.htm)

"This PWA building by architect Ralph R. Calder, built in memory of Richard M. Olin, M.D., was considered “modern in every detail.” Although additions to the building were made in 1956 and 1969, the bulky massing, textural variety, and minimalist limestone trim distinguish this building from others nearby. Samuel Cashwan designed the twelve symbolic reliefs that frame the main entryway. He chose the fitting subject of the healing arts, framing the building’s name with two Greek goddesses of health, Panacea and Hygeia. The two pilasters display themes from modern medicine. On the left, in descending order, they are “Medical Magic,”...

This glazed terracotta sculpture, titled Children Reading, is located at the Michigan Avenue entrance to Sarah Langdon Williams Hall. "This small yet vibrant glazed terracotta sculpture and fish head fountain spout are part of a garden wall that leads to Sarah Langdon Williams Hall. Completed through the WPA/FAP, the three young girls reading serve as a symbol of education, which is fitting to this once all-female residence hall."

The building contains six bas reliefs by WPA artist Joan van Breeman: "The six bas reliefs in the back rooms were made by Joan van Breeman and depict children at play. Girls on swings or spinning globes, young men charging forth with footballs or boxing gloves. In French, bas relief literally means low-raised work; it's sort of like a sculpture slightly bursting from a flat backdrop. With their simple compositions and white facades, the reliefs also bring to mind line drawings; they are both hopeful and humble, from another era altogether."   (https://articles.sun-sentinel.com)

Prominent California artist Jo Mora produced twenty-three cast-concrete, bas-relief busts (approximately 12" x 18" in size) for the exterior of the Monterey County Courthouse.  The reliefs appear in the spandrels between first and second story windows all around the building and in the courtyard. The work is titled "California Faces" and represents 23 types of people who were important in California history, which Mora called:   Indian Man, Indian Woman, Junipero Serra, Juan Cabrillo, John Fremont, Pioneer Man, Pioneer Woman, Spanish Woman, Asian Woman. The project was funded by the Federal Art Project (FAP), an arm of the Works Progress Administration, and installed in 1937. While we might not make the same choices of...

Prominent California artist Jo Mora crafted six bas-relief capitals for the tall pillars the main interior courtyard entrance to the Monterey County Courthouse in Salinas, California.  The sculpture depict scenes from early California history, featuring indigenous people, Mexican Californios, mission neophytes and fishermen. These sculptures were done with a grant from the Federal Art Project (FAP), a branch of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), in 1937. The building and its sculptures were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009 and renovated in 2018.

California artist Jo Mora created five concrete bas-reliefs of historic scenes for the Monterey County Courthouse, as well as of a large female figure with a sword. The five historic scenes are mounted over the main entrance doors to the courthouse on the west side of the interior courtyard.  They are stylized representations of, from left to right, native people, conquistadores, friar and Mission neophytes, Anglo-American settlers and various athletes. The female figure is over the exterior door on the east side of the building and appears to be a stylized, classical figure of justice. This group of artworks was funded by the...

California artist Jo Mora created a sculpted pillar with several brass bas-reliefs of historic scenes for the decorative fountain in the courtyard of the Monterey County Courthouse. This and the other Jo Mora artworks on the exterior of the courthouse were funded by the Federal Art Project (FAP), an arm of the Works Progress Administration, and completed in 1937. The building and its art works were placed on the National Register in 2008.  It was renovated in 2018 and the former fountain is now a planter with drought-tolerant species.    

The Kansas City Municipal Auditorium facade is decorated with three bas relief carved medallions depicting classic themes. The medallions were created by Albert Stewart in 1934 as part of the PWA construction project. Albert Stewart was born in Kensington, England, immigrated to the United States in 1908 and was orphaned soon after arriving. He studied at the Beaux-Arts Institute of Design and the Art Students League of New York as a result of the support of Edwin Bechtel. He was an assistant to Paul Manship after WWI. He taught at Scripps College, moving to California where he lived until his...

The building contains five bas reliefs by Joan van Breeman.

Emmanuel Viviano created these ceramic tile lunettes with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. Located at Nancy Hill School in Aurora IL, the four ceramic tile lunettes are signed by Emmanuel Vivianno. The four lunettes are: Deer, Dear and Fawn, Sheep and Wart Hog. They each measure approximately 2 feet by 4 feet. In their original location, the lunettes were set in alcoves, located above water fountains on the first and second floor of the school. The school was scheduled to be torn down in the Summer of 2017 and the tiles were relocated to a new school building. Pictured are the...