Murals Sites

The mural "Indians Moving" by Suzanne Scheuer was painted for the historic former Caldwell post office building, with funding from the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. It was later relocated to the Burleson County Courthouse.

This 6' X 68' mural, painted by Frederick Alexander Pawla (1877-1964) with Federal Art Project (FAP) funds, was removed and reinstalled with some controversy in 1973. " It was commissioned by the W.P.A. (Works Progress Administration), and its six-foot-tall canvas panels framed the entrance to the auditorium." (telenaut.com)  

With funding from the New Deal's Federal Art Project, C. S. Price painted a 21 x 4 foot mural for the newly constructed Pendleton Junior High School in 1937. Titled "Agriculture," the five panel composition draws upon images of farming and ranching life that characterized many of his paintings. The theme also suited Pendleton's cultural and economic base. Although originally located in Pendleton's junior high school, the mural hangs in the foyer of the Pendleton High School auditorium today. Clayton Sumner Price, known as C.S. Price, grew up in a large farming family in Iowa, Wyoming, and Alberta and worked on...

In 1937, Lucile Lloyd (assisted by Ben Messick) completed a mural, "Origin and Development of the Name of the State of California," for the State Building in Los Angeles, CA. The mural received funding from the Federal Art Project (FAP). In fact, Lloyd was the first woman in Southern California to receive a FAP commission. The mural's three panels "tell the history of the name of California. The two side panels portray important flags that have flown over the state. The central panel shows the history and development of the state through the Spanish, Mexican, and American eras. Realistic figures trace...

From the school website: "In the 1930s the famous WPA Murals, under the direction of Grant Wood, were painted for the walls of Callanan. The school was fortunate to be chosen to have two such artistic treasures to beautify the upper portion of each stairway. The south mural Nation at Work' was painted by George Grooms in 1936. The north mural 'Nation at Play' was by Glen Chamberlain and dated to 1937. Each mural made a statement about preparing young people for participation the the adult world. They were viewed as a patriotic reflection of President Roosevelt’s aim to get all...

An exceptional mural, "History of Printing," was painted by Edward Schoenberger for the Canal Street Branch Library in New Orleans.  The library building was a pre-existing structure from the early 1900s, in a quirky Caribbean style of uncertain origins. The mural occupies the entire back wall of the main room on the second floor and is approximately 30 feet long by 10 feet high. The branch library has been closed, probably after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the building sold to private owners.  The mural was covered and damaged after the building was repurposed, but has been restored to its full glory...

In 1940, Helen Lundeberg created a mosaic mural, "Quests for Mankind," for Canoga Park High School in Canoga Park, CA. The mural was funded by the Work Projects Administration Art Program (WPAAP). The mosaic depicts three stages in the progress of humankind: a family of early cave dwellers, a Hellenistic teaching scene, and Renaissance intellectuals with Pisa's Campanile in the background. A second, smaller panel depicts three founding fathers signing the Declaration of Independence and three students looking at a globe. According to the school website, "the murals originally hung as five separate pieces on the outside north wall of the Assembly...

In early 1934,  the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) sponsored ten local artists to decorate the Utah State Capitol, led by Lee Greene Richards. The others included Ranch Kimball, Henri Moser, Gordon Cope, Florence Ware, J.T. Harwood, Walter Midgley and Millard Mallin. Two large half-circle murals grace the ends of the huge central hall of the capitol building. The cupola of the rotunda has a circular mural, about six feet high, and there are four large murals at each corner atop the pillars.  They all depict romanticized scenes from Utah's past: trappers, native people, pioneers, covered wagons, the transcontinental railroad, and so forth. Millard...

A New Deal mural, "The Jicarilla Apache Trading Post," was created for the 1930s old post office building in Carlsbad, New Mexico. It is now housed at the Carlsbad Museum. Treasures on New Mexico Trails: A large mural-size painting, 42" x 50" by La Verne Nelson Black (1887-1938) under the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP) titled, "The Jicarilla Apache Trading Post," is a dramatic work of Jicarilla Apache Indians at the trading post some of whom are on horseback. The time of day is dusk with dark winter clouds in the background and with brighter colors on the individuals.

In 1934, the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) funded a large three-panel mural by artist Arthur Ames, which was displayed in the Carnegie Library in Anaheim, California. The mural has been relocated to the Anaheim Central Public Library in Anaheim, CA. As of October 2023, the two smaller side panels are still there, but they are not viewable by the public due to the threat of vandalism. The central panel is currently viewable to the public for free at the Anaheim Heritage Center, located inside of the Muzeo Museum. The central mural is oil on canvas, 92 by 56...

"Wyoming schools also benefited from the WPA Federal Art Project , which was responsible for a number of murals painted inside the buildings. Although the list of school murals is incomplete, it includes ... a set of murals for the Cheyenne High School library by Robert True ..." "The Cheyenne ... murals are believed to have been destroyed."

Federal Arts Project (FAP) artist Charles Kassler painted a 50-foot fresco, "Stampeding Buffalo" or "Bison Hunt" (1934), on the east wall of the Children's Court at the Los Angeles Central Library. Damaged by rain runoff over the years, the fresco was painted over in 1963. Kassler's extant FAP works around Los Angeles include a fresco, “Pastoral California” (1934), at Fullerton Union High School, and eight lunette frescoes (1936) at the former Beverly Hills Post Office (the current Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts).

In 1935-36, the Arsenal was renovated by the New York City Parks Department using Depression-era relief labor paid for by New Deal programs (WPA and FERA). Afterward, the lobby walls was covered floor to ceiling with murals by Allen Saalburg and his assistants.  Saalburg was the WPA's Director of Murals for the NYC Parks Department.     In the murals, "Saalburg depicted a series of scenes depicting recreational activities, notable park structures, and flagship parks. The project was funded by the Federal Works Progress Administration."   (www.nycgovparks.org) "In 1935, Juliana Force, the director of the Whitney Museum and organizer of the first Federal Art Program in New York, introduced...

"Milford Zornes (1908-2008), a California watercolor artist, is perhaps the most recognized artist of the early California style of watercolor painting. During the early 1930s Zornes worked for the federally funded Public Works of Art Project, producing watercolors to be displayed in public buildings."   (https://chaffeyart.wikispaces.com) The four watercolors shown here were all created for Chaffey College in 1934. Each is about 15" x 20". They are located on the main floor of the campus library.

The mural "Cotton Scene" was painted for then-new Hartselle post office by Lee R. Warthen in 1941. The work was commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. “Warthen, of Washington, D.C., produced the Hartselle panel as the result of his entry into the War Department Building Competition. Warthen did extensive research for the panel, wrote the local postmaster, and talked with U.S. House member John Sparkman, who was from Hartselle, about the local industry and activities used in the final panel.” (https://www.alabamamoments.alabama.gov/sec49det.html) In the late 1970s, the mural was moved to its current location at the Hartselle Chamber of Commerce office in...

The New York Times wrote the following in 2003 in a retrospective article of New Jersey-based artist Michael Lenson: " moved to Newark and applied at the W.P.A. office on Halsey Street ... Soon, Mr. Lenson was designing and executing murals for the state W.P.A. program. He went on to become assistant state supervisor in charge of the other muralists in the agency." While not confirmed, Michael Lenson purportedly painted a mural at Newark's Chancellor Avenue School: "nother Lenson mural might be hiding behind the wall paint in a windowless room at the Chancellor Avenue School in Newark. According to a retired teacher...

The courthouse contains a 1938 Section of Fine Arts mural by Stefan Hirsch entitled “Justice as Protector and Avenger.” During the 1930s, this mural sparked an intensely racialized controversy: "The central female figure is a reference to the Renaissance Virtue Justice—familiar to us all because she is regularly deployed in courthouses around the world. But the WPA artist explained that his 'figure of "Justice"' was 'without any of the customary . . . symbolic representations (scale, sword, book . . .).' He said that the only 'allegory' he had permitted himself was 'to use the red, white and blue for...

Rochester, New York's Charlotte High School contains a series of murals commissioned by the federal Works Progress Administration. "The eight murals, each 19 feet tall, were painted in oil on canvas in 1942 by Carl Peters for the Works Progress Administration (WPA)." (rochesterpublicart.com) "Peters’ series captures his understanding of the history of the Lake Ontario region, starting from the Native Americans who originally inhabited the land, to the final scene he called the “Triumph of the American Ideal." (https://mag.rochester.edu/murals/charlotte-high-school/) "In 1937, Rochester’s WPA art project was called “the most interesting and effective outside of New York City” by the regional director of the...

The New York Times wrote the following in 2003 in a retrospective article of New Jersey-based artist Michael Lenson: " moved to Newark and applied at the W.P.A. office on Halsey Street ... Soon, Mr. Lenson was designing and executing murals for the state W.P.A. program. He went on to become assistant state supervisor in charge of the other muralists in the agency. By the time the federal W.P.A. closed in 1943, Mr. Lenson had created six murals and supervised the execution of 15 more in New Jersey by other artists. He also made one mural in West Virginia." "Three of Mr. Lenson's...

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 presumed lost. However, four of the five have happily since been found. Two now hang in the refurbished school, and two are in storage at the Riverside Art Museum. The Riverside Unified School District is still hoping to find the fifth. An attempt to have the murals restored is also currently underway. "The panels in storage are 48 inches by 60 inches...

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 - including a magnificent one in the children's hospital." According to the July 1940 Bridgton News, the artist on this project was Alton Skillin.  

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

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 against the background of the capitol in Washington D.C., we see justice holding the scales in her left hand and an American flag in the right. Beneath her are six figures representing the diverse group of citizens who benefit from our impartial system of jurisprudence. Recently restored, the brilliant pallette jumps off the canvas. Burbank officials are to be commended for...

"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 laborers who helped create the wealth that flowed down the mountains into Colorado Springs, while Tabor Utley's "The Arts" expresses the city founders' vision of a "Newport in the Rockies," peopled by refined citizens. That same dichotomy between hard labor and the arts defined Colorado Springs during the New Deal era." - gazette.com

"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 laborers who helped create the wealth that flowed down the mountains into Colorado Springs, while Tabor Utley's "The Arts" expresses the city founders' vision of a "Newport in the Rockies," peopled by refined citizens. That same dichotomy between hard labor and the arts defined Colorado Springs during the New Deal era." - gazette.com

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 and small brush strokes represent a range of endeavors in the sciences, such as viewing bacteria through a microscope, conducting field research, and excavating dinosaur remains. A restoration was completed in 2002 by CCSF faculty, staff, students, and an independent conservator, bringing these images close to their original state. (lisa velarde) Frederick Olmsted (April 10, 1911-February 14, 1990) was born in San Francisco....

"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 on panels was commissioned from the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera by the organizers of the 1940 Golden Gate International Exposition on Treasure Island.  Rivera and his crew completed the piece in four months.  Rivera's largest free-standing work, "Pan-American Unity" was the centerpiece of Art in Action, an innovative exhibit where fair-goers could watch artists create their work. After the fair...

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 right. This is one of several paintings in the City Council chambers, though there is no clear documentation as to the source of the other works. It is signed Armin Hansen 36. Armin Hansen is a well-known painter of California coastal scenes who lived in Monterey from 1913 until his death in 1957. He was instrumental in forming the Carmel Art...

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 Fine Arts.

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 the Snohomish city hall. “Artists like Hart were required to submit a series of sketches or designs for their murals before final approval. To see a sketch of “Construction of a Skid Road” that is housed in the National Archives, click here.” (depts.washington.edu)

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 set foot on Oregon’s shore. On the same voyage, he was the first to carry the American flag around the world. Residents of Tillamook County find special interest in the log of his visit. The log tells of the four days spent in what is now Tillamook Bay. He believed he had discovered the “Great River of the West,” something...

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.

In 1936, when Edward Millman was the state director of mural projects for the FAP, he was commissioned to convert a blank 400 square-foot wall in the City Hall offices of the former Bureau of Water (current Service Center) into a 10’ x 27’ fresco that would portray the importance of water in humanity. “The Blessings of Water” was completed in 1937. The right side of this narrative mural portrays the suffering caused by lack of water and the miserable rural setting caused by the Dust Bowl. On the contrary, the left side is a celebration of the life that...

Fort Pierce, Florida's City Hall contains an example of New Deal artwork: a Section of Fine Arts-commissioned mural entitled "Osceola Holding Informal Court with His Chiefs." The work, which was completed in 1938, was originally displayed in the town's historic post office building.

"North Platte Country against the Mountains" was painted by John H. Fraser in 1940 for the Littleton post office, commissioned by the Treasury Section of Fine Art. It currently hangs in the City Hall.  "When the post office underwent renovations in 1962, the mural was removed, rolled up and stuck in a corner in the post office. It was discovered in the 70s, restored and installed in 1985 in the Littleton City Hall." ( Jimmy Emerson, here)

The mural "Tobacco," which hangs in the finance office in Reidsville's City Hall was painted by Gordon Samstag with Treasury Section of Fine Arts funds. The building was formerly the city's post office.

Wendell Jones painted the oil-on-canvas mural "Barn Raising" in 1942 for the Treasury Section of Fine Arts. Originally painted for the city's then-new post office, the mural is currently viewable in the lobby of Rome's City Hall.

A three-piece fresco was painted byEdwin Boyd Johnson in 1936 for Sioux Falls's brand-new city hall. The work is still extant and housed in the Commissioners Room.

Artist William H. Hoffmann painted two WPA oil on canvas murals in 1936 for what was then the Key West High School, then the Glynn Archer Elementary School and is now the new Key West City Hall. The murals were painted to adorn the auditorium stage. "The significance of the paintings -- one depicting the construction of the Florida East Coast Railroad Extension through the Keys, the other portraying the arrival of Spanish explorers on the "isle of bones" Cayo Hueso -- lies as much in the history of the pieces as in the art itself."   (https://keysnews.com/node/45502)