- City:
- Berkeley, CA
- Site Type:
- Art Works, Sculpture and Bas Relief
- New Deal Agencies:
- Federal Arts Project (FAP), Arts Programs, Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1940
- Completed:
- 1940
- Artist:
- Robert Howard
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Marked:
- No
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
Berkeley High School’s Community Theater is adorned with cast stone bas-relief sculptures by Robert Howard, son of architect John Galen Howard. The sculptures are on the exterior side of the building, along Allston Way and facing the Berkeley Civic Center park.
The central panel is around 30 feet high and contains a rich group of figures illustrating people of all races coming together through the arts. On each side is a panel of a herald blowing a trumpet, one male and one female, and the man is apparently African American.
The panels were paid for by the Federal Arts Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1940 but not added to the building until its (delayed) completion in 1950.
Source notes
Berkeley Historical Society. Fall 2001. 20:3.
Site originally submitted by Gray Brechin on June 18, 2008.
Additional contributions by Richard Walker.
At this Location:
- Berkeley High School: Community Theater - Berkeley CA
- Berkeley High School: G and H Buildings - Berkeley CA
- Berkeley High School: Schnier Bas-Relief on H Building - Berkeley CA
- Berkeley High School: Braghetta Bas Reliefs on Community Theater - Berkeley CA
- Berkeley High School: Braghetta Bas Reliefs on G Building - Berkeley CA
View all sites at Berkeley High School - Berkeley CA (6 Sites)
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Too bad you do not choose to include information on how and what materials were used to construct the molds for these reliefs. Details of just how the false work which molded these figures was made.
We would if we had the information. If you do, please tell us!