- City:
- Norwalk, CT
- Site Type:
- Murals, Art Works
- New Deal Agencies:
- Federal Arts Project (FAP), Arts Programs
- Artist:
- Justin Gruelle
Description
“The city of Norwalk, Conn., has one of the nation’s largest surviving collections of W.P.A. murals, thanks to a restoration effort in the 1980s that preserved nearly two dozen in the old Norwalk High School, now City Hall. The rescued artwork is on display there, while other murals decorate Norwalk Community College, the city’s public library and maritime aquarium, and other public places.
Though many of the murals depict scenes from local history, several are more exotic: Five murals by an artist named Arthur G. Hull illustrate imagined scenes from the travels of Marco Polo. The Hull murals are on permanent display in the Norwalk Transit District’s headquarters. A spokesman for the Transit District, Louis Schulman, said the agency ‘persuaded the city to twist our arm to use some federal money to document the city’s mural collection.’ The agency photographed each mural and published a book about the collection several years ago.” (NY Times)
Among the collection are a series of whimsical murals, including three scenes from a “Connecticut Yankee,” painted by Justin Gruelle with funding from the WPA Federal Art Project. The murals were originally painted for the library of the old Center School, and are now located in the Norwalk City Hall. They were restored circa 1986.
“Merlin” – 5′ x 3’7″
“Alisande and Sir Boss” – 5′ x 3’7
“Sir Boss vs. Sir Sagamore” – 10’6″ x 3’6″
“Steamboat Days on the Mississippi” – 12’7″ x 3’6″
“Innocents Abroad” – 7’6″ x 3’6″
“Roughing It” – 7’6″ x 3’7″
Source notes
Norwalk Historical Society, https://norwalkhistoricalsociety.org/wpa-murals-norwalks-hidden-treasure/.
Site Details
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