- City:
- Phoenix, AZ
- Site Type:
- Education and Health, Art Works, Colleges and Universities, Murals
- New Deal Agencies:
- Public Works Funding, Work Relief Programs, Public Works Administration (PWA), Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA)
- Artist:
- David Carrick Swing
- Designer:
- Lescher and Mahoney
Description
“In 1939 Phoenix College moved from its old location to a new site at Thomas and 15th. The architectural firm of Lescher and Mahoney was hired with Public Works Administration funds to design the first six buildings for the new campus. The Liberal Arts and Science buildings; a gym; a combination library, auditorium and administration building; a cafeteria; and a central heating plant formed the core of the college for many years. Although some now support different activities, all six buildings are still standing. The lower level of the new library contains two paintings funded by the Federal Emergency Relief Administration. These Arizona desert landscapes were created by one of the most prolific of Arizona New Deal artists, David Carrick Swing, in 1935. Swing also taught painting at the college for many years.”
Source notes
"The New Deal in Arizona: Connections to Our Historic Landscape," University of Arizona, The New Deal in Arizona Chapter of the National New Deal Preservation Association.
https://www.library.arizona.edu/newdeal/map.html
https://content.library.arizona.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/NewDeal/id/200/rec/28
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Gordon Jesse
A well-known bit of trivia about the WPA buildings at Phoenix College is that the entire Liberal Arts classroom building (the building on the west) was oriented 180 degrees wrong. Both the Science Building (the matching classroom building on the east) face the same way: west. The Liberal Arts Building was supposed to face east so that the two buildings would face each other. This is evident from the facade of the building and the orientation of the major stairs inside the building. This was pointed-out to me by John Paul, theater faculty from 1948 until 1982.