- City:
- Wood River, IL
- Site Type:
- Art Works, Murals
- New Deal Agencies:
- Arts Programs, Treasury Section of Fine Arts (TSFA)
- Artist:
- Archibald Motley Jr.
Description
The post office contains a 1937 Section of Fine Arts mural by Archibald Motley entitled “Stagecoach and Mail.”
Project Description: Unusual work in that it is more of an easel-type painting that is placed in the post office. The scale is excellent and has interesting non-representational elements such as the tree roots and the tree branches. The rear wheels are oversized in relation to the remainder of the coach.
Archibald Motley was born in New Orleans of Creole and African American ancestry. His family moved to Chicago, studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. He devoted his work to portraying Black subjects in a modern setting, often portraying bars, dance halls, and the street life of Chicago.
Source notes
Park and Markowitz, Democratic Vistas, Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal, 1984. Chicago Modern 1893-1945, Pursuit of the New. Terra Art Museum.Site originally submitted by Charles Swaney on January 27, 2013.
At this Location:
Contribute to this Site
We welcome contributions of additional information on any New Deal site.
Submit More Information or Photographs for this New Deal Site
Join the Conversation