- City:
- New York, New York City, NY
- Site Type:
- Art Works, Murals
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1935
- Completed:
- 1936
- Artist:
- Allen Saalburg
- Quality of Information:
- Very Good
- Site Survival:
- Extant
Description
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 Saalburg’s work to the parks commissioner, Robert Moses, who put him in charge of the WPA mural projects for the entire parks department. Projects included the Old Stone House at Gowanus in Brooklyn, the Arsenal in Central Park (where Moses had his office), the barroom of the newly created Tavern on the Green, and the terrace restaurant at the zoo.” (Saalburg entry in askART)
Source notes
https://www.kermitproject.org/newdeal/centralpark/arsenal1.html
https://www.kermitproject.org/newdeal/centralpark/murals1.html
https://www.nycgovparks.org/about/history/the-arsenal
Site originally submitted by Frank da Cruz on July 23, 2015.
At this Location:
- Central Park: Arsenal Improvements - New York NY
- Central Park: Bridle Paths - New York NY
- Central Park: Tavern on the Green - New York NY
- Central Park: North Meadow Ball Fields - New York NY
- Central Park: Mother Goose Statue - New York NY
- Central Park: 107th Infantry Memorial Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Model Boathouse - New York NY
- Central Park: Still Hunt Sculpture Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Columbus Monument Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Maine Monument Restoration - New York NY
- Central Park: Alice-in-Wonderland Sculpture - New York NY
- Central Park: James Michael Levin Playground - New York NY
- Central Park: Robert Bendheim Playground - New York NY
- Central Park: Adventure Playground - New York NY
- Central Park Zoo - New York NY
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