City Hall Mural – Chicago IL

Description

In 1936, when Edward Millman was the state director of mural projects for the Federal Art Project (FAP), he was commissioned to convert a blank 400 square-foot wall in the City Hall offices of the Bureau of Water (currently the Service Center) a fresco that would portray the importance of water in humanity. “The Blessings of Water” was completed in 1937.

The large mural (10 x 27 feet) is split into two parts.  The right side portrays the suffering caused by lack of water, featuring the misery of the Dust Bowl conditions on the Great Plains . On the contrary, the left side of the mural is a celebration of the abundance produced by sufficient water.

Edward Millman (1907-1964) was born in Chicago and studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. His specialty was fresco painting, in which thin colors are applied directly on freshly plastered surfaces to permanently fuse the paint with the plaster. He mastered this method while working under the well-known Mexican muralist Diego Rivera (1886-1957), whose influence can be clearly observed in this mural. Millman’s work usually related to social justice issues and represented the life of working people.

In 1970, the room with the mural was separated into two spaces and the mural covered by a false wall.  Later, in 1995, the space was redesigned, the false wall was removed, and the mural was restored by the Department of General Services. This piece of art is part of the City of Chicago Public Art Collection.