Wilson Foundation Academy Murals – Rochester NY

Description

Now housed at Rochester’s Wilson Foundation Academy, the federal Works Progress Administration commissioned a series of murals by Carl W. Peters for the city’s since-demolished Madison High School.

“In 1937, Rochester’s WPA art project was called “the most interesting and effective outside of New York City” by the regional director of the Federal Art Project. Rochester’s model program—hosted and administered by the Memorial Art Gallery—funded several mural groups by the artist Carl W. Peters.” (https://mag.rochester.edu/murals/)

“Peters was awarded the commission for the Madison High School murals in March of 1937. His subject matter—Life of Action and Life of Contemplation—is a topic that has been debated through time by classical philosophers, medieval mystics, Renaissance humanists and contemporary thinkers. In line with the goals of the WPA, Peters likely intended the lofty subject matter to imbue a sense of ethics and meaning in the lives of the students. When work on the Madison High School murals was completed, photos of them along with Peters’ original preparatory studies were exhibited at MAG in December 1937.

When Madison High School was demolished in the 1980s, the Wilson Foundation Academy became the new site for these murals. Through the fundraising efforts of the Rochester City School District and Thomas H. Miller’s family, both murals were recently conserved and installed in custom-built cases.” (https://mag.rochester.edu/murals/murals-at-wilson-foundation-academy/)