National Maritime Historical Park: Ayer Murals – San Francisco CA

Reply
Richard Ayer create two artworks on the third floor of the visitors center (former Aquatic Park bathhouse) at the Maritime National Historical Park in San Francisco, California.  One is a bas relief “Nautical Abstractions” is composed of paint on plaster with embedded rope and piping.  The other is a mural, “Tugboats”.

Both pieces were completed in 1939 with the help of Federal Art Project (FAP) funds.

National Maritime Historical Park: Johnson Reliefs – San Francisco CA

Reply
African American sculptor Sargent Johnson created a 30 x 14 foot frieze of incised green slate on the exterior of the entrance to the visitor’s center of the National Maritime Historical Park in San Francisco, California.  
 
The work, “Sea Form Marquee,” was completed in 1939 and paid for by the Federal Art Project (FAP).
 
Johnson also created a 3′ x 5′ ceramic lintel bas relief on the 4th floor, above the door to the “Radio Room.”
 
The building was built as the bathhouse of the San Francisco Aquatic Park, built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1936-39.

National Maritime Historical Park: Hiler Atlantis Murals – San Francisco CA

Reply

Hilaire Hiler created the massive 10′ x 100′ mural entitled “Lost Continents of Atlantis and Mu” that covers all four walls of the main entrance hall at the visitors center of the National Maritime Historical Park.  It is a fantastic representation of sea life that captures the imagination of visitors to this day.

The method of painting was  “wax-emulsion variation of the Gambier-Parry spirit fresco process.”   To save time Hiler began the work on canvas and carried it as far as possible before installation on the lobby walls.  Hiler was assisted by artists Lawrence Holmberg, Richard Ayer and Thomas Dowley.

The mural was completed in 1939 and paid for by Federal Art Project FAP funds. 

The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park visitors center was originally the bathhouse for the San Francisco Aquatic Park, created by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) 1936-39.