New Deal/WPA Art in Arizona
Post Office New Deal Artwork
Most of the Post Office works of art were funded through commissions under the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture (later known as The Section of Fine Arts) and not the WPA.
"Often mistaken for WPA art, post office murals were actually executed by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts. Commonly known as "the Section," it was established in 1934 and administered by the Procurement Division of the Treasury Department. Headed by Edward Bruce, a former lawyer, businessman, and artist, the Section's main function was to select art of high quality to decorate public buildings if the funding was available. By providing decoration in public buildings, the art was made accessible to all people." from "Articles from EnRoute : Off The Wall: New Deal Post Office Murals" by Patricia Raynor
Unless indicated, works of art are located in the US Post Office building.
|
Location |
Artist |
Title |
Date |
Medium |
|
Flagstaff |
Robert Kittredge |
"Arizona Logging" |
1940 |
plaster relief |
|
Phoenix, |
Oscar E. Berninghaus |
"Communication during Period of Exploration, " "Pioneer Communication," and "Early Spanish Discover Pueblo Indian" |
1938 |
oil on canvas (3 panels) |
|
Phoenix, |
LaVerne Black |
"Historical Development" and "The Progress of the Pioneer" |
1938 |
murals along north and south walls |
|
Safford |
Seymour Fogel |
"History of the Gila Valley" |
1942 |
tempera on gesso and plaster (6 panels) |
|
Springerville, |
Robert Kittredge |
"Apache Chiefs Geronimo and Vittorio" |
1939 |
plaster relief |
All mural images depicted
on this site are used with permission
of the United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.
Source:
Democratic Vistas: Post Offices and Public Art in the New Deal
by Marlene Park & Gerald E. Markowitz
© 2005 Nancy Lorance
All Rights Reserved.