New Deal/WPA Art in Cleveland, Ohio


Public Library:
The public library in Cleveland, Ohio has an extensive internet gallery of New Deal art owned by the Cleveland Public Library. This gallery includes:

Murals

Easel Paintings

Easel Paintings for Children

Drawings

Other New Deal Art Exhibits include: Ceramic Sculptures, Dolls, and Graphic Arts.

Visit the Cleveland Public Library at: http://www.cpl.org and the exhibit, New Deal Art at the Cleveland Public Library.


Valleyview Homes (public housing)
2543 West 7th Street, Cleveland, Ohio 44113

The following information and photographs about the Valleyview Homes are from the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) website:

"The Valleyview Homes Estate was opened in 1940 and is located in the historic Tremont neighborhood of the city of Cleveland. The original Valleyview Homes Estate contained a total of 582 residential units, a community center/office complex, and a boiler house and was constructed at a total cost of $3,503,539.00. Over the past 20 years, a total of 339 units have been demolished due to deteriorated conditions and in order to make way for I-490.

Valleyview Homes Estate also benefited from the Ohio Art Program, which was a part of the WPA's Federal Art Project, a depression-era program to provide outlets for artists' work, particularly in decorating public buildings. On the wall of the Community Center was a terra-cotta mural of the project designed by W. LeRoy Flint and executed by Henry Olmer. In addition, Henry Keto made 24 ceramic tiles depicting the history of the Tremont area. Three large canvas murals were installed at Valleyview, (i.e., one in Management office and two in the Community Building) two of which were by Elmer Brown, an African American artist from Cleveland Ohio and one by Louis Grebenak, another local artist. Cast stone animals were also created and used as play sculptures in Valleyview."

Albert Albano, Executive Director of the Intermuseum Conservation Association, 2915 Detroit Avenue Cleveland, OH 44113, Ph: (216) 658-8700, Fax: (216) 658-8709, Email: ica@ica-artconservation.org, is heading a movement to save this endangered art.

Articles about the Valleyview WPA art:


Additional information about WPA art in Cleveland's Public Housing, such as the Lakeview Terrace Homes, is available at www.cmha.net


"Mural is Revealed: One Cotton Swab at a Time," Antique Week (7/29/02)
Article about the Cleveland State Theatre pre-WPA murals done by James Daugherty.
(pdf file 412kb)


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