Colorado New Deal Art
According to a newpaper article, “Remembering the forgotten Artists,” Empire Magazine, Denver Post dated October 21, 1979, the following works of art were produced under the Federal Art Project in Colorado.
- Cole Junior High School, Denver – located in the library – WPA mural by Kenneth Evett
- Fort Logan Military Base - easel paintings (missing)
- Lowry Air Force Base - easel paintings (missing)
- Fitzsimons General Hospital - easel paintings (missing)
- “The Beet Pickers” by Paul Pianfetti – (owned by artist’s family)
- Morey Junior High School, Denver, CO – fountain statue located in the courtyard – “Neptune” by Marvin Martin – (missing)
- Morey Junior High School, Denver, CO – mural located in front hall – “The Picnic” by Pascal Quackenbush – (missing)
- Manual High School (old building) – Arthur Bradley murals – (missing)
- University of Colorado - murals by Pascal Quackenbush and John E. Thompson – (missing)
Colorado’s Federal Art Projects, headed by Donald J. Bear, employed 116 artists, including three supervisors.
Thanks to Glen Martin for contributing this information!
Golden, CO
Thanks to Rob Witwer who contributed his article, “WPA mural a slice of History,” 1-5-05, The Canyon Courier. (see post office chart below)
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.
New Deal/WPA Art in Colorado
Location | Artist | Title | Date | Medium |
Delta | Mary Kittredge | “Cattle” and “Fruit” | 1942 | two plaster bas-reliefs |
Denver Federal Center (transferred from Colorado Springs PO and Glenwood Springs PO) |
Frank Mechau | “The Corral,” “Indian Fight,” and “Wild Horse Race” | no date | oil on canvas (funded by TRAP) |
Denver, Main Post Office |
Gladys Caldwell Fisher | “Rocky Mountain Sheep” and “White Ram” | 1936 | stone (funded by TRAP) |
Denver, South Denver Branch |
Ethel Magafan | “The Horse Corral” | 1942 | tempera |
Englewood | Boardman Robinson | “Colorado Stock Sale” | 1940 | mural |
Florence | Olive Rush | “Antelope” | 1939 | tempera |
Glenwood Springs | Jenne Magafan and Edward Chavez | decorative map | no date | (funded by TRAP) |
Golden (article by Rob Witwer) |
Kenneth Evett | “Building the New Road” | 1941 | tempera and oil |
Grand Junction (removed for restoration) |
Louise Ronnebeck | “Harvest” | 1940 | mural |
Gunnison | Ila Turner McAfee | “The Wealth of the West” | 1940 | oil on canvas |
Las Animas | Gladys Caldwell Fisher | “Kiowa Travois” | 1939 | wood relief |
Littleton (now hangs in City Council Chamber, Littleton Center, 2255 W. Berry Ave.) | John H. Fraser | “North Platte Country against the Mountains” | 1940 | mural (restored in 1985) |
Longmont | Arnold Ronnebeck | “Ways of the Mail” | 1937 | three terra-cotta reliefs (missing) |
Loveland | James Russell Sherman | “Industries around Loveland” | 1938 | tempera on gesso |
Manitou Springs | Archie Musick | “Hunters, Red and White” | 1942 | mural |
Rifle | George Vander Sluis | “Colorado Landscape” | 1942 | oil on canvas |
Rocky Ford | Victor Higgins | “The First Crossing at Rocky Ford” | 1943 | oil on canvas |
Walsenburg | E. L. Blumenschein | “The Spanish Peaks” | 1937 | oil on canvas |
All mural images depicted on this site are used with permission of the United States Postal Service. All rights reserved.