PUBLIC WORKS January 11 - April 26, 1998 Overview Public Works examined the history and ongoing role of public art in the United States. The exhibition featured Depression-era mural studies drawn from The Wolfsonian's rich collection, most of which were conceived in response to the government-sponsored competitions of the Works Progress Administration/Federal Art Project and the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts. Also on view at The Wolfsonian-FIU was a site-specific mural created by the contemporary American artist Nicole Eisenman. Curated by Marianne Lamonaca, Public Works included more than 60 paintings and works on paper reflecting themes associated with the New Deal art projects - technological progress, democratic values, local and regional history, race, and gender. The New Deal, conceived during the Great Depression by Franklin Roosevelt's administration, implemented a series of projects that comprised the most extensive program of government patronage for the arts in American history. Between 1933 and 1943, the government employed and commissioned more than 10,000 artists for works that included easel paintings, sculptures, prints, and murals. In all, more than 4,000 murals were created - for the WPA/FAP alone, 2,566 murals were completed. Many of the murals were for federal buildings, such as post offices. Among the objectives of the New Deal art projects were to financially support artists who were experiencing economic difficulties, to encourage and train young artists, to foster the development of an "American" art, and to bring art to the people as an element of their daily lives. This unprecedented nationwide effort was based largely on the assumption that art was an essential part of the national culture and, as such, should be supported by the government. One of the primary efforts of the New Deal art projects was to change the relationship between art and the general population by democratizing art, thus making it readily available to all people. In addition, New Dealers believed that art could offer people emotional support during the trying times of the Great Depression by providing communal and governmental symbols that would not only stimulate hope, but would help to cultivate a uniquely "American" art. As Edward Bruce, head of the Treasury Department's Section of Fine Arts, wrote: "Our objective should be to enrich the lives of all our people by making things of the spirit...by giving them new hopes and sources of interest to fill their leisure, by eradicating the ugliness of their surroundings..." Murals were seen as an ideal way to transmit these New Deal themes. Harold Lehman, a WPA muralist whose work was included in the show, said, "The basic thing about mural painting is that it's a message that the artist is giving to the public and, in turn, the message must be received by the public. This kind of give and take is an extremely important and valuable one, in both the social and artistic life of this country. "In the face of the economic depression, the art projects were a way to make people feel good about themselves, their communities, and the country," he continued. "They were morale building." According to the curator, Marianne Lamonaca, "Many people saw the New Deal art projects as a very special period in American history that has never been repeated. It was a time of thinking of art as a fundamental right that should be available to everyone, and when people realized that art is not a privilege for the elite but something that everyone can engage in." Eisenman's mural, located in The Wolfsonian's Great Hall, was created as part of a series of collaborative public art projects sponsored by the Miami Arts Project and organized in conjunction with The Drawing Center in New York City. The two-story work was executed in a style reminiscent of New Deal muralists. Eisenman, a New York City-based artist, frequently uses the mural format. Public Works was sponsored by Continental Airlines, the State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, Florida Arts Council, Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, City of Miami Beach, The Chase Manhattan Foundation, and the Arthur F. and Alice E. Adams Foundation. Back to Past Exhibitions Main