Richland Center Post Office Mural

Tom the Backroads Traveler commented that they don't have post office murals where he is located.  With that in mind I'll provide two different links for you to choose from, the first is the WPA Murals website which I tend to use the most, but there is also a link to the Living New Deal website that can help you locate the murals and includes other New Deal projects including structures done by the CCC I believe across the United States.

On the road to southwestern Wisconsin

The links will let you choose a state and give you a list of New Deal art projects in U.S. Post Offices and other locations.  I'm trying to round up the last few I haven't seen in Wisconsin since I plan to move to Canada next year!

Richland Center Post Office

This oil-on-canvas mural entitled “Decorative Interpretation of Unification of America through the Post” was painted in 1937 by Richard Brooks and is located in Richland Center, Wisconsin.

From the website: “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.” 

You never know what you'll see along the journey!

Many of them were community or postal themed in nature and provided much needed work for artists during the Great Depression.

See you next Monday!  Linking up to Monday Mural.