Fading New Deal Murals at Center of Historic Preservation Battle in D.C.

5 hours ago7 min read5 comments

A high-stakes preservation clash is underway in Washington, D. C., where the fate of a federal building and its invaluable New Deal-era murals hangs in the balance. The Wilbur J.Cohen Building, an unassuming government structure, houses an irreplaceable collection of artworks created during the Great Depression by renowned artists Seymour Fogel, Philip Guston, and Ben Shahn. These fragile murals, commissioned under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project, represent a pivotal moment in American history when the government actively supported artists and positioned culture as essential public infrastructure.The current battle transcends typical preservation debates, challenging modern priorities by asking whether art created for public enrichment deserves protection in its original context. Preservation advocates argue that removing or relocating these works would fundamentally alter their meaning and public purpose.The murals offer a direct connection to an era when federal policy embraced art as vital to national recovery, providing both employment for artists and inspiration for a struggling populace. The artistic significance is magnified by the creators' later careers—Guston's shift to darker, cartoon-inspired critiques and Shahn's enduring social commentary lend profound context to these early public commissions.This confrontation mirrors similar struggles nationwide but gains urgency due to the concentration of major works by influential artists in a single government-owned property. The outcome will serve as a national benchmark for how we value culturally significant art against development pressures, determining whether these testaments to American resilience remain accessible to the public or disappear into storage, their powerful narrative silenced.

#featured

#historic preservation

#New Deal art

#murals

#Seymour Fogel

#Philip Guston

#Ben Shahn

#Washington D.C.

#Wilbur J. Cohen Building

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