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

3 hours ago7 min read1 comments

A high-stakes preservation clash is underway in Washington, D. C., where a collection of rare New Deal-era murals faces an uncertain future. The Wilbur J.Cohen building, a federal property slated for redevelopment, houses a significant artistic legacy: a suite of politically charged works created by Seymour Fogel, Philip Guston, and Ben Shahn under the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. These murals represent a pivotal moment in U.S. history when the government funded art not as decoration, but as a vital public good during the Great Depression.Preservationists argue that removing these site-specific works would cause irreversible damage and sever a crucial link to America's cultural history. The artists chosen for the project were deeply connected to the social currents of their time.Ben Shahn brought his experience documenting rural poverty for the Farm Security Administration to his powerful social realist compositions. Philip Guston, years before his turn to abstraction, created imagery championing the working class, while Seymour Fogel's contributions explored foundational American themes.Architectural historians warn that such murals are exceptionally vulnerable; once removed, they often deteriorate or vanish into private collections, lost to the public forever. This confrontation mirrors historic preservation battles over landmarks like New York's Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, highlighting the perpetual tension between progress and heritage. The outcome will signal what value modern society places on preserving artistic testimony from a era that redefined the government's role in supporting culture and the human spirit.

#featured

#historic preservation

#New Deal art

#murals

#Seymour Fogel

#Philip Guston

#Ben Shahn

#Washington D.C.

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