Assessment of WPA Mural Collection in Gloucester City Hall

FAIN: PG-50884-10

City of Gloucester (Gloucester, MA 01930-3009)
Dale T. Brown (Project Director: May 2009 to March 2011)

The hiring of a conservator to assess the condition of 11 Works Progress Administration (WPA) murals installed in Gloucester City Hall in the late 1930s. Part of over 2,500 murals created nationwide, these murals by leading WPA artists Frederick Mulhaupt, Charles Allen Winter, Oscar Anderson, and Frederick Stoddard both record and form a part of the city's cultural and civic history.

This proposal would fund a preservation assessment of eleven WPA murals installed in the City Hall of Gloucester, MA. This important collection includes murals painted by Frederick Mulhaupt, Charles Allen Winter, Oscar Anderson, and Frederick Stoddard (attributed). The artwork reflects Gloucester's significant heritage as a center for artists in the early 20th century. The murals depict scenes of Gloucester's history, community life, industry and culture, as well as government pursuits and ideals. The murals and the WPA program are the subject of ongoing research and are the focus of tours and lectures. The proposal is submitted by the Gloucester Committee for the Arts, stewards of the City's art collection. The murals are in clear need of cleaning and conservation 80 years after their original installation in City Hall and in various City schools. If these murals were to deteriorate, Gloucester and the nation would lose a valuable cultural and historical resource.