 In 1936 artist Edmund Lewandowski began painting murals for the Federal Art Project, and during 1939 and 1940, he executed post office murals in Minnesota, Illinois, and Wisconsin. The Federal Art Project was part of the WPA or Works Progress Administration which was the largest Great Depression Era project during the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The WPA put millions of unemployed Americans, including artists, back to work during very difficult economic times. In the visual arts, the creation of Federal Art Project coincided with the popularity of the movement known as the "American Scene." American Scene artists were especially interested in depicting small-town life and produced views of local color and straightforward celebrations of ideals such as community, patriotism, and hard work. This is clearly seen in Edmund Lewandowski’s work from this period up until he joined the military during World War II. Many of the images below existed only in black and white photography and the quality may be poor.      Click on image to advance |
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This retrospective exhibition was organized by the Flint Institute of Arts and has been made possible at Winthrop University in part by Williams & Fudge, Inc. with additional support provided by Patrons of Winthrop University Galleries. |
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