Covering History Revisiting Federal Art in Cleveland 1933–43 Covering History Revisiting Federal Art in Cleveland 1933–43 Cleveland Artists Foundation Curated by Sharon E. Dean PhD September 8–November 25, 2006 Introduction by Karal Ann Marling PhD Published in partnership with the Cleveland Public Library 2 Gratitude to the following for their Special thanks to funders of this loans and support to the exhibition important project Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland Public Library Kelvin Smith Library The George Gund Foundation Cleveland Public Art Ohio Arts Council Cleveland Public Library Cleveland State University Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Intermuseum Conservation Association Lakewood Board of Education Lakewood High School ISBN: 0-971-6009-8-8 Design: Richard Sarian Copyright 2006 Cleveland Artists Foundation Principal photography: Jerry Mann, and Cleveland Public Library Howard Agriesti, Don Snyder Printing: Modern International Graphics . Acknowledgments Sharon E. Dean PhD Implementing Federal art projects during the New Deal era required substantial community support. On a much smaller scale, producing this exhibition and catalog also needed financial and in-kind support, guidance, and advice. Foremost, I want to acknowledge the I am also grateful for the advice and partner- 3 support of our major partner, The Cleveland ship of that website by Greg Peckham, Public Library (CPL). Thirty-two years ago, Director of Cleveland Public Art. Thanks to CPL had the foresight to support Karal Ann Susan DePasquale and Sally Winters for Marling’s groundbreaking work that included their encouragement and counsel that a major publication and exhibit. Today, that enabled CAF to obtain an Ohio Arts Council venerable institution again graciously loaned Innovation grant for this exhibition. Federal art objects to Cleveland Artists Sue Hanson, Head of the Special Collections Foundation’s (CAF) exhibit and co-published at the Kelvin Smith Library at Case Western this catalog. Holly Carroll, Deputy Director, Reserve University, and Indra K. Lacis kindly and Ann Olszewski, Preservation Librarian, provided complete access to the Karal Ann have simply made this project a reality. Marling papers and the WPA print collection. Ms. Olszewski also made possible the re- Sue Hanson and Joanne Eustis, University binding of Karal Ann Marling’s 1974 book, Librarian, also loaned numerous prints for the Federal Art in Cleveland. Thanks also go to exhibition. Jeff Patterson, Deputy Assistant Public Relations Officer David Williams, who Director of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan facilitated CAF’s first public tour of the Housing Authority; Nilantha Samarsakera Federal art murals at the Library. (Sam), Head of Construction; Hector Vega; and William Lowe, as well as Chad Helms of I am most appreciative of Deena Epstein’s the VIP Restoration Company, all worked guidance in securing a Gund Foundation together to make possible the loan of grant that will support a comprehensive public housing WPA material to this website on Federal art in Cleveland. exhibition. I thank them all. Drs. Mark Tibeau and Mark Souther of the pick up two important Elmer Brown prints for Department of History at Cleveland State the exhibition. Jan Soeder, Superintendent University (CSU) were very helpful during the of Lakewood Schools, Dr. William Wagner, research phase of this project. As part of Principal of Lakewood High School, and their Euclid Corridor Project, I was able to Carol Snyder made possible the loan of utilize their research assistants and digital important WPA ceramics to this exhibition. recording equipment to conduct important Jim McNamara and Noble Elementary School oral history interviews. They are also partners kindly provided access to WPA dolls for for our WPA website. Thanks go out to exhibit research. Andrew Glasier, Timothy Mitchell and Sarah I am also thankful to Rachel Waldron of the Ziemneck, area high school teachers who Library of Congress for helping us locate conducted and logged those interviews. WPA posters for this exhibition. Thanks also Additionally, I thank Angelo Bulone and to William Lipscomb, Board President of CAF, Jerry Giunta for sharing their memories of for his assistance during the grant process; working as WPA artists. Robert Thurmer, Joseph Kisvardai for the loan of his valuable Director of the art gallery at CSU, was also research materials; and Nina Gibans for her very helpful for our exhibit research. Walter enthusiasm and assistance during the Leedy, Professor of Art at CSU, provided research process. Additionally, I want to invaluable information and advice about extend my thanks to CAF staff members Federal art in Cleveland. Nicole Edwards, Peggy Ratcheson and 4 Albert Albano, Director of the Intermuseum Thomas Berger for supporting and assisting Conservation Association, and Andrea every aspect of this project; and to David Chevalier, Senior Conservator, were kind Dean for editing the manuscript. Special enough not only to provide their files thanks go to William Busta who helped with containing condition reports on post office the background research on this project, murals and public housing material, but also and did an incredible job hanging the show. supplied important photographs for the Jerry Mann must be commended for the fine catalog. I am also indebted to Mr. Albano photography in this catalog and Richard for his wonderful talk to CAF’s membership Sarian for the beautiful layout and design. on the preservation of Federal art materials at Finally, I want to express my gratitude to our 2006 Annual Meeting. John Grabowsky Karal Ann Marling, who wrote an and Bethany Migliore of the Western Reserve outstanding introduction for the catalog Historical Society supplied much-needed and whose initial research provided the images of Charles Sallée’s recently removed inspiration for this project. mural from the Outhwaite housing project. Sharon E. Dean PhD I also appreciate the patience and assistance Executive Director, of Marcia Hall, Valerie Sleeper and Jeff Cleveland Artists Foundation Lorince of the Bonfoey Gallery for storing the Earl Neff mural and allowing it to be pho- tographed on their premises. Thanks also to Kathleen Crowther, Director of the Cleveland Restoration Society, and Andrea Morrison, who allowed us access on short notice to Culture on the Cuyahoga: The New Deal Era Karal Ann Marling PhD Ora Coltman 5 It’s hard for me to believe that more than thirty years have Dominance of the City, 1934 Oil on canvas. Located in Cleveland Public passed since I set out for Washington, DC to track down Library, third floor. the records of the Federal agencies charged with keeping art alive in Cleveland during the Great Depression. Back in the early 1970s, it was still possible I also hoped that, guided by project docu- to believe that government bore a great ments in the National Archives, it might be responsibility for the welfare of its citizens possible to locate a significant portion of during hard times. It was possible to believe the artwork listed in those dusty records. that art was vital to the welfare of the So, with an enthusiastic group of students American soul, and furthermore, that art in tow, I set out with great confidence to could and should be made anywhere— put the past back together again. And to a even in Cleveland, Ohio. The climate of considerable extent, we succeeded, thanks opinion in Cleveland during the 1970s to community interest. The housing projects, enabled me to examine the local art of the the branch libraries and the public schools Depression period in hopes that the past that once served as repositories for much of might inspire future action based on the the public art of the 1930s, took great pains models provided by the Federal Art Project, to find what we were looking for. As word the Section of Fine Arts, the Public Works spread, artists and former administrators of Art Project, and the other art-related came forward to share their experiences as agencies of the New Deal. well. What began as a college course 6 suddenly became a major civic event—an Cleveland cared for the generations yet to exhibition that occupied virtually every avail- come. Space was made for unemployed able wall and display case of the Cleveland industrial workers whose job skills could be Public Library’s magnificent downtown head- translated into the arts. Murals and sculpture quarters. I continue to believe that as an appeared in public spaces, showing that art exercise in turning archival research into tan- was for everybody. Women who had tradi- gible material results, the show was a model tionally been relegated to the fringes of the of its kind. Yet what it really demonstrated “art world” rose to positions of prominence. was the pride of the community in its ability Settlement houses doubled as art centers. It to surmount its problems with grace and is no exaggeration to say that there was not with faith in its own skills. any part of the greater Cleveland community left untouched by an art movement founded The Cleveland projects were remarkable in in despair and deprivation. a number of ways. The numbers of African American artists and recent immigrants The emphasis on multiples—prints, figurines, employed far exceeded the national average. posters—also supports the intention of the The concern for creating dignified, well- local programs to bring art into every house- designed housing for those in need made hold. And while critics might debate the Cleveland’s “projects” a national model. lasting effects of the New Deal projects, The sheer quantity of art created especially the ubiquity of the image in contemporary for children—for use in the public schools life owes a great deal to the proliferation of and the public libraries—shows how deeply artwork in Cleveland and elsewhere during the years between 1933 and 1943. In the It is a great pleasure for me to look back on 7 aftermath of World War II, department my own little Federal art project of the 1970s stores—Higbee’s is a notable example— and to congratulate Sharon Dean and the came into their own as vendors of affordable Cleveland Artists Foundation for taking a art.