The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

PAGE 10 - PLATNDEALER - FRIDAY. MARCH 21,1980 "They Have to Eat" Artists In The Depression Some were packaged by the pound and sold as junk, purchased as scrap paper for prison inmates or abandoned in wastebaskets and trash piles. But other paintings, murals, drawings and sculptures produced under government spon­ sorship during the New Deal have somehow survived decades of neglect to resurface and win new in­ terest. That the artistic remin­ ders of the Depression were forgotton or lost for so long is not surprising. The Great Depression was a desolate and seemingly hopeless period in U S. history. By March of 1933, 14 million people--one-quarter of the labor force-were out of work. Banks closed, factories were shut down and one-time members of the middle class sold apples on street corners. At a time of bread lines and soup kitchens, art was a luxury. Artist O. Louis Guglielmi later wrote: "The artist, a highly sensitive person, found himself helplessly a part of a devastated world. Faced with the terror of the realities of the day, he could no longer justify the shaky theory of individualism." The new President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, declared a New Deal to defeat the Great Depression and to provide jobs for the unemployed. And, despite protests from some who considered art frivolous, sculptors, painters and printmakers were included in the various projects, such as the WPA (Works Progress Administration). "They have to eat, just like other people," said Harry Hopkins, FDR's influential aide. They didn't eat par­ ticularly well. They were paid as little as $25 a month. Often they had to pool their funds to rent communal lofts where they lived and worked. But they did produce- everything from drawings to bronzes. Tens of thousands of works produced under the WPA programs were hung on the walls of hospitals, schools, colleges, libraries, armories, courthouses, even prisons. Murals and sculptures commissioned by the Treasury Department decorated federal buildings. Many of the artists sub­ sisting in the cold lofts on their meager WPA allot­ ments echoed the nation's sense of despair and disillusionment in their works. Others reflected a more secure past by celebrating rural America and the American traditions. Those who explored cubism and abstraction shocked some people. "It's all right to feed the artists," one prominent woman of the period said, "but we shouldn't have to look at their stuff." Some works had a short life. A WPA administrator in New York City burned hundreds of drawings and paintings in an incinerator because he considered them not only trash but subversive as well--they were concerned with social justice and the unionization of labor, favorite topics among some of the artists of the period. But other paintings and prints were saved-some at the last minute, others almost by accident. One group was sold for heating pipe insulation, but the contractor discovered that, when heated, oil paint drips. Luckily, a New York restorer and framemaker heard about the contractor's dilemma and paid $5 each for more than 300 paintings. Among them were works by artists later to become distinguished abstract ex­ pressionists-seven Mark Rothkos, five Jackson Pollocks and three Adolph Gottliebs. When World War II reduced unemployment sharply and the WPA office in New York closed forever in 1943, there was a surplus sale and one wastebasket sold for 50 cents, with the buyer required to take its contents. Many years later, the contents-12 lithographs- were mailed to the General Services Administration in a shoebox. Much of the work in preserving and restoring the New Deal art of the 430s has been carried out by the Smithsonian's National Collection of Fine Arts in Washington. The effort began more than a decade ago with a phone call to the museum, then in the process of re-formation, from someone at the U.S. Department of Labor of­ fering "old paintings." Following up on the phone call, museum curators found a number of federal art works of the '30s in offices and back corridors. Many more were stacked, some with broom handles poking through them, in what was described at the time as "a cross between a storage area and a coal bin." The Smithsonian museum arranged for the transfer of these paintings, and they became the nucleus of its extensive collection of more than 1,500 examples of Depression art. Because the aid programs were under the SfreeicU Stfect PontncUt 'PacfaiQt (0*6̂ 5 ] 2 9 5 1 -- 8 x 1 0 P o r t r a i t 2 -- 5 x 7 Portraits 8 -- Deluxe Wallets Double Image, Oval or Vignetted Package Your Choice At Time Portraits Are Taken Wallets Add Add Add 2 - 5 * 7 1 8 x 10 $3.95 $3.95 $3.95 Parents will be notified by mail for portrait delivery date at store and must be present when Minors are photographed. Hours MM. to IP* 4 2PHL to 5PJL MARCH 26,27,28,29 WED. TUN SIT. HORNSBYS f a m i l y centers McHENRY STORE ONLY 4400 W. Ml. 120 McHENRY. ILLINOIS firc$tone SAVE s2B tos56 Sfio^ Jk 7ire$tone Deluxe Champion RADIAL WHITEWALLS Radials actually priced lower than our bias belted tires in most sizes 8 38 I REG. *461 95 per tire PI55'«lRin <4 rib tread) riu« SI 47 VEX. and old t n\ SIZE fil» ' p r r i . r c t ( p e r C i r r i j "P165/75R13 I65R-13 i S19 S40.95 1 "P175/80R13 BR78-13 ! 53 43.95 ! P185/80R13 CR78-13 56 45.95 ' "P175/75R14 BR7814 54. 44.95 j P185/75R14 CR78-14 56 46.95 | P195/75R14 ER78-14 57 47.95 ; P205/75R14 FR78-14 62 51.95 j P215/75R14 GR7814 6» 52.95 ! P205/75RI5 FR78-15 bi 53.95 ! P215/75R15 CR78-15 66 54.95 I P225/75RI5 HR78 7 1 60.95 P235/75R1S i .r> r , Hi) 65.95 Now you can get all the advantages of radials -- gas economy, lone wear, and superb traction --at a price less than most of our bias belted tires. Ge t •• these radial benefits... NOW at reduced prices! HURRY... Limited time offer? *4 rib All price* plus ;« and old direction of the Treasury department or the WPA, the majority of these works were "rescued" by the General Services Ad­ ministration and given to the National Collection. Many were unvarnished and covered with dirt, grime and grease. Restoring them to exhibition quality required both hard work and unusual cleaning processes, for, with money scarce in the '30s, inferior paints often were used. Many of these paintings were shown recently in a special NCFA exhibition, "After the Crash," timed to the 50th anniversary of the 1$29 stock market collapse- and a selection is always on view in a permanent gallery. A concurrent show of key political, financial and in­ dustrial leaders involved in the crash was held at the Smithsonian's National Portrait gallery. Some of the WPA artists are now only obscure foot­ notes in art history. One artist had such an amusing patter as he worked beside colleagues in a jointly rented loft in New York that they urged him to go on stage-his name was Zero Mostel. Some artists were well known even then-Ben Shahn and Arshile Gorky. Others, of course, developed into leaders of the post-war renaissance of American art. Among them were not only Pollock, Rothko and Gottlieb but also Louise Nevelson, David Smith, Alexander CaJder, Isamu Noguchi and Milton Avery. In 1972, the GSA, custodian of the govern- m e n t ' s w a r e h o u s e s , presented the National Collection with four pain­ tings by now pre-eminent artists that had been lost for nearly 40 years-two by Stuart Davis and one each by Joseph Stella and Loren Maclver. As they became more successful, some artists often obscured their association with federal arts projects, perhaps em- FORMAL WEAR RENTALS for ALL OCCASIONS &S, SSkwl . . . . t k i t w i j j v i f w . 1214 N.Green St..McHenry barrassed to have created art for hospitals, post offices and welfare institutions. Peter Hurd felt differently, and in later years he helped to restore an outdoor fresco he had created in Alamogordo, N.M. All in all, while economists and historians still quarrel about the value of Roosevelt's emergency measures, federal art was an investment well made. The WPA and Treasury programs provided a bare livelihood while preserving the skills of artists whose creativity would not have survived without help. Many artists would have starved- or simply given up-and, for them, it also was important to be recognized as useful members of society. "Even though artists were existing on minimal salaries, many had a chance to devote themselves wholly to art in a way never possible before," said Joshua C. Taylor, director of the N a t i o n a l C o l l e c t i o n . "Furthermore, they found themselves associating with a much wider segment of the public, facing issues that had not earlier intruded into art's charmed circle. There developed a consciousness of the place of art and the artist that was to .. change irrevocably the course of art in the country. The visibility of post-World War II art sprang from the experiences of the 1930s." As products of one of A m e r i c a ' s g r i m m e s t moments, these thousands of works are vivid documents of an historic era. Although some thought of artists as idlers and the projects "make-work" boondoggles, the works created-now worth millions of dollars- were a tremendous bargain for the United States. The programs not only eased human misery, but were a contributing factor in A m e r i c a ' s r i s e t o a r t prominence after World War II. Today, the art of the Depression years again is assuming its rightful im­ portance. WOMEN FOR GROUP DISCUSSION on WEIGHT CONTROL 385-5685 Smithsonian News Service Photos courtesy of National Collection of Fine Arts. These two paintings were commissioned by the WPA-Federal Art Project in the late 1930s." "Flop House" (top), a 1937 painting by Edward Millman, was a product of the Illinois project; "Relief Blues" (bottom), by O. Louis Guglielmi, came from New York City. The painting* are now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution's National Collection of Fine Arts. Set Easter Seal Telethon The Easter Seal Society for McHenry County and Channel 44-WSNS, Chicago, will present the ninth annual National Easter Seal Telethon the weekend of March 22-23. The 21Vfe-hour show, hosted in Hollywood Squeeze more heat out of your gas bilL At last, a gas furnace so stingy with fuel it's called the Whirlpool Tightfist™ gas furnace. And it's up to 30% more efficient than a standard Whirlpool gas furnace* The Tightfist fur­ nace is packed with val­ uable energy-saving features. It has a penny-pinching induced draft system that is designed to squeeze more heat out of the same amount of fuel. It also has thrifty direct spark ignition instead of a costly, constantly burning pilot light. To find out ex­ actly how much you can benefit from the Tightfist furnace call your Whirlpool heating and cooling products dealer soon. Whirlpool Hta'iNG 4 COOiiNG JLP«ODUC tS DOWE HND WHCNER HEATING AND SHEET METAL WORK AIR CONDITIONING 542 W. Rand Road-McHenry, IL [815] 385-0468 SPRING REBATE! 1000." JEEP CHEROKEES -- AND -- WAGONEER LIMITEDS FOX VALLEY nAMCJeep Open Daily Till 9 P.M. OPEN SUNDAYS IRT.14I CRYSTAL LAKE (815)455-28001 by talented Suzanne Somers, will begin at 9:30 p.m. Saturday night and will continue until 7 o'clock Sunday. Eobb Weller, host of Channel 7's AM Chicago will emcee local segments of the television spectacular for twenty minutes of each hour. The Easter Seal Telethon, which helps to raise funds needed to bring rehabilitation services to people who have handicaps, has been an annual feature since 1972, and has raised more than $37.5 million to help fund Easter Seal rehabilitation services and s p e c i a l p r o g r a m s f o r disabled men, women and children. The McHenry County Easter Seals offers rehabilitation programs in r SHAMROCK CLEANERS Complete Dry Cleaning Service I Conveniently Located in the McH«nry Market Plac* Shopping Cantor 4400 W.Rt*. 120 McHmry (815)385.1944 speech, physical and oc­ c u p a t i o n a l t h e r a p y . Enhancing these core departments are Speech and Language Pre-school, Equipment Loan, Stroke Club, Nu-Voice Club, In­ formation-Referral and F o 1 l o w - U p , P u b l i c Education and the Youth for Easter Seals. The National Easter Seal society was formed in 1919, and for over 60 years it has been widely recognized as the organization providing more services, to more handicapped people, than any voluntary agency in the world. Today, Easter Seal societies nationwide provide a comprehensive spectrum of services to 453,811 in­ dividuals. Services are tailored to meet existing community needs. As an advocate on behalf of the nation's disabled, the Easter Seal society works to improve the environment for handicapped citizens with programs aimed at eliminating both en­ vironmental and attitudinal barriers and creating recognition for the capabilities of those who are disabled. The Easter Seal Society for McHenry County has been meeting the needs of handicapped people in M c H e n r y c o u n t y f o r 3 1 years. Homemakers use twice as much energy to prepare food as farmers use to grow it. We Are Now Taking Accents For This Season! •Lawnmowing 5 •Fertilizing •Power Raking •Bush Trimming •Leaf Cleanup •Light Landscaping RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL MM RATE FINANCING MAIL Dean Smith LAWN CARE ft LANDSCAPING 3713 MAPLE AVE. McHENRY, IL 60050 2 Mm hr Soviet S15-385-4S47m 815-385-7434 . FREE ESTIMATES I Our NEW Location: 1301 N. FRONT ST. McHENRY. ILL. (815)385-2323 Deal w ith the PRO'S" McHENRY FIRESTONE, INC i