From the Kresge Art Museum website: “Originally intended for the Bessemer Courthouse boardroom in the Upper Peninsula, Natural Resources of Northern Michigan was given to Frances and Walter M. Berry sometime in the mid 1940s in appreciation for their years… read more
“The I-shaped plan of Abbot Hall was designed as part of a four-dorm complex for male students, including its partner Mason Hall as well as Synder-Phillips residences. Shared common areas including the kitchen and bakery were originally built to link… read more
“In 1938 the Public Works Administration allocated more than $500,000 toward the final cost of $1,025,000 for an auditorium to accommodate the academic and cultural activities of the growing MSU student body. Designed by O.J. Munson, the Gothic-inspired pointed arches… read more
“Designed by O. J. Munson and funded by the WPA/ FAP and a gift from the Class of 1937, the Band Shell was located where Bessey Hall now stands (see map). As captured in this 1954 photograph of a performance… read more
“Partially funded by the PWA, Campbell Hall is part of a complex of six residence halls originally for women. It was named after Louise H. Campbell, a state home demonstration leader from 1920 to 1930. The Tudor-style design, with its… read more
“Created through the WPA/FAP programs and a gift from the Class of 1938, this limestone marker” at MSU’s Abbot Road entrance “welcomes visitors and students to the MSU campus, then known as Michigan State College. The classical column, reinterpreted in… read more
“In 1938 PWA funds were secured to expand the Veterinary Clinic, erected in 1913 on the southeast corner of Farm Lane and East Circle Drive. Designed by the Bowd-Munson architectural firm, the addition blended well with the Collegiate Gothic style… read more
“The estate of alumnus Frederick Cowles Jenison and the PWA funded this building, originally designed to house male athletic activities. Characteristic of early 1940s architecture, the horizontal and vertical elements culminate in a monumental entrance, accentuated by low reliefs. From… read more
Michigan State University’s main library houses a mural by Henry Bernstein titled “America’s First Agricultural College.” The work was first created for the then-new East Lansing post office. From the Kresge Art Museum New Deal Walking Tour: “Originally commissioned by the Treasury… read more
“The hipped roof, limestone trim and simple design of the PWA-funded Music Building complement the Collegiate Gothic and other architectural styles of this historic section of campus. The large, metal-framed windows, however, allude to future stylistic developments. Samuel Cashwan, supervisor… read more
“Samuel Cashwan, supervisor of the Michigan Sculpture Program for the WPA, designed the Art Deco limestone reliefs framing the southwest entrance. They depict images of dance and performance, such as children dancing to the beat of drums.” Also featured on… read more
Samuel Cashwan completed this cast concrete sculpture, entitled “Three Musicians,” in 1940, with funding from the WPA Federal Art Program. From the Kresge Art Museum New Deal Walking Tour website: “The Three Musicians is all that remains of a pair… read more
“This PWA building by architect Ralph R. Calder, built in memory of Richard M. Olin, M.D., was considered “modern in every detail.” Although additions to the building were made in 1956 and 1969, the bulky massing, textural variety, and minimalist… read more
This glazed terracotta sculpture, titled Children Reading, is located at the Michigan Avenue entrance to Sarah Langdon Williams Hall. “This small yet vibrant glazed terracotta sculpture and fish head fountain spout are part of a garden wall that leads to… read more
“Although the original structure of the MSU Union, built in 1924 by Pond and Pond, was not government sponsored, in 1936 $150,000 was secured in WPA funds to add the east wing. The Michigan architectural firm Bowd-Munson completed this addition.”
This mural is located on the first floor of the Union Building on the MSU campus. Plaque on site: “During the Great Depression, through President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration program, many artists were commissioned to decorate public buildings…. read more
The historic former post office building in East Lansing, Michigan was constructed with Treasury Department funds. The building, which housed an example of New Deal artwork (since relocated), is now privately owned.