Public Murals in New York

Synopsis: At the height of the Great Depression in the USA, President Franklin D Roosevelt promised the people a New Deal. The Works Project Administration (WPA) employed artists within the Federal Art Project, part of which was devoted to the painting of public murals. There were over 200 in New York alone. The programme explains how and why these murals came into existence and visits the sites of the works: schools, hospitals, airports, prisons, etc. Discusses ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ by Vertis Hayes in Harlem Hospital, showing phases of life among Negro people in Africa and in America; ‘The Development of Medicine’ by William Palmer (two parts remain) from Queens General Hospital - then the only abstract work, now removed to the Brooklyn Museum; James Brooks’ ‘Flight at La Guardia Airport’ and James Michael Newell’s mural ‘The History of Western Civilization’ at Evader Childs High School.
Series: Modern Art: Practices and Debates, Course A316
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Video; Videocassette. Standard formats. col. 24 min.
Year of production: 1993
Availability: Off-air recording licence
Sale; 1998 sale: £145.00 (+VAT +p&p)
Subjects: Art
Keywords: art - American; murals; New York; paintings; public art; United States of America

Producer

G D Jayalakshmi

Writer

Jonathan Harris

Cast

Jonathan Harris

Name: Open University Worldwide
Web: http://www.ouw.co.uk External site opens in new window
Phone: +44 (0) 1908 274066
Address: Walton Hall
Milton Keynes
MK7 6AA
Notes: NB. As of May 2016 Open University Worldwide are no longer distributing DVDs. They have posted this message on their website: ‘Unfortunately Open University Worldwide Limited has decided that product sales are no longer viable given the reduced funding to Higher Education institutions and diminishing demand for the products we have traditionally stocked. At present the Open University Students Association (OUSA) will continue to sell the "Good Study Guide", and we are in discussion with other possible distributors to continue to make The Open University’s products available for purchase. As soon as we have any information on other channels of distribution we will update this notice’. Some products are still available via second hand dealers on Amazon.co.uk

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