10 10 262 https://openvalley.org/files/original/e3557df93124ba6889d7b706cec4619f.JPG 048f3ab9bcd374ef73378fef3e1842bd https://openvalley.org/files/original/d035ee4338edc8910753a728a9b2f427.JPG 46b374626c0a52b86a28b3c3ed2b453d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Oil painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 23 x 29.5 in. Condition: surface dirt, slightly peeling Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Spring Tree Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 976 KB jpeg, 13.8 MB Description An account of the resource Vivid colors are accentuated via the time of day at which this painting is set—either at sunrise or sunset—and by comparison to a pale blue sky. The titular “spring tree” probably is a cherry in bloom, but a taller one also seems to display blossoms. Sabalsuskas’ unusual portrait orientation emphasizes not only the trees’ verticality, but a pastoral scene in the foreground of grazing cattle. Several brushstrokes appear to take pleasure in color for its own sake. About the Artist: We haven’t located any reliable information about this artist. Please contact us if you're able to help. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sabalauskas, Joseph Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1937-02-02 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18258 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 165 Federal Art Project Joseph Sabalauscas New Deal Gallery painting https://openvalley.org/files/original/0ff8ae273e7a8c860fe4138a30d0b2b9.JPG e06b3e90a47df6cc7c55122f6e6d622a https://openvalley.org/files/original/864522365252fc3a539931d69260780c.JPG 18e8dd0753b68c4ab216306ec8e6020d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Oil painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 20 x 16 in. Condition: surface dirt Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 702 KB jpeg, 9.1 MB Description An account of the resource Golden light from low in the sky, at right, evokes a moment of gratitude for a year’s harvest—seemingly of corn shocks drying in the field. A person carrying a stick pause in front of one. Lush fields, green trees, and a gorgeous sky are shown to their best effect. The scene might pass for one of indigenous culture were it not for the rooflines of two houses in the distance, but the intent seems analogous. About the Artist: We haven’t located any reliable information about this artist. Please contact us if you're able to help. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Sabalauskas, Joseph Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1936 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18257 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 164 Federal Art Project Joseph Sabalauscas New Deal Gallery painting https://openvalley.org/files/original/db07c68ff6d52b2af1180842b30f0b77.JPG 2de69cb67b635b7ccbf91fec5f005c50 https://openvalley.org/files/original/c8b2202e9851411149337ffff21dc99d.JPG eee4fb5912a9a5bd5b11665b20b39e71 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Oil painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 30 x 36 in. Condition: spotted Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Playtime Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 1 MB jpeg, 13.2 MB Description An account of the resource In subject matter if not in style, there are resemblances between this painting and Georges Seurat’s famous <a href="https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27992/a-sunday-on-la-grande-jatte-1884">A Sunday on La Grande Jatte — 1884</a>, but even more so William Blake’s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Echoing_Green">“The Echoing Green.”</a> Here the spirit seems exuberant as the painting's colored ballons, due perhaps to its “American” setting and youthful subjects. A gently sloping parkland ends alongside a pond occupied by a pair of swans, delighting a young child tended by a watchful nurse. Boys and girls of all ages manifest their play at different stages of childhood, save for two pensive young women: one looks out across the water toward adulthood, the other muses upon the hill. About the Artist: Born in Shelbyville, IN, Ross was the son of German immigrants. He studied with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Forsyth_(artist)" target="_blank" rel="noopener">William Forsyth</a>—part of the so-called “Hoosier Group” of painters—then moved to New York in 1905 after receiving a scholarship to study at the Art Students League. By 1911 he had relocated to Paris, working at Académie Julian with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_E._Miller" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard E. Miller</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William-Adolphe_Bouguereau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">William-Adolphe Bouguereau</a> at Académie de la Grande Chaumière. Returning to the US ahead of the Great War, Ross located near Washington Square and produced a combination of paintings, privately commissioned <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015082310932;view=1up;seq=434;size=150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murals</a>, and commercial illustration. In 1935 for the Treasury Relief Art Project, Ross installed a massive, <a href="https://www.indstate.edu/business/artworks/magna-carta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20’ x 20’ painted mural</a> in the Terre Haute, IN courtroom depicting the signing of England’s Magna Carta. First displayed at the Vanderbilt Gallery in New York, the work was praised for the “gay medieval trappings of the nobles and their retainers” while maintaining, for the purposes of a courtroom, a “treatment most dignified and conservative throughout” (New York Sun 28 June 1934: 24). His “Playtime” painting at NDG borrows from murals their organization of bodies in space and a sense of event, even pageantry. In later years Ross became a devout Catholic and painted several more church murals (Pierce). 11 more images at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-19-folder-40" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Sources Consulted: Mary Anne Pierce, “U.S. District Court Mural Arouses Curiosity Here,” Terre Haute Tribune 19 Mar. 1972: 26; “Brings Back Work He Painted Abroad,” Indianapolis Star 11 Feb. 1912: 32. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ross, Frederick Webb, 1885-1964 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1937-04-12 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18256 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 163 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Federal Art Project Fred Ross New Deal Gallery painting https://openvalley.org/files/original/dfcaacf487144c36f33f64a38fa311a9.JPG a76fcc8d548fe094cd6fde4311441da1 https://openvalley.org/files/original/1c0e50d176c76d44fa041bc56701667f.JPG 46fc68e9cd004478c075c8b444c8b6b2 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Watercolor painting Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September Bouquet Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 523 KB jpeg, 10.6 MB Description An account of the resource The vividness of this still life is the result of its muted brown background, combined with Rollo’s free use of white paint to highlight the tips of flowers in a vase. Shadows from light at the left side of his painting are minimized, creating an effect of the bouquet glowing with an illumination of its own. Casual field flowers thus transform a subdued domestic space. About the Artist: Born Giuseppe Rollo in Ragusa, Italy, he immigrated with his family to the US in 1913 and lived in Chicago (the spelling of his name possibly dating to this time so as to differentiate him from a well-known boxer living in the city). He worked as a newsroom copy boy while studying at the Art Institute of Chicago, then moved to New York in the late 1920s. His work was exhibited in places like the Whitney Museum, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute, and at different venues in Woodstock, NY. Based upon extant works, Rollo appears to have moved easily between landscape, still life, and portrait genres. In 1934 the PWAP commissioned him to paint the portrait of Chicago mayor Edward Joseph Kelly (Chicago Tribune 15 Jan. 1934: 4). 3 works at the <a href="https://whitney.org/artists/1112" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Whitney Museum of American Art</a>. 3 works at the <a href="https://collections.hvvacc.org/digital/collection/waam/search/searchterm/Rollo%2C%20Joseph/field/creatb/mode/exact/conn/and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woodstock Artists Association & Museum</a>. 1 work at the <a href="https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.34262.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Gallery of Art</a>. 1 work at <a href="https://www.dia.org/art/collection?keys=rollo&keyword=&start=&end=&sort_bef_combine=search_api_aggregation_6+ASC&Submit+Collection+Search=Search+Collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Detroit Institute of the Arts</a>. 2 works at the <a href="https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search#!?q=%22joseph%20rollo%22&perPage=20&searchField=All&sortBy=relevance&offset=0&pageSize=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Metropolitan Museum of Art</a>. 4 more images at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-19-folder-30" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rollo, Joseph “Jo”, 1904-2001 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1937-08-24 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18254 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 161 Federal Art Project Joseph "Jo" Rollo New Deal Gallery painting still life https://openvalley.org/files/original/53b74994b3e6f1e6e9499c4cb43b1e31.JPG 9059aa015c7683a7aecf802fd8a23ddb https://openvalley.org/files/original/b173f7ac83739302b9e1b5a1b6220eee.JPG 630f68a61f251000b3d04dec18bc17ce Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Oil painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 15.5 x 19.5 in. Condition: pin holes, pencil or crayon marks, stained canvas Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Constitution and the Guerrere Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 964 KB jpeg, 9.6 MB Description An account of the resource This painting depicts a naval battle of consequence, during the War of 1812, between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Constitution_vs_HMS_Guerriere">the USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere</a> some 400 miles southeast of Nova Scotia. The latter ship was only part of a Royal Navy with large numerical advantage, attempting to enforce a blockade upon American merchant ships. In Rodgovin’s composition, we see the defeated English ship set afire and sinking in the foreground—its crew having surrendered and now prisoners aboard the Constitution with the American flag flying proudly. Massed clouds provide a dramatic backdrop. In this the painting is accurate, for its emotional impact proved crucial to public support for the war. About the Artist: Born in London, Rodvogin’s family immigrated to Hartford, CT in 1900. His parents ran a neighborhood grocery store while he drew pictures upstairs and studied with local artist T. J. Thurber. In 1923 Rodvogin received a scholarship to the Art Students League and moved to New York, returning home during the summers. “Then I’d be set for another winter of starvation in New York,” he later recalled (De Bona 111). Not a strong marketer of his own work, Rodvogin made ends meet by selling the occasional photograph or painting, notably a <a href="http://content.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,19320104,00.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time</a> magazine cover in 1932 of  the French Prime Minister Pierre Laval. Like “The Constitution and the Guerrere,” Rodvogin’s other WPA works seem to focus upon historic maritime subject matter: the Mayflower, Battle of Lake Ontario, and so on. During World War II Rodvogin served in the US Navy as an aerial photographer. He returned to New York and then amidst dire straits in the 1950s was invited by the art critic and collector William Ronnick to live as artist-in-residence at a former mansion overlooking Long Island Sound in New London, CT  called the Lighthouse Inn. He continued to paint and lived to be nearly a hundred years old. 1 work at the <a href="https://www.lymanallyn.org/the-gaze-returned-portrait-studio/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lyman Allyn Art Museum</a>. 5 more images at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-19-folder-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Source Consulted: Joe De Bona, “He’s Losing His Fight Against Success,” Hartford Courant 27 Feb. 1966: 110-111. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rodvogin, Harris (“Harry”), 1897-1998 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1937-04-27 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18253 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 160 Federal Art Project Harris Rodgovin Marine Art New Deal Gallery painting https://openvalley.org/files/original/9974a6a72de0b81bdaaf9582282f1290.JPG 56fdd18351c0def82077407e2868aa10 https://openvalley.org/files/original/8f1f000c2463aa4be23dcd280aab9565.JPG 659da2b51378fb05e92e3794544aa67b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Oil painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 19.5 x 23.5 in. Condition: peeling Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource October Landscape Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 1.1 MB jpeg, 14.3 MB Description An account of the resource Although it owes something to Cézanne’s post-impressionist fields of color, Rites’ painting often de-emphasizes formal shapes that would hold together such a composition. It takes a second look to discern a house, outbuilding, and dock upon a pond or small lake—the effect is one of vividly hued camouflage. Interestingly, the most distinct lines are those of two trees in the foreground, and next to them a pole with a telephone or electrical power line. About the Artist: We haven’t located much reliable information about this artist. Born and raised in Ithaca, NY, Rites graduated from Cornell University in 1922 and then studied art in Paris. His works were exhibited at the Galerie de la Renaissance in 1932, whose catalog preface mentions the influence of Cezanne upon his painting (Ithaca Journal 19 Dec. 1933: 7). Along with NDG artist David Dorfman, Rites illustrated a 1941 WPA reading book entitled <a href="http://digitalarchives.broward.org/cdm/compoundobject/collection/WPAChildren/id/2449/rec/91" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tales of Old New York</a>. 2 more images at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-19-folder-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rites, Marion B[ushanse], b. 1900 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1936 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18252 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 159 Federal Art Project Marion Rites New Deal Gallery painting https://openvalley.org/files/original/c99386530db67ae9d71df937050d3399.JPG d97365218402826e55a6cd7a25307de4 https://openvalley.org/files/original/be4ccbaac45302c6d805391db38c6928.JPG 9cdddf91487a214aefcedaf03b2f3301 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Oil painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 26 x 30 in. Condition: surface dirt, slight pitting Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Spectre of the Roses Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 988 KB jpeg, 12.1 MB Description An account of the resource This painting takes its name from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Spectre_de_la_rose">Le Spectre de la rose</a>, a short ballet created in 1911 by Jean-Louis Vaudoyer. In it, a young girl dreams of dancing with the spirit of a rose worn to her first ball. It was famous for the performance of legendary dancer <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Spectre_de_la_rose#/media/File:Vaslav_Nijinsky_in_Le_spectre_de_la_rose_1911_Royal_Opera_House.jpg">Vaslav Nijinsky</a>, who leaped through one of the two large windows pictured at the back of the stage. Reinhart’s painting carefully retains markers of its theatrical origins, from spotlights to the dancers’ costumes, from the production’s stage to instruments in the orchestra pit at front. About the Artist: Born in Baltimore, MD, Reinhart studied art at the Maryland Institute and then moved to New York City at age 21. Reinhart’s use of dance and theater as subject matter for his painting appears to have grown out of lived experience, with a strong preference for the exotic. He designed costumes and a drop curtain for <a href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433042938807;view=2up;seq=60" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Golden Doom</a>, set just before the fall of Babylon; dressed himself as a “Persian Demi-God” to win the prize for costume at Baltimore’s “Bal de Arts”; and sketched out truly incredible ideas for two “Fancy Dress Costumes.” A New York Times art critic noted around this time, after seeing Reinhart’s work at the New York Water Color Club, “a closer intimacy than used to exist between the stage and the exhibition galleries” (New York Times 5 Nov. 1916: 67). Reinhart’s earlier paintings like “Dancing Slave” (1916), “Moment Musical” (1916), and “The Ballet” (1921) anticipate the NDG’s “Specter of the Roses”—which depicts <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Spectre_de_la_rose" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a short ballet</a> of that name wherein the famous dancer Vaslav Nijinsky (as the spirit of a rose) leaped through a window at its conclusion. Reinhart’s work appeared in venues like the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1920 he was paired with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Tobey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Tobey</a> for an exhibition at St. Mark’s Hall. Gradually, Reinhart’s attention turned towards commissioned portraits. Starting in 1947 and until his retirement in 1963, he was director of art at the Friends Seminary day school, New York. 1 more image at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-19-folder-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Reinhart, Stewart, 1897-1970 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18251 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 158 Dancing Federal Art Project New Deal Gallery painting Stewart Reinhart https://openvalley.org/files/original/15e9298a829ae95fcaaffb8d3db46bec.JPG 1b8cf29b09ecff779b5c050062884589 https://openvalley.org/files/original/2789392460e20d3df050250bc2cde2fd.JPG 5f84e6574f398e62b51a632688eff099 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Watercolor painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 17.5 x 11.5 in. Condition: slightly buckled paper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Woods House Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 826 KB jpeg, 7.1 MB Description An account of the resource Across a field we see two small buildings next to a larger one mostly obscurred by trees at left. Given their size and delapidation, it can be inferred that the lives within the homes are humble ones—perhaps agricultural workers, given the pile of hay at right. Telephone or electrical poles are visible near a road at right, along with an unreadable sign. Ramer’s subtle composition emphasizes the things we don’t know about the woods house(s), but they’re tucked into the center of his painting. Note: the line across this painting is due to broken glass in the painting’s frame. About the Artist: Born in Lemberg, Ukraine, Ramer immigrated to the US with a family holding strongly progressive views (a younger brother, Aaron, was killed in the Spanish Civil War while serving in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade). During the 1930s Ramer’s work was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1934), the Corcoran Gallery (1935), and the Montross Gallery (1936), among other venues. Reviews of his work suggest a protean sensibility, of choosing “to experiment in different fields of painting and “submit[ting] them all to public scrutiny” (Offin). Another visitor thought his “more imposing” figures and still lifes were “not as inviting as his lighter and more fluent” landscapes—an opinion seemingly shared by those who allocated three works to the Mt. Morris sanatorium (“The Critic”). Ramer continued to evolve, in the 1950s influenced by abstract expressionism, in the 1960s and ‘70s according to his nephew “doing some large lucite cast abstractions with found objects that had a La Brea tarpits kind of quality” (Friedman). All this while he maintained a studio upstairs from Max’s Kansas City on Lower Park Avenue, sometimes teaching art classes at Brooklyn College. Much of his work suffered fire damage from the club below or was not preserved after his death. 1 more image at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-18-folder-47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Sources Consulted: Charles Z. Offin, “Introducing Nat Ramer,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle 23 Feb. 1936: C13; “The Critic Takes a Glance Around the Galleries,” New York Post 22 Feb. 1936: 24. For additional information, a special thanks to Alan Friedman. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ramer, Nathaniel (“Nat”), 1904-1987 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18250 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 157 Federal Art Project Nathaniel Ramer New Deal Gallery painting Watercolor https://openvalley.org/files/original/5c9e615a8942ecbc1d0bdb5fa614cd0a.JPG 992d7dd4baa3ddaa49b66840266c1dc9 https://openvalley.org/files/original/d0f06e11658ddff7a69da8ddc3474885.JPG 2b66b84cca6d10c5c46b6e6bf6dbd2cc Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Watercolor painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 12 x 18 in. Condition: needs remounting Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource The Lot Next Door Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 839 KB jpeg, 6 MB Description An account of the resource It would appear that we’re looking at a farm—barn, silo, outbuildings, a line of trees—around haying season. So why the painting’s title? The nearest lot seems to be across a road, but fence posts run across it; if so this would be an informal farm road, not a county highway, and our proximity to the work of agriculture is even closer. Golds of haystacks stand out against lines of green. About the Artist: Born in Lemberg, Ukraine, Ramer immigrated to the US with a family holding strongly progressive views (a younger brother, Aaron, was killed in the Spanish Civil War while serving in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade). During the 1930s Ramer’s work was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1934), the Corcoran Gallery (1935), and the Montross Gallery (1936), among other venues. Reviews of his work suggest a protean sensibility, of choosing “to experiment in different fields of painting and “submit[ting] them all to public scrutiny” (Offin). Another visitor thought his “more imposing” figures and still lifes were “not as inviting as his lighter and more fluent” landscapes—an opinion seemingly shared by those who allocated three works to the Mt. Morris sanatorium (“The Critic”). Ramer continued to evolve, in the 1950s influenced by abstract expressionism, in the 1960s and ‘70s according to his nephew “doing some large lucite cast abstractions with found objects that had a La Brea tarpits kind of quality” (Friedman). All this while he maintained a studio upstairs from Max’s Kansas City on Lower Park Avenue, sometimes teaching art classes at Brooklyn College. Much of his work suffered fire damage from the club below or was not preserved after his death. 1 more image at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-18-folder-47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP.</a> Sources Consulted: Charles Z. Offin, “Introducing Nat Ramer,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle 23 Feb. 1936: C13; “The Critic Takes a Glance Around the Galleries,” New York Post 22 Feb. 1936: 24. For additional information, a special thanks to Alan Friedman. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ramer, Nathaniel (“Nat”), 1904-1987 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18249 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 156 Federal Art Project Nathaniel Ramer New Deal Gallery painting Watercolor https://openvalley.org/files/original/7806b2b04e31486de517b56291332733.JPG f6a0993ce0790c7314872f232b88f6e8 https://openvalley.org/files/original/4b528c250f4c934b82abe352e7a0f402.JPG 8979ea93d635abc4b42f1d1ea737d60a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource New Deal Gallery Description An account of the resource This collection of more than 200 paintings owes its existence to two primary causes: allocations from the Federal Art Project to a New York state tuberculosis sanatorium located at Mt. Morris--the landscapes and still lifes were thought to be restful--and to the committed volunteers who helped preserve the paintings after the hospital closed. For several decades the canvases were stored in non-climate-controlled basements; it appears that doctors and staff removed at least three dozen works as "keepsakes." Despite the seeming tranquility of the paintings, they were created by artists primarily from New York City whose background was more political and aesthetically adventurous than this rural location would indicate. <a href="https://openvalley.org/exhibits/show/green-new-deal/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Follow this hyperlink to a short introduction to the New Deal Gallery collection</a>. We're grateful to the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts for access to their collection, which has been re-photographed and appears here at two resolutions: a cropped, web-friendly file size of around 1 MB; and a high-resolution file including the painting's frame. Items in this collection were created according to a consistent format: a short description of each painting in formal terms, followed by a biography of each artist. Where possible we have supplied hyperlinks relevant to their lives and to other examples of their art. In order to better view them using the Omeka program, click on the "View All" option at the bottom of this page to access various sorting options. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken (project director) Ritz, Abigail (photography and project assistant) Additional research: Justin Anderson, Jessica Apthorpe, Jay Bang, Kristopher Bangsil, Julia Caldwell, Sydney Cannioto, Sabrina Chan, Paige Closser, Victoria Domon, Elana Evenden, Yadelin Fernandez, Michael Griffin, Madison Jackson, Niamh McCrohan, Ben Michalak, Ricky Noel, Elizabeth Ramsay, Skye Rose, Samantha Schmeer, John Serbalik, Marianna Sheedy, Emily Spina, Alison Stern, Ravenna VanOstrand, and Nicholas Vanamee. Special thanks to: Deborah Bump, Mark Calicchia, Elizabeth Harris, Melissa Moody, Rebecca Lomuto, and Mai Sato. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as photograph, map, drawing, painting, etc., and any additional data Oil painting Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 22.5 x 16.5 in. Condition: surface dirt Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Fishkill Fields Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 981 KB jpeg, 11.6 MB Description An account of the resource Using a fairly flat picture plane, Ramer uses an array of muted colors to depict a rural scene in Duchess County (mountains in the background may be the Fishkill range). The composition is balanced between an aging tree at left, a windmill at right. Between them is an area somewhat nebulous in its use; colors may indicate corn tassels, or simply overgrown fields. The building seems in good repair, however, so its effect is to serve as antipole to the largely natural landscape. About the Artist: Born in Lemberg, Ukraine, Ramer immigrated to the US with a family holding strongly progressive views (a younger brother, Aaron, was killed in the Spanish Civil War while serving in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade). During the 1930s Ramer’s work was exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1934), the Corcoran Gallery (1935), and the Montross Gallery (1936), among other venues. Reviews of his work suggest a protean sensibility, of choosing “to experiment in different fields of painting and “submit[ting] them all to public scrutiny” (Offin). Another visitor thought his “more imposing” figures and still lifes were “not as inviting as his lighter and more fluent” landscapes—an opinion seemingly shared by those who allocated three works to the Mt. Morris sanatorium (“The Critic”). Ramer continued to evolve, in the 1950s influenced by abstract expressionism, in the 1960s and ‘70s according to his nephew “doing some large lucite cast abstractions with found objects that had a La Brea tarpits kind of quality” (Friedman). All this while he maintained a studio upstairs from Max’s Kansas City on Lower Park Avenue, sometimes teaching art classes at Brooklyn College. Much of his work suffered fire damage from the club below or was not preserved after his death. 1 more image at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-18-folder-47" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Sources Consulted: Charles Z. Offin, “Introducing Nat Ramer,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle 23 Feb. 1936: C13; “The Critic Takes a Glance Around the Galleries,” New York Post 22 Feb. 1936: 24. For additional information, a special thanks to Alan Friedman. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ramer, Nathaniel (“Nat”), 1904-1987 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Federal Art Project Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1935-1940 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ritz, Abigail (photography) Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts Object #FA18248 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 156 Federal Art Project Nathaniel Ramer New Deal Gallery painting