1 10 2 https://openvalley.org/files/original/68405a5e7d84d5d59604fcc8d06d0de7.jpg ab7fe3e8630ffef12668756732f6f399 https://openvalley.org/files/original/142c4a2cb3769b43d3b562a6fa85cb83.jpg 88a1e4392abf09aebec19a35a8fcf3cf 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 Aquatint etching on paper Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image Image: 9 1/4 x 12 1/2 in. Framed: 15 x 18 in. 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 Saturday Night Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 1.9 MB jpeg, 652 KB Description An account of the resource Bott’s print employs a detailed, black-and-white illustrative style in its portrayal of a middle-aged woman bathing her dog in a large tub. Shades of gray and black linework are used to give dimension and definition to the objects and figures in the piece, and the various textures of the water on the floor and in the tub, the fluffy bathroom towels, and the tile floor add a significant amount of life and movement to the small space depicted in the print. The piece’s title, Saturday Night, amusingly suggests that this is about as exciting as life gets for its middle-aged female subject (and her canine companion); whether this is a positive or negative thing depends on the individual viewer's perspective. Either way, the warmth exuded by the image's detail also inspires comfort and fondness in the viewer, with the domestic familiarity displayed in the print fostering amiable interest rather than dull banality. Though it’s certainly a work of social realism, the peaceful caregiving on display in the image offers viewers a romantic view of the day-to-day activities of the average American household. About the Artist Hugh Pearce Botts, born in 1903 in Cranford, NJ, grew to become an artist skilled in a variety of mediums, including etching, wood engraving, lithography, and drypoint. Though he attended Rutgers University, he did not stay to complete his program, choosing instead to relocate to New York City to study at the Arts Students League. Botts received additional creative training at the National Academy of Design School from 1924 to 1928 and New York’s Beaux Arts Institute of Design. In 1928, Botts was awarded a residency at the Yaddo artists colony, Saratoga Springs. Afterwards, he returned to New York City to work out of a private studio, where he also taught art classes to students and penned articles for well-known publications such as Popular Mechanics. He was employed by the WPA from 1935 to 1943, during which time he produced a multitude of prints and paintings. Botts’ work was exhibited in the Smithsonian Institution in the Division of Graphic Arts of the U.S. National Museums, with 45 of his prints entering the Library of Congress from the exhibit. Botts passed away at age 64 in the care of a nursing home in New Jersey in 1964. In memory of his creative achievements, the Salmagundi Club in New York--in which Botts was a member--offers a yearly prize named for the artist. 94 works and sketches at <a href="https://magart.rochester.edu/artist-maker/info/42?sort=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Art Gallery</a>. 18 works at <a href="https://collections.newarkmuseumart.org/search/Botts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newark Museum of Art</a>. 3 works at <a href="https://onlinecollections.syr.edu/advancedsearch/Objects/people%3Abotts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Syracuse University Art Museum</a>. 2 works at <a href="https://americanart.si.edu/artist/carl-gustaf-nelson-3511" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Smithsonian American Art Museum</a>. 8 images at <a href="https://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/federal-art-project-photographic-division-collection-5467/series-1/box-3-folder-15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FAP</a>. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Botts, Hugh Pearce (1903 - 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 c. 1935 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Casey, Meaghan (description and biography) Helquist, Morgan (photography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Museum, Mount Morris NY Object #FA 1133 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Domestic Economy Federal Art Project Great Depression Hugh Pearce Botts lithograph New Deal Gallery https://openvalley.org/files/original/b8301fc1be78862b859f6404441907cf.jpg 50d250e53278870f6269d2b8519ed4a9 https://openvalley.org/files/original/84ae7c21641f0c23bc4b2d8f4a10258f.jpg 86e9589dcc34b5d753a90c3c63d0fa95 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 Lithograph Physical Dimensions The actual physical size of the original image 15 x 10 in. 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 Farm and Fireside Description An account of the resource From the popular printmakers of the 19th century--an estimated 2-3 new works per week--comes this characteristic lithograph of rural life. Its composition is striking for the angled view into a farm's domestic spaces, so viewers see what is "behind" both a farmer (his fields, field hands, equipment) and his wife (a hearth, furnishings, domestic servant). The two of them, along with a daughter, meet in the foreground for a tableau of well-ordered agricultural and domestic economies. Some of the tortured compositions entail the inclusion of hired labor crammed into the frame, yet relegated to the background. Note: for the purposes of web display, original image has been cropped and edited. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Currier & Ives Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1878 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Cooper, Ken Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/2001699076/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Library of Congress</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 2 MB jpeg, 1.8 MB Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Currier & Ives Domestic Economy Farm lithograph