1 10 1 https://openvalley.org/files/original/ef459343545f8528f57c64074b00876d.JPG 368c36020d31be71317b3006b7e7347d 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." <br /><br />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.<br /><br />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 24 in. Condition: slightly pitted, 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 Central Park Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Spurbeck, John S., 1911-1993 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 (photographer) <br /><br />Sheedy, Marianna (biography) <br /><br />Cooper, Ken (biography) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived New Deal Gallery, Genesee Valley Council on the Arts <br /><br />Object #FA18274 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg, 979 KB Type The nature or genre of the resource Still image Description An account of the resource The painting captures NYC’s Central Park on a shadowy afternoon. Cool purples, blues, and greens make up the majority of the image. Trees, bushes, and greenery blend into buildings and cares that make up the city skyline in the background, producing a sense of fluidity. In the foreground, a bridge with coursing river underneath divides the painting. Behind the bridge, the perspective appears to be flattened, almost as if to create dissonance. <br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;">About the Artist</span>: Born in Duluth, MN, where his father worked as a train dispatcher for the railroad, Spurbeck studied at the Minneapolis School of Art and later at the Art Institute of Chicago. In 1935 he relocated to New York, producing work in oils, water colors, and portrait sketches. It is possible that Spurbeck may have spent some time at the University of Rochester before eventually relocating to Maryland. In 1940 he took a position as director of the illustration division at the Johns Hopkins University, working both an artist and <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5db4/596005924d5b8a51b9b1d90f333926f43c54.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">photographer</a> for the biology department, contributing medical illustrations of equipment and specimens. Spurbeck’s wife, Mary (<em>née</em> Rawles), worked as a staff member for the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/aja.1000970104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">embryology department</a> of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, which was also located on the Johns Hopkins campus. The couple retired together in 1966 to Emporia, VA, Mary’s hometown, where he continued to paint, draw, and sculpt. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context 181 Federal Art Project John Spurbeck New Deal Gallery painting