Mural, Rock Quarry, U.S. Post Office, Westerly, Rhode Island, 1941 Leo A. Raiken (American, 1914-1972) New York Produced under the auspices of the Section of Fine Arts, but never installed. Oil on canvas 84.5.125 In 1939, the Section of Fine Arts announced its most ambitious public art initiative - the 48 States Competition. To carry art to the most remote, rural communities, artists were asked to submit designs for murals to adorn the most prominent wall in a new post office in a specified town in each of the 48 states. As one postmaster pointedly summarized the aims of the project, "How can a finished citizen be made in an artless town?" Although the sketches were to demonstrate intimate knowledge of the customs, industries, and history of the locale, many artists resorted to a strategy known as "painting Section" - using stereotypical images of the Farmer, the Cowboy, the Indian, the Miner and employing imagined or Hollywood-inspired conceptions of local conditions. Not only was the project among the largest with 1,477 entries from 972 artists, it also proved to be one of the most controversial. After a 1939 Life spread revealed the winning designs to the nation, many of the towns protested the often hackneyed representations of rural life. Subsequently, collaborations between each winning artist and the townspeople produced a mural that characterized the interests and aspirations of the community. Ultimately, 26 other post offices received murals in addition to the original 48. The Rock Quarry was a submission in the 48 States Competition for the Westerly, Rhode Island Post Office. Citizens of Westerly were outraged by the Section's initial selection for their mural, a modern railway scene by Paul Sample, which had nothing to do with their local economy. They preferred a depiction of their chief industry, granite quarrying. Raiken's extensive charcoal sketches were obviously made from first-hand observation. The artist seems to have taken the Section's advice to visit the locale before creating his design. On the left, a bank of compressors lends mechanical muscle to the workers, whose efforts take center stage. In Raiken's vision, modern industry supports the craft tradition, enhancing its power and productivity. Such portrayals helped to deflect Depression-era anxieties about unemployment, and ignored any conflicts between labor and management. Back to New Deal America Main Back to Collections Main