Post Office Murals a Truly Democratic Art Form
Is a U.S. Post Office Murals tour a reason to plan a road trip? Can a post office double as a mini-museum?
Absolutely!
But if my questions leave you wondering what is a post office mural, let’s enjoy a brief history lesson.
Post office murals and art are only one of the New Deal efforts to employ artists and beautify our country.
Patricia Raynor wrote in a Smithsonian Institute article at si.edu, “Post offices built in the 1930s during Roosevelt’s New Deal were decorated with enduring images executed by artists working for the Section of Fine Arts … Post offices were located in virtually every community and available for viewing by all postal patrons — which made post office murals a truly democratic art form.”
I honestly don’t know how I became aware of post office art. Google led me to a list of the post office art and artists throughout Texas, and a Texas road trip with my daughter included visits to small-town post offices.
Out of the blue, I received a very kind note from a post office mural author David Gates who came across my March column about that trip.
I interviewed him in a recent Curious Cowgirl travel podcast episode.
David discovered murals while hiking across America and stopping in small-town post offices to receive packages of supplies.
He later wrote two coffee table books documenting post office murals in Tennessee and Wisconsin and also has guide books for those states plus Illinois.
Another author, Philip Parisi, published a coffee table book (meaning filled with gorgeous full-color photos) for the Great State of Texas.
Post office murals and art are only one of the New Deal efforts to employ artists and beautify our country. Visit livingnewdeal.org to find 16,000-plus locations in the United States to admire New Deal art and architecture.
Texas has more than 900 sites. In our backyard, see the Reverschon Park Bridge, Flag Pole Hill, the Tietze Park Pavilion, and of course, Fair Park.
Now there’s a great road trip – just around Dallas!
Mary Meier-Evans, of University Park, has a Texas-sized curiosity. Check out her blog and podcast at thecuriouscowgirl.com.
