The clock is ticking for Washington, D.C.’s 85-year old Wilbur J. Cohen building,
described by preservationists as the “Sistine Chapel of New Deal Art” for the impressive art collection it holds, including works by Philip Guston and Ben Shahn. Living New Deal, a California-based nonprofit that maps America’s New Deal-era art, recently launched a petition to raise awareness about this endangered landmark, one of 45 federal buildings that the U.S. government has listed for accelerated disposal, which would enable its sale without substantial public input, even though the Wilbur J. Cohen building is on the National Register of Historic Places. Once sold, it’s highly likely that the site would be demolished, since the building has not been renovated since it first opened in 1940, and fixing it would prove costly. In a recent op-ed, Mary Okin, assistant director of Living New Deal, said these paintings portray “the dignity of work, the hope of reform, and the belief that public art could lift up an entire nation.” Read more.
Reported by Vittoria Benzine in artnet