Overcoming Discouragement: Frank Long’s WPA-Era Works at Berea College

On display in the Doris Ulmann Galleries at Berea College are a series of Frank Long’s mural studies for public post offices and his more personal series of woodcut prints depicting the achievement of Hercules. Long had close ties to Berea College and was living in Berea when the murals were produced. The Treasury Department Section of Fine Arts, later known as The Section of Fine Art, commissioned Long’s murals during the Depression under the New Deal in 1933. The section’s chief goal was to bring high quality art suitable for public buildings. To accomplish this aspiration, competitions between artists were held. The commissioned art was site specific to locations in newly built federal buildings and post offices. Frank Long completed many murals from 1933-1942.

These relatable images, even as murals, are a part of not only Kentucky’s history but also the history of America. Long represented the average American worker by depicting the work makes daily life possible. By being displayed in many federal buildings across the state during the 1930’s Long helped forge a vision of the unforgettable American spirit of hard work, and stressed that all work was important.

Each piece was selected from the Berea College Art Collection by the students in Dr. Ashley Elston’s Art History 124: Survey of Western Art class, this exhibit explores the work of artist Frank Long (1906-1999). Working with the Director and Curator of the Galleries, Meghan Doherty, students, LeAndre Flores, ’16, and Haley Boothe, ’16, measured all of the pieces for new mats and frames. Once the new frames arrived, the students matted and framed all of the pieces for the show.

Jessica Schroader, ‘18, a student who picked one of the featured Frank Long works talks about how this exhibition effected her personally.

"Upon receiving the task of analyzing the work of Frank Long, our class learned about his dedication to art, which aimed to accurately depict the average American worker. I chose the “Activities of the Region.” This image adequately represents the history and culture of the agriculture and coal industries, which still have an impact to many families in Kentucky almost 80 years later. It spoke to me above the others because as a native Kentuckian, I am very familiar with the hard work that goes in to managing a farm. I have also known many families that have been supported by the coal industry for several generations. Though I do not plan on working in either industry, I can imagine that in during depression era this painting would have affected many Kentuckians in the same way."