Searching for WPA Art

The great depression began in 1929 with the famous stockmarket crash. In 1935 President Roosevelt put together a package of economic programs aimed at bringing the country back. One of those agencies established out of these programs was the "Works Progress/Projects Administration" (WPA). Many americans were given government jobs in construction. Many artists were hired by the WPA and put to work creating murals in public building. The Mural above is in the Sacramento Amtrak station. the building was built in 1916. The mural was painted in the 1930's.

There are also murals at The Museum of Mobile is located in the former city hall. If you ask the workers at the Museum about these murals you will probably get a blank stare. Here is a link to the documentation:

http://www.archives.state.al.us/mobile/mobile1.html

This mural is in the Martinez California post office.

Economy will get worse before it gets better

We have enjoyed our time in California. We have had cool, rain and now sunny weather, temps in the high 70's.

If California is a bellweather for the rest of the country we are in trouble. The state is short billions, El Dorado county will have to borrow millions. There was a big jump of foreclosures in April. People are pulling their children out of private schools and putting them in public. Yes this has affected people that were already living beyond their means but it is also affecting the frugal people.

I have happily traveled to old town Folsum and the little towns of Sutter Creek and Placerville. All share the same signs of the sinking economy. The little downtown streets are peppered with out-of-business restaurants and shops. Every small business closed means a loss of jobs.

So, I am predicting things are going to get much worse before they get better.