‘Forgotten Stories’: Exhibit of Northwest Public Art from the 1930s moves to museum in Salem

The exhibition features an extensive overview of the largely “forgotten stories” of the bounty and variety of work created in our region during the economic hard times of the 1930s through nationally supported art projects.

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“Forgotten Stories: Northwest Art in the 1930’s” will be postponed until the museum, following the governor’s freeze announced last week. The exhibition was organized by the Tacoma Art Museum and took place for a short time when it opened at that location on Feb. 22 before being impacted by the museum’s temporary COVID closure on March 13.

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The work of 1930s Gorge artist Percy Manser is represented in “Forgotten Stories.” Hood River Middle School loaned the exhibit a six-foot plywood board on which Manser drew the schematic of his “Manifest” mural. The 80-foot-wide work spans the wall over the auditorium stage in the 1927 building, which is on the National Historic Registry.

The exhibition, organized by the Tacoma Art Museum (TAM), features approximately 72 artworks created in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana. The Manser board was borrowed by Tacoma Art Museum as part of the middle school’s historical museum. TAM had prepared the “Forgotten Stories” exhibit for a six-month run starting in early March, but was never opened to the public because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Works include paintings, murals, prints, drawings, photographs and sculptures, as well as furniture created for Timberline Lodge. “Forgotten Stories” reintroduces a number of talented figures whose names are now unknown, and also includes early work by prominent figures like painter Morris Graves and photographer Minor White.

During the Great Depression in the 1930s, Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt and his administration launched a number of programs designed to put millions of Americans who were unemployed back to work. U.S. government art projects under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), and other agencies, employed artists who created a wide variety of public art that included a range of subjects and styles. Many of the works were created for public institutions such as schools, universities, post offices, and hospitals as well as government buildings of all kinds. In addition, the government also established community art centers such as the Salem Federal Art Center, which offered free classes, art making opportunities and traveling exhibitions.

TAM’s interim Chief Curator and Curator of Collections and Special Exhibitions Margaret Bullock said, “The extent of the federal art projects in the Northwest is surprising. We’ve long thought that the impact of the work was limited, but research has now shown that the projects in the Northwest were widespread and highly productive, employing over 600 artists, resulting in thousands of artworks and offering art making opportunities to hundreds of thousands of Northwesterners.

“We are fortunate to be able to exhibit a number of works that have not been seen since their creation and also to borrow several large-scale murals that normally never leave their permanent locations in schools and post offices,” noted Bullock.

“For our region, this exhibition is a celebration of a time when government support for art and artists not only nurtured talent but made long-lasting impacts on the art community and raised the importance of public art in a way that has yet to be matched.”

The public is invited to enjoy a variety of online events including a virtual tour of the exhibition, a lecture series, and a film series, as well as more resources to delve further into the fascinating history of this time period. Visit willamette.edu/go/forgotten-stories for more information.

Works and stories from these projects continue to surface. As the exhibition is taking place, the museum hopes that it sparks memories for people that may bring new information and additional “forgotten stories” to light. If you have a story to share that is related to these federal art projects that took place in the Pacific Northwest, please email museum-art@willamette.edu.

The exhibition is also accompanied by the catalogue “New Deal Art in the Northwest: The WPA and Beyond,” the first comprehensive survey of the federal art projects in the Pacific Northwest, authored by Bullock with contributions by New Deal art scholars.

“Forgotten Stories: Northwest Public Art of the 1930s” was organized by the Tacoma Art Museum and generously supported in part by ArtsFund and the Tacoma Arts Commission. The accompanying publication was made possible by the Henry Luce Foundation. Both the exhibition and publication have been thoughtfully supported by associate sponsors Matthew and Kimberly Bergman.

Sponsorship at the Hallie Ford Museum of Art has been provided by gifts from the BJS Family Trust, the Ric and Suzanne Kane Living Trust, the Lawrence and Sandra Post Family Foundation, the Allan Rappaport Charitable Foundation, the Wyss Foundation, Kathi Belfer Cypres, Bonnie and Ronald Fein and an anonymous donor, as well as by general operating support grants from the City of Salem’s Transient Occupancy Tax funds and the Oregon Arts Commission. Support for the accompanying virtual tour and virtual lecture series has been provided by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Exhibition-related Events

The public is invited to enjoy a variety of online events including a virtual tour of the exhibition, a lecture series, and a film series as well as more resources to delve further into the fascinating history of this time period. Financial support for the virtual tour and virtual lecture series has been provided by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit willamette.edu/go/forgotten-stories.

The following lectures will be available online in January at willamette.edu/go/fs-lectures:

“Wonders, Blunders, and Everything in Between: The New Deal Art Projects in the Northwest” presented by Margaret Bullock, Interim Chief Curator of Collections and Special Exhibitions, at the Tacoma Art Museum.

“A New Deal for (some) Americans: Innovation and its Limits during the Great Depression” presented by Ellen Eisenberg, the Dwight and Margaret Lear Professor of American History at Willamette University.

“The Culture and Politics of American Literature during the Great Depression” presented by Mike Chasar, Associate Professor of English at Willamette University.

“Brilliance in Dark Times: Transformative Innovations in Science and Technology during the Great Depression” presented by Karen McFarlane Holman, Professor of Chemistry at Willamette University.

“The Forgotten Man,” 1939-1940: Four American Movies from the Decade of the Great Depression — available online at willamette.edu/go/fs-films

This self-guided film series has been curated by artist and film historian Robert Bibler and features “The Grapes of Wrath,” “My Man Godfrey,” “Our Daily Bread,” and “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.” Streaming options are provided. Bibler said, “Whether comedic or tragic, the movies in this series are a reflection of the suffering and the ideals of the decade during which they were made, the extraordinarily difficult years of the Great Depression.”

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Hallie Ford Museum of Art features works by Pacific Northwest and Native American artists, and includes a diverse collection of traditional European, American and Asian art, as well as artifacts that date from antiquity. Frequently changing exhibitions include lectures, special events, tours, artist demonstrations, educational opportunities for children and adults, as well as important publications.

The museum is located at 700 State St. in Salem. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. The galleries are closed on Sunday and Monday. General admission is $6, $4 for seniors and $3 for students 18 and older. Students 17 and under and children are admitted free. Admission is free for everyone on Tuesdays.

Due to COVID-19 the museum’s hours and guidelines are subject to change as federal and state guidelines evolve. Check the museum’s website for the latest information willamette.edu/go/hfma or call 503-370-6855.