The City of Santa Monica has been awarded $113,241 from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment (CCHE) to help conserve and install in the new Main Santa Monica Public Library the historic Stanton Macdonald-Wright murals recently returned to the city by the Smithsonian.  The funding was made possible under Proposition 40, which called for the creation of the CCHE to provide grants in support of the acquisition, development, preservation and interpretation of artifacts, buildings, sites and places that preserve and demonstrate culturally significant aspects of California history, and the city is one of 13 recipients.

Originally created and installed in 1935 in the reading room of the Santa Monica Public Library, this mural series titled “Technical and Imaginative Pursuits of Early Man” was the first federally funded mural project to be completed in Southern California under the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP, 1993-34), the precursor to the Works Progress Administration (WPA).  Macdonald-Wright’s mural was enjoyed by the public for many years after its unveiling.  By 1964, when the Library moved to a new building, the murals were transferred to the Smithsonian Institution where they were placed in storage.

The mural series, comprised of 38 painted plywood panels, details the evolution of the creative arts and sciences beginning with the Stone Age and culminating with the motion picture industry.   

The city has been working collaboratively with the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) to arrange for the panels to be returned to Santa Monica for installation in the new Santa Monica Main Public Library.   Conserving the mural series and returning it to Santa Monica for installation in the new Main Public Library will enhance the public’s understanding of California’s culture and history by showcasing the work of Stanton Macdonald Wright (1890-1973), a significant artist and renowned teacher in California, as well as an internationally famous modernist.

 City matching funds in excess of $115,000 will be provided for the project.

# # # #