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WPA Art and Architecture
September/October 2022
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We hope you’ve been able to take advantage of the richly illustrated, well documented online exhibits and tours that SOHO has been regularly producing with each issue of Our Heritage News. This month we invite you to explore San Diego’s best remaining examples of Works Progress Administration art and architecture, from the 1930s, when the federal government first officially embraced historic preservation.
Our collection of 11 sites offers a diverse mix of utilitarian needs fulfilled, like dignified post offices and thematic exposition buildings, along with locally inspired fine art: thrilling, bird’s-eye view murals and imposing sculptural figures that double as fountains.
The WPA didn’t only provide crucial jobs during the Great Depression; it also transformed this nation by supporting a better built environment through preservation, creativity, and collaboration. San Diego scenery and symbols proved to be a rewarding playground for the region’s visionary artists and history-minded architects. Perhaps above all, this online exhibit conveys a strong sense of how talented architects and artists lifted up and enlightened San Diegans, with lasting effects. We hope you enjoy the tour.
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