This oil painting was created by Lawrence Lebduska in 1936. The title of this work is Spring. Lebduska was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1894. He had no formal artistic training yet he did paint murals for Elsie de Wolfe in New York City. Animals constitute the subject matter for most of his work, generally in fierce situations. In the 1930s, several major New York City galleries began to feature works by a variety of nonacademic artists. Lebduska's work was recognized along with John Kane, Morris Hirschfield, Grandma Moses, and Horace Pippin. It is not known how long Lebduska was involved with the Works Progress Administration's Federal Art Project. The University Museum received 2 works Lebduska did for this project.

Internet Resources: Here are some links which will get you started in your quest for knowledge. The Internet is growing at an astounding rate. This list does not include every Website on Federal Art of the Great Depression, only the best of the sites that we visited! Michigan Historical Museum's Unemployment and Relief Web page at: http://www.sos.state.mi.us/ history/museum/explore/museums/ hismus/1900-75/depressn/unemploy.html The W.P.A. Artists Project Web page at: http://www.fineartstrader.com/ /wpa.htm WPA-University of Montana Web page at: http://www.umt.edu/ partv/famus/print/wpa/ wpa.htm National Records and Records Association: A New Deal for the Arts Web page at: http://www.nara.gov/ exhall/newdeal/newdeal.html The WPA Film Library Web page at: http://www.mpimedia.com/ wpa/

Museum Loan Kits: A kit is available for the topic of Federal Art of the Great Depression. Audio-Visual Program - Select Illinois Artists Kits can be checked out by Illinois School Teachers free of charge. For a complete list of kit topics please visit: http://www.museum.siu.edu/ university_museum/education/loankit.htm For more information please contact Bob DeHoet at (618) 453-5388 or email him at: drhoet@siu.edu

Printed Resources: At this time, the Museum Explorers Library contains no books on Federal Art of the Great Depression. Please check back. Books in this special library can be checked out by Museum Explorer teachers free of charge. Please see our Museum Explorers Library Web page. The following is a list of printed materials about Federal Art of the Great Depression which may be available through your library. Greif, Martin. (1975). Depression Modern: The Thirties Style in America. Publisher: Universe Books. ISBN#-087663256

Previous Explorer Projects: This is a list of Museum Explorer Projects completed by teachers and students in the last three years. There are no previous school projects completed on Great Depression Art. To view other school pages please visit our Museum Explorers School Pages at: http://www.museum.siu.edu/university_museum/ museum_classroom_grant /Museum_Explorers/school_projects.html

This wooden sculpture, titled Mastadon americanus was created by Fred Myers during the Great Depression. This artist had no formal art training. Myers was born in Woodlawn, Illinois, in Jefferson County on February 8, 1910. In 1917, his family moved to West Frankfort where he remained the rest of his life. Myers worked in the West Frankfort coal mines where he was introduced to "whittlin" by a fellow miner. This inspired him to start woodcarving, and next to hunting and fishing was what interested him most. In 1939, Myers was hired by the University Museum through monies provided by the Works Progress Administration to create this and other woodcarvings of prehistoric animals and historic figures which are still used in many Museum displays.