New Deal Alaska Art (5/5): "Ebb Tide, Juneau" and "Blanket Design of the Haida Indians, Alaska"

Above: "Ebb Tide, Juneau," a painting by Marianne Appel (1913-1988), created while she was in the New Deal's Section of Fine Arts, 1939. Appel also painted a mural for the Post Office building in Wrangell, Alaska, ca. 1941-1943, again through the Section of Fine Arts. She then went on to have a successful art career as an illustrator of children's books and as a puppet maker for TV shows like The Muppets (see, e.g., "Marianne Appel," Wikipedia). Image courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Above: "Blanket Design of the Haida Indians, Alaska," a 1939 WPA poster by Louis Siegriest (1899-1990). During World War II, Siegriest designed camouflage for the Army Corps of Engineers ("Oral history interview with Louis Siegriest, 1978 June 21," Smithsonian Archives of American Art). Today, the Haida and Tlingit nations of Alaska have united to "Preserve our sovereignty, enhance our economic and cultural resources, and promote self-sufficiency and self-governance for our citizens" ("Our Mission," Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska) and "to respect the sovereign rights of smaller Indian Reorganization Act (IRA) tribes in Alaska" ("About Us"). The Indian Reorganization Act was signed by President Roosevelt in 1934 and, among other things, promoted self-government and land protection for native peoples (see "Indian Reorganization Act, 1934," Living New Deal). Image courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

New Deal Alaska Art (4/5): "Native's Shack, Ketchikan, Alaska" and "Raven and Frog" totem pole

Above: "Native's Shack, Ketchikan, Alaska," a painting by Ferdinand Lo Pinto (1906-1980) created while he was in the WPA's Federal Art Project, 1937. According to a biography on AskArt, Lo Pinto was one of 13 artists sent to Alaska by the WPA, to do 70 paintings. Lo Pinto also did illustrations for The WPA Guide to Alaska, as well as set designs for the WPA's Federal Theatre Project. There doesn't seem to be a lot of information recorded about his later years; however, his name appears in many old newspapers from Pennsylvania (where the biography on AskArt says he moved to in the 1950s), and they indicate that he remained very active in the art community, for example, being named as co-director of the Baum Art School in Allentown ("Baum Art School Board Elects 3 New Directors," The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania), January 18, 1969). Image courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Above: "Raven and Frog" totem pole, Saxman Indian Village, Tongass National Forest, Alaska, ca. 1939. This totem pole was restored with the assistance of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

New Deal Alaska Art (3/5): "Mail Delivery North" and "Black Fish" totem pole

Above: "Mail Delivery North," a sculpture by Edmond Amateis (1897-1981), created while he was in the New Deal's Section of Fine Arts, 1941. This is one of four related sculptures--the others being "Mail Delivery South," "Mail Delivery East," and "Mail Delivery West"--that Amateis created for the exterior of the U.S. Post Office building at 900 Market Street, Philadelphia. According to the website "Association for Public Art," this sculpture depicts a "parka-clad Alaska native" and his dog sled team, in the "arctic North." The Wikipedia page for Amateis states that he was president of the National Sculpture Society from 1942 to 1944. Photo courtesy of Gray Brechin.

Above: The "Black Fish" totem pole at Saxman Indian Village, Tongass National Forest, ca. 1939. This totem was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

New Deal Alaska Art (2/5): "Alaska Snowshoe Mail Carrier" and "Chief Johnson" totem pole

Above: "Alaska Snowshoe Mail Carrier," an aluminum sculpture by Chaim Gross (1904-1991), created while he was in the New Deal's Treasury Section of Painting and Sculpture, 1936. This sculpture is in the William Jefferson Clinton Federal Building (headquarters for the EPA). According to the Smithsonian American Art Museum: "Like many other artists, [Chaim] benefited greatly from the support of the New Deal's Public Works of Art Project. In the late 1930s the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture commissioned him to execute several works for federal buildings; these helped to establish him as a major contemporary sculptor" ("Chaim Gross"). Image courtesy of the General Services Administration and Carol M. Highsmith.

Above: The "Chief Johnson" totem pole in Ketchikan, Alaska, ca. 1939. This totem was restored by native Alaskans, with the support of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

New Deal Alaska Art (1/5): "Waterfront, Alaska" and "Sun and Raven" totem pole

Above: "Waterfront, Alaska," a painting by Austin Merrill Mecklem (1894-1951), created while he was in the WPA's Federal Art Project, ca. 1939. According to a biography on Find A Grave, "Mecklem first studied at the University of Washington, then worked in the Treadwell gold mines in Juneau, Alaska for two years to pay tuition to the San Francisco School of Fine Arts." Image courtesy of the Newark Museum, used here for educational, non-commercial purposes.

Above: The description for this 1939 photograph reads, "The 'Sun and Raven Pole' of the Tlingit Indians restored by Indian CCC workers at Saxman Indian Village, Tongass National Forest." Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

Above: This photo shows the "Sun and Raven" totem pole before it was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

Rural Internet Access in America: A quagmire of private sector indifference, anti-government Republicans, milquetoast liberalism, history amnesia, and self-immolating votes

Above: The description for this photograph reads: "Rural electrification in the U.S. This modern American building houses the offices of the Middle Tennessee Electric Corporation in the Eastern U.S. This is a farmers' cooperative group which organized to bring electricity to farms and homes in the country on an economic non-profit basis. They secured a loan from the U.S. Rural Electrification Administration to build their distribution lines and other facilities. This cooperative group distributes power from a government-owned power plant to more than 6,000 members. Headquarters like this often become the social centers of their communities. In addition to offices and storage for maintenance trucks and supplies, such buildings may include an auditorium for membership meetings and other functions, an electrified demonstration kitchen, and conference rooms." Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress.

There is an interesting and in-depth article on ThinkProgress today about the lack of good Internet access (or any access at all) in rural Kentucky, and how it's hindering economic development and job opportunities. And, of course, the problem is not limited to Kentucky. Many rural areas in America struggle with substandard Internet access.

Considering history, this article, as well as other articles from the past many years, it seems to me that there are five main roadblocks that are keeping this problem from being solved:

1. Private Sector Indifference:

Because rural areas are sparsely populated, private industry is often hesitant to invest. The profit just isn't there, at least not in the short-term - and short-term profit is what wealthy executives & investors are primarily aroused by.

2. Anti-Government Republicans:

Republicans are in charge of most of the U.S. government - the Congress, the White House, the Supreme Court, and most state governments too, including Kentucky's. And Republicans are vehemently opposed to domestic spending. They throw money at the Pentagon like a drunken sailor, hand out tax breaks to the rich like candy, and then constantly try to cut domestic investment. In Kentucky, there is an Internet initiative called "KentuckyWired." It's made some progress, but anemic federal support (as well as private sector obstructionism) has caused problems. 

3. Milquetoast Liberalism:

The modern Democratic Party, a party vehemently opposed to its New Deal roots, often pooh poohs big ideas and grand plans. They tell us that change takes decades and decades, and so we shouldn't set our hopes too high. This was seen during the 2016 Democratic Primaries, where Bernie Sanders was raked across the coals by the Democratic Establishment for his lofty goals, such as massive infrastructure spending (which we've done before) and free public college (which we've done before). During the primaries, journalist Kevin Drum scolded Sanders, but admitted: "I'll grant that my pitch--and Hillary's and Barack Obama's--isn't very inspiring. Work your fingers to the bone for 30 years and you might get one or two significant pieces of legislation passed."

Not inspiring indeed. Imagine if New Deal policymakers had had such a timid, defeatist approach. There would be no Social Security, no SEC, no FDIC, young children would still be working in the mines, we would only have half the infrastructure that we do today, and many rural areas would still have no electricity.

4. History Amnesia:

We've seen rural investment problems before. Decades ago, for example, private industry did not want to bring electricity to rural America because they didn't see the profit in it. But, with the advent of the New Deal, things changed. The will of the people won out and New Deal policymakers created the federal Rural Electrification Administration (REA), as well as other large programs--like the federal Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the federal Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)--to bring electricity to neglected areas. And it worked. Today, tens of millions still get their power from the investments of the federal REA, TVA, and BPA. 

Unfortunately, when an electorate has history amnesia--and Americans are infamous for not knowing their history--lessons like the REA are lost, and people become gullible to rhetoric like "private sector innovation!" and "government is the problem not the solution!" And this gullibility forces them to deal with pathetic infrastructure, like poor Internet access, for years on end, as their political "representatives" tell them to hold on, just a little longer, for tax breaks for the rich, plus "private sector innovation!", to improve their quality of life. It's a farce - a farce made possible by history amnesia. The fact is, with each successive round of tax cuts for the rich (JFK, Reagan, Bush Jr., and now Trump), and with each embrace of "private sector innovation!", our quality of life diminishes more and more - stagnant wages, fewer benefits, more debt, more precarious retirements, deteriorating infrastructure. History amnesia ensures that we don't understand the roots of our problems.

5. Self-Immolating Votes:

Tied into all of the above, is the habit of many Americans to vote (or not vote) against their own self-interest. Kentucky, for example, is a deeply red state. They have put into office (again, by either voting or not voting) anti-government Republicans. Their congressional "representatives" are Republican, their state legislature is Republican, their governor is Republican, and they overwhelmingly voted for Donald Trump. So, on the one hand, they need better infrastructure, but, on the other hand, they consistently vote for anti-government, anti-infrastructure Republicans. This is self-immolation. Of course, the Democratic Establishment isn't helping matters much with their uninspired, milquetoast, scaredy-cat approach to politics and governing.

But to illustrate just how insane it is for Kentuckians to support Republicans--by voting or not voting--consider that (a) the Republican Party is largely supported by the Koch brothers, and (b) a Koch-funded group has opposed KentuckyWired by saying: "We don't consider a core government function to be providing broadband."

Above: A poster promoting the benefits of the Rural Electrification Administration, for example, light. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Summary of the Absurd

So, let's sum this up: (1) Kentuckians need better infrastructure, like Internet access; (2) the private sector is not overly interested in providing Kentuckians with good Internet access (or other infrastructure); (3) Republicans are generally opposed to government spending on domestic needs, like infrastructure; (4) an influential conservative group, funded by the notorious Republican Party megadonors, is opposed to government intervention on the Internet issue (which puts Kentuckians in a trap of both private sector and governmental indifference); but (5) Kentuckians are perpetually voting for Republicans anyway (or abstaining from voting, thereby capitulating to Republicans just the same). 

Read that again... very slowly, very carefully. Let the absurdity of the situation fully sink in.

If you want to know why we have so many problems in this country--problems that go on for decades and decades--look to the Internet debacle (and attendant issues) in Kentucky. It's a fantastic case study, showing how citizens can be tricked into sacrificing their own quality of life... to millionaires & billionaires who have prioritized vanity & decadence over the common good.

***Also see my blog post, "Victims of plutocracy: As the super-wealthy drool over their newest round of tax cuts, Kentuckians struggle to get clean, reliable, and affordable drinking water"***

"Deteriorating infrastructure impedes Kentucky’s ability to compete in an increasingly global marketplace."

--American Society of Civil Engineers, 2017, "Infrastructure in Kentucky"

WPA cemetery work

Above: A WPA-built retaining wall, at a cemetery in Toledo, Ohio, ca. 1936, constructed to prevent the loss of grave sites due to erosion problems. All across America, WPA workers repaired and improved cemeteries, and also recorded & inventoried headstone inscriptions. Photo courtesy of the National Archives.

Above: "God's Acre," a painting by Julian Levi (1900-1982), created while he was in the WPA's Federal Art Project, ca. 1935-1939. Image courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Judy Zemnick: The WPA artist who was attacked by a polar bear

"All I want is to get back to my artwork."

--21-year-old Judy Zemnick, a few weeks after being attacked by a polar bear at the Brookside Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio ("Girl Clawed By Bear Undismayed..." La Grande Observer (La Grande, Oregon), November 8, 1938).    

Above: In this photograph, we see artist Judy Zemnick (right front, with watch or band on wrist) on a WPA ceramics project in Cleveland Ohio, ca. 1938. Photo courtesy of the Ohio History Connection and the State Library of Ohio, used here for educational and non-commercial purposes.

Above: On October 26, 1938, 21-year-old Judy Zemnick was sketching animals at the Brookside Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio (now called the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo) and became a little too passionate about her work, went past an iron picket fence, and sat on a ledge overlooking a polar bear enclosure for a better view of the animal she was drawing. After swatting at her several times, the polar bear grabbed hold of her and dragged her in. For 15-20 minutes Zemnick was mauled. Two other WPA artists tried to stop the bear by throwing stones at it, and zoo workers were finally able to remove her from the enclosure ("Cleveland Painter Mauled Before Beast Is Driven Off," The Akron Beacon Journal," October 27, 1938). Photo from The Salem News (Salem, Ohio), October 28, 1938 edition, used here for educational and non-commercial purposes.

Above: Zemnick on January 3, 1939, a little over two months after her encounter with the polar bear. Zemnick nearly died from the attack. She was in critical condition from loss of blood. Her scalp was nearly gone, her face and throat cut, and she ended up losing an eye. Clyde Henderson, a 33-year old teacher in the area, and a friend of Zemnick, gave the blood that saved her life (see The Akron Beacon Journal article cited in the previous caption). Meanwhile, the WPA pledged to pay her medical bills, pay compensation during her recovery, and even allow her to work overtime to earn a little more, once she was back at work ("Girl Clawed By Bear Undismayed..." La Grande Observer (La Grande, Oregon), November 8, 1938). This was generous, considering that she shouldn't have been sketching where she was; and it's another example of the good spirit of the New Deal vs. today's more harsh and unforgiving form of government. Photograph by Acme Photo, scanned from personal copy, and used here for educational, non-commercial purposes.

Above: While in the WPA, Zemnick created several sculptures highlighting the transportation history of Ohio. They are now incorporated into a multi-panel history display at the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA). The sculpture above shows American Indians and a canoe. Photo courtesy of the AMHA.

Above: Zemnick's WPA sculpture of the Northeast Ohio Railroad. Photo courtesy of the AMHA.

Above: Zemnick's WPA sculpture of the Ohio Erie Canal towpath. Photo courtesy of the AMHA.

Above: Judy Zemnick made this model for a 3-4 foot concrete sculpture of a squirrel, to be placed at the Valleyview Homes housing project in Cleveland. Photo courtesy of the Kelvin Smith Library, Case Western Reserve University.

Above: Zemnick's squirrel was included in a recent restoration project, carried out by LAND studio and the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority. Photo courtesy of LAND studio, used here for educational, non-commercial purposes.

Above: A WPA poster, advertising the affordable housing at Valleyview Homes. Zemnick's work was part of a larger WPA effort to make Valleyview aesthetically pleasing. According to a website set up by Cleveland State University: "The project cost nearly $3.5 million and featured playgrounds, a community center, and craft shops. Local artists commissioned by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) created numerous murals and other pieces of art, which were placed in various spots throughout Valleyview." Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.

What became of Judy Zemnick?

I wasn't able to find much about Zemnick's life after her years in the WPA, i.e., after 1940. Did she marry? Did she continue pursuing an art career? If not, what did she end up doing? However, information on the websites Legacy.com and ancientfaces.com indicates that she lived from 1917 to 2007 and spent most or all of her life in the Cleveland area (the 1917 birth year corresponds with information that Zemnick was 21 when she was attacked by the polar bear in 1938).

Every once in a while, someone will email me about an artist I feature on my blog. Maybe someone who knew Zemnick will run across this blog post and provide information. Or (perhaps more likely), we'll never know what became of this young, talented, and ambitious WPA artist - whose legacy lives on in these few remaining artworks.

"Tell everyone I want to live."

--Judy Zemnick, October 1938, as she was lifted and carried out of the polar bear enclosure ("Cleveland Painter Mauled Before Beast Is Driven Off," The Akron Beacon Journal," October 27, 1938).

New Deal Art: "The Welder"

Above: "The Welder," an oil painting by Lee Frederickson, created while he was in the New Deal's Public Works of Art Project, ca. 1933-1934. Image courtesy of the General Services Administration, the Grohmann Museum, and Stanley Staniski Photography.