Missouri WPA Murals (1933–1943)

Post office murals created under New Deal art programs across Missouri.

“Missouri’s New Deal murals captured the identity of its towns with honesty, labor, and pride.”

— Jymm Ai—

Between 1933 and 1943, Missouri became a major center for New Deal public art. Post offices across the state received murals commissioned through the Section of Fine Arts, the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), the Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP), and the WPA Federal Art Project (FAP). These murals documented local history, labor, agriculture, and community identity — forming one of the most regionally expressive bodies of New Deal artwork in the Midwest.

Missouri Post Office Murals

Bethany, Missouri — “Time Out” (Section)

Artist: Joseph P. Vorst
“Time Out” (1941)
Section of Fine Arts mural for the Bethany, Missouri Post Office.

Year: 1941
Subject: Agricultural life in northern Missouri.

Chillicothe, Missouri — “Products of Chillicothe” (Section)

Artist: Gordon Gilkey
Year: 1940
Subject: Local industry and commerce.

Independence, Missouri — “Pioneers” (Section)

Artist: Joe Jones
Year: 1937
Subject: Frontier settlement and westward expansion.

Joplin, Missouri — “Mining Scene” (Section)

Artist: Thomas Hart Benton
Year: 1939
Subject: Lead and zinc mining in the Ozarks.

Kansas City, Missouri — “Mail Transportation” (TRAP)

Artist: Stevan Dohanos
Year: 1941
Subject: Modernization of postal service.

Neosho, Missouri — “The Neosho Apple Industry” (Section)

Artist: Grant Wood
Year: 1940
Subject: Apple orchards and agricultural heritage.

St. Louis, Missouri — “The Spirit of St. Louis” (WPA/FAP)

Artist: John Steuart Curry
Year: 1939
Subject: Aviation and Missouri innovation.

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