Pre-Settlement Days - Edmond, OK
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hamquilter
N 35° 39.254 W 097° 28.770
14S E 637639 N 3946663
One of the over 200,000 art projects funded by the Works Progress Administration between the years 1935 and 1943.
Waymark Code: WMCTR5
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 10/11/2011
Views: 10
This WPA-sponsored mural entitled "Pre-Settlement Days" was painted in 1939 by Ila Turner McAfee, and hung in the lobby of the Edmond Post Office for decades. It depicts buffalo and antelope on the open prairie, before Oklahoma was opened for settlement. When the post office closed and the building was remodeled to house the Edmond Municipal Courts, the lobby did not have a location suitable for this mural. It was moved into the City Council Chambers in this same building.
Born in 1897 in Colorado, Ila McAfee and her artist husband lived for over sixty years in the art community in Taos, New Mexico. McAfee was known for her paintings of horses, animals and the Taos pueblo. She passed away in 1995. Her work included over 1000 easel paintings, and her murals were hung in the post offices of Clifton, Texas; Cordell and Edmond, Oklahoma; and Gunnison, Colorado; as well as in the library in Greeley, Colorado.
During the years 1935-1943, the WPA's art project provided income for artists so they could support themselves, and could create paintings and sculptures which depicted the American story. The budgets of public buildings designated one percent for decoration. The average WPA artist received $22.50 per week.
Access to this mural is only available during office hours of the Court, which are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 7AM-5PM. and Wednesday from 7AM-noon and 1PM-5PM. Ask the receptionist for a viewing of the mural. An employee named Sharon was more than happy to escort me through the building to the Council chamber. (Arriving before the City Council meetings which begin at 5:30PM on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month would also allow access to the chamber before the meeting begins. The West entrance to the building is open on meeting nights, for easy access to the chamber.)
City: Edmond
Location Name: City Council Chamber - Municipal Court building
Artist: Ila Turner McAfee
Date: 1939
Media: Oil on canvas
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and description of your visit. One original photo of the mural must also be submitted. GPSr photo NOT required.