Connecticut WPA Art

Hardy, Merlin C. (1910-1984)Merlin Hardy was born on July 9, 1910, in Oakland, California. After graduating from Oakland High School, he studied at the California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco for four and half years. He worked in oil, sculpture, design, and illustration. He had a one-man show at the Art Center in San Francisco and exhibited at a number of institutions i...

Hannan, Eugene Elmer (1875-1945)Eugene Hannan was born in Washington D.C. on July 26, 1875. At age two and a half he was deafened by scarlet fever. He attended Kendall School for the Deaf and Gallaudet College and later received art training at the Corcoran Art School, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Art Students League in New York. For a time, Hannan worked at the U.S. N...

Grimes, Thayer (1886-1949)Thayer Grimes worked for the Public Works of Art Project and then completed one known easel work for the WPA Federal Arts Project entitledMoses and the Ten Commandments. It was allocated to the Westport School System. Born in Nebraska on September 27, 1886, both Thayer and his wife Jessie H. are listed in 1939 as members of the Silvermine Guild of Arti...

Goldie, James L. (1892-?)James L. Goldie was born in Dorchcester, Massachusetts in 1892. Little is known about his family or education. He became a painter, and one of his works was exhibited at the Philadelphia Academy. He went to the Tiffany Foundation in Cold Springs Harbor, Long Island to paint and became interested in frame making and gilding. Goldie worked for the Connect...

Galvin, Paul H. (?)All that is known about this artist is that he painted two easels, one entitledRhodendrons and the other Harbor Scene, both of which were allocated in 1936 to the Undercliff Sanatorium.Source: WPA Artist’s Work CardWorks of Art Listed in CT Archives' database from Paul Galvin:Rhodendrons:watercolorHarbor Scene:watercolorHead from Circus Wagon:watercolorBarnum...

Forrer, Donald (1908-?)Donald Forrer was born on February 2, 1908. He worked as a seaman on the Great Lakes before he went on to pursue a formal art education at the Cleveland Art School and then for a short time at the Huntington Polytechnic School. He continued his education at the Yale School of Fine Arts, graduating with a BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS degree in 1932. In 1934 Forre...

Elder, Arthur John (1874-1948)Arthur Elder was born in London, England on March 28, 1874. He joined the Chelsea Art Club and studied under prominent artists such as Walter Sickert and James Whistler. He moved to San Francisco, California in 1905 but left the city after the 1906 earthquake to come east. By 1925 Elder was living in Westport, Connecticut. He became the director of...

Dolmith, Rex (1896-?)Rex Dolmith was born January 1, 1896, in East Canton, Ohio. He studied at the Art School of Chicago. He specialized in portraits, architectural drawings, and industrial design. Under the WPA Federal Arts Project, he created nine watercolors for the Index of American Design and one oil still life that was allocated to the Undercliff Sanatorium. Dolmith’s dat...

Doerfler, Isabella Ruth (1883-1954)Isabella Ruth Doerfler was born 1883 in Meriden, Connecticut. She began painting at the age of ten while attending Meriden public schools. She graduated from the Yale School of Art. She was a teacher, children’s book illustrator, designer for publishing houses, and decorator of antiques. Doerfler was a member of the Arts and Crafts Association...

Dahler, Warren (1887-1961)Warren Dahler was born on October 12, 1887, in New York City. He studied at the National Academy of Design and the University of Chicago. He was a member of the Silvermine Guild of Artists in New Canaan and the National Society of Mural Painters. Dahler worked on the predecessor to the WPA Federal Arts Project, the Public Works of Art Project. He compl...