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HomeEventsTour of New Deal Murals inside the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building

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Tour of New Deal Murals inside the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building

When:
Friday, April 12, 2024, 12:00 PM until 2:30 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) (UTC-05:00)
Additional Info:
Event Contact(s):
Francine R Bennett-Beasley
(202) 436-5252 (p)
 
Mary Wheeler
Host
202-744-5006 (p)
Category:
DCV Event
Registration is closed - Event is full and Waitlist is full
Payment In Full In Advance Only
Directions for getting to the Wilbur J. Cohen Building: The building, which houses offices of the Voice of America and HHS, is located at 330 Independence Ave. SW with an entrance across the street from the American Indian Museum and on the same side as the Eisenhower Memorial. However, the entrance we'll be entering is on the middle of the block on C Street between 3rd and 4th Sts. SW. The closest metro stop is Federal Center SW, which is only a few blocks from the museum. In order to catch the blue, orange, or silver lines that stop there, you can either take the Red Line Metro from either Dupont Circle or Woodley Park, depending on where you live, and transfer trains at Metro Center. Or you can take a 42/43/L2 bus from Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle to the Farragut West metro station on 17th and I Streets and take trains that go directly from there to Federal Center SW.
Capacity:
10
Available Slots:
Filled
No Fee
No Fee
No Fee
The Wilbur J. Cohen building features massive mural cycles by three celebrated artists of the 20th century: Philip Guston, Ben Shahn, and Seymour Fogel. Each mural vividly illustrates life in 1930s America, and highlights the government’s role in caring for its citizens through the Social Security Administration.


The building was erected between 1939 and 1940.  Around all four sides of the building are stone bas reliefs symbolizing the workings of Social Security. The interior contains many geometric forms typical of the Art Deco style, such as the streamlined curves of the escalators; horizontal banks of Greek key motifs on polished bronze elevator doors; and bulletin boards, directories, and mailboxes with angular Art Deco lettering.

Our tour will be led by a fine arts specialist with the General Services Administration (GSA).  Because of security rules for this federal building, the tour is limited to 10 people.

Participants will receive an email to provide their full names and the information will be forwarded to GSA to give to building security. A photo ID will be necessary for entry into the building. 

Participants will meet at 11:45 AM at the entrance to the Cohen Building on C Street between 3rd and 4th Streets SW. (See directions above).


Following the tour, Villagers who are interested can go across Independence Avenue SW to the National Museum of the American Indian to view a retrospective exhibit of the work of Canadian Indian artist Robert Houle called Red is Beautiful, and to visit the coffee bar there (the restaurant there is closed).

Interested Villagers also can go across the mall for lunch either at cafes in the National Gallery or at the National Gallery's Sculpture Garden.



Dupont Circle Village   •   2121 Decatur Place NW   •   Washington DC 20008   •   202.436.5252   •  admin@dupontcirclevillage.net