Earlier this week with the help of a General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) special agent, GSA reclaimed five Works Progress Administration (WPA) paintings located in San Francisco, California. The paintings, “Crystal Springs,” “Flower Study (Rainbow Iris),” Flower Study (Calochortus Albus),” “Menodcino Farm,” and “Street Scene,” are now on loan to the San Francisco Arts Commission.
Efforts to reclaim the artwork began when a GSA OIG special agent in California discovered a San Francisco History Center document that listed several WPA pieces of art located in various San Francisco public facilities. The special agent met with a curator of the San Francisco civic art collection, who provided the special agent with information about WPA artwork in the San Francisco Art Commission’s possession. One of the paintings, “Street Scene,” had been recently found by San Francisco public health officials. GSA's Fine Arts Program office worked with the San Francisco Art Commission to execute a WPA artwork agreement.
GSA OIG is continuing its efforts to locate other WPA paintings. More information about our art recovery efforts can be found here.
