Tyler Texas WPA Murals
These photos are of three murals from the Depression era being cared for and restored by the Smith County Historical Society in Tyler, Texas. Tyler benefited in many ways from the WPA, including a state park, numerous buildings and art. These murals are true treasures — capturing scenes from American life. Read more about the history of […]
New Documentary “Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA” Now Available on DVD
Independent filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films announce that their new film celebrating the 80th anniversary of the WPA is now available on DVD. The DVD of “Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA” can be purchased through Amazon at this link. Excerpts from the film can be viewed […]
One Night Only at Cinema Detroit: New WPA Film Featuring Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry” Murals
September 15: Connecticut filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films are coming to Detroit to screen their new film “Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA” at Cinema Detroit. When Franklin Roosevelt created the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in May of 1935, he wanted to use the arts in America to help lift […]
Director’s Statement – Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA
By Michael Maglaras Eighty years ago in 1935, as we were in the middle of the Great American Depression, many people asked whether America’s best days were behind her. From time to time, as I am stunned by what I see and read in so much of today’s news, I ask that same question, as […]
The Arts of the WPA on the Big Screen in Detroit
The next stop for our new film “Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA” is September 15 at Cinema Detroit. Filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films will introduce the screening. “Enough to Live On” celebrates the 80th anniversary of the Works Progress Administration and the Federal Art Project; the New Deal […]
Sneak Peak: Enough to Live On: The Arts of the WPA
Our new film “Enough the Live On: The Arts of the WPA” includes a section about the Harlem Renaissance and the groundbreaking work of the great muralist Aaron Douglas. This clip from the film is introduced with the poetry of Langston Hughes and features a composition by African American composer William Grant Still and an […]
Historic WPA Murals in Rochester, New York Preserved in Photos
Connecticut-based filmmakers Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton of 217 Films have collaborated with the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester to photograph and digitize two historic Works Progress Administration murals painted in Rochester by Carl W. Peters. “Life of Action” and “Life of Contemplation,” important works of art from the WPA era, are […]