Harlem Hospital WPA Murals and John Rhoden Sculpture Restored After Conservation

On October 14, Wednesday, the Arts in Medicine department of NYC Health + Hospitals finalized the restoration of three murals from the New Deal era and a sculpture by John Rhoden at its Harlem facility. These artworks are located in the hospital's indoor mural pavilion. Originating during the Great Depression, they represent a time when Black artists gained remarkable public commissions via the Federal Art Project of the Works Progress Administration. The restored artworks feature Charles Alston's "Magic in Medicine" (1940) and "Modern Medicine" (1940), along with Vertis Hayes's "Pursuit of Happiness" (1937), an eight-panel mural. Larissa Trinder, the program's director, shared with Hyperallergic that in 1936, initial objections were raised regarding the designs due to "too much black subject matter," but after public protests, the hospital commissioner changed his stance. This conservation effort ensures the preservation of these culturally significant pieces in Harlem.