Creating the Coit Tower Murals

This chapter discusses the selection of the artists, the assignment of subjects, and the sometimes difficult working conditions. By painting contemporary life and employing the techniques of the Mexican muralists, the artists broke new ground for public art. This chapter summarizes the subject matter of each mural, nearly all of which feature ordinary people engaged in everyday activities, especially working. Nearly all of the murals exhibit social consciousness, and some also exhibit social realism, approaches that were prominent in many later New Deal art projects.