Ansel Adams' Grand Teton and Snake River

It took almost 70 years, but the Department of the Interior (DOI) headquarters recently unveiled murals taken from Ansel Adams’ portraits. This is the same Ansel Adams who’s arguably the greatest nature photographer of all time.

The short story (see the this video for the long one) of Adams’ involvement goes like this: in 1941, the Secretary of Interior under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harold Ickes, met Adams, struck up a friendship, and commissioned him to take some pictures for the Interior headquarters that would illustrate the agency’s mission. In all, Adams took 200 photographs, but World War II delayed completion of the murals until now. DOI has created 26 murals that the public can view at their headquarters by appointment.

Today art in federal buildings is generally commissioned by the General Services Administration’s Art in Architecture Program. If you are interested in getting a commission, you can request to be added to GSA’s registry of artists who are interested in being commissioned for federal building work.

Is there any art in government buildings that you like?

Related posts:

  1. Medicare Card Information – Federal Student Financial Aid Program If you are a parent of a college-bound senior, your life is probably consumed these days with talk of college. First, there is the drama of your child deciding on which college(s) to apply to for admission. ...
  2. What is a Federal Duck Stamp? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released the 2010 Federal Duck Stamp on Friday and the Junior Duck Stamp goes on sale Thursday. Federal Duck Stamps are not for postage, but they have other uses. Hunters over the age of 16 need the current Federal Duck Stamp affixed to their state hunting license. For non-hunters, […]...
  3. Medicare Card, Annual Federal Statistics Compilation Reports Second Straight Decline In Preterm Births Preterm births and adolescent births declined, eighth graders’ math and reading scores increased, and more children had health insurance, according to the federal government’ annual statistical report on the well-being of the nation’s children and youth. The report also showed several economic changes that coincided with the beginning of the economic downturn: increases in child […]...
  4. Federal Report Details Health and Economic Status of Older Americans Today’s older Americans enjoy longer lives and better health than did previous generations. These and other trends are reported in Older Americans 2010: Key Indicators of Well-Being, a unique, comprehensive look at aging in the United States from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics....
  5. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA),Federal Agencies...
  6. FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS FOR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD INCENTIVES PROGRAM In another key step to further states’ role in developing a robust U.S. health information technology (HIT) infrastructure, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that Vermont’s Medicaid program will receive federal matching funds for state planning activities necessary to implement the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Vermont will receive approximately $294,000 in federal matching funds....
  7. Freedom of Information Group’s (FIG) contacts Freedom of Information Group's (FIG) contacts...
  8. Medicare – WISCONSIN TO RECEIVE FEDERAL MATCHING FUNDS FOR ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD INCENTIVES PROGRAM In another key step to further states’ role in developing a robust U.S. health information technology (HIT) infrastructure, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced today that Wisconsin’s Medicaid program will receive federal matching funds for state planning activities necessary to implement the electronic health record (EHR) incentive program established by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act). Wisconsin will receive approximately $1.37 million in federal matching funds....
  9. Equal Access for the Disabled – Finding Medicare Help There are an estimated 40 million people with disabilities in our country. The rest of us are temporarily abled, as they say. It’s only a matter of time until we have an injury or illness that will cause us to experience some sort of disability....
  10. Where’s Your Medicare Tax Refund? If you’re like millions of Americans, you might be wondering when your federal tax refund will arrive. Of course, if you’re like me, there’s no need to wonder because you haven’t even filed your taxes yet. There’s still two more days!...
  11. Medicare, Medicare Card, Government Grants It’s late at night, the TV’s on and you see a commercial. It tells you that if you just buy this wonderful book, you’ll learn the secrets to get free money from the government to pay your credit card bills, renovate your home, and start a business! It sounds so wonderful, but is it too […]...
  12. Family Genealogy: Helping Medicare My mom used to tell her school friends that she was related to the actor, Roy Rogers. She wasn’t. As a kid I used to tell people I was half German, half English, half Irish, and half American. Knowing these two things, you could extrapolate that my family tree contains liars and people that can’t […]...
  13. Employer Resources for Federal Employment Update: Hiring & Retaining People with Disabilities in Federal Employment Employer Resources for Federal Employment Update: Hiring & Retaining People with Disabilities in Federal Employment ...
  14. MedicareCard.com – Prepares for Disasters It’s not unusual to hear stories of bombs going off in markets, public places, and government buildings in far off lands. This weekend was different because the car bomb was on U.S. soil. Luckily for New York City, the car never exploded. I think a great deal of credit goes to the alert person who reported the smoking car to the police, and of course the skilled officers who dismantled the bomb before it could do any harm....
  15. Is Medicare Affected with the New Credit Card Rules Even though I rarely use credit in the check out line, credit card debt is part of my life. I can't say that I completely understand my monthly statement (I just pay it) but hopefully the next one will make more sense. ...