Hard Rock Miners

This New Deal mural on the east wall on the City Auditorium foyer was painted in 1934 by Archie Musick and was funded by the Public Works of Art Project (PWPA), one of many federal government programs often referred to as Depression Era WPA programs. The goal of the PWPA was to furnish work for unemployed artists in the decoration of public buildings and parks. Artists were selected on the basis of their need for employment plus their professional ability.

At the time Archie Musick was a student at the Broadmoor Art Academy. “”Hard Rock Miners”” reflects Archie’s fascination with the area’s mine ruins, among which he had spent the summer of 1930 sketching and camping; it also reflects his personal association with laborers such as miners. (Source: “The Murals of Colorado: Walls that Speak” and “History of the New Deal Art Projects”)