Ranger of the Lost Art: WPA Posters of the National Parks | Berkeley

Submitted by the Event Organizer

The Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project commissioned artists to create national parks posters – many designed and printed on the edge of the Berkeley campus. Only a few thousand of the historic posters survive today.

Doug Leen, “Ranger Doug,” has researched and reproduced WPA’s national park posters to raise funds for the parks for decades. He’ll discuss the WPA’s iconic park posters—their creation, loss, rediscovery and the role of public art and infrastructure in America today. He will be introduced by Harvey Smith, local Berkeley New Deal expert and co-curator of the current exhibit at the History Center.

John Aronovici will display artwork by and photographs of his mother, Elizabeth Ginno, at work for the WPA at the Western Museum Laboratory and at the World’s Fair on Treasure Island in 1940.

Ranger Doug will offer for sale reproductions of the WPA National Park Posters in various sizes and formats, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Berkeley Historical Society

Admission is free and the History Center is wheelchair accessible.

Disclaimer: Please double check event information with the event organizer as events can be canceled, details can change after they are added to our calendar, and errors do occur.