David Margolis working on his mural.

By DARLA MCCAMMON
Lakeland Art Association

We have been discussing starving artist during the Great Depression. The Federal Art Project had the goal of creating jobs between 1935 and June of 1943, when the stimulus of jobs created by World War II had significantly reduced the need. The FAP used out-of-work artists to provide art for buildings such as schools, hospitals, and libraries. Artists who were not American citizens were excluded or removed from the program.

An artist, David Margolis, born in 1911 in Russia became a citizen. His story is different from the other artists we have been discovering. Margolis was hired to paint murals at Bellevue, which today is New York City’s largest, and America’s oldest, public hospital. The murals were painted at the First Avenue rotunda between 1937 and 1941 when Margolis was 26 years old.

The murals were appreciated for a time but eventually fell into disrepair during the years as the hospital moved walls, added a kitchen that spewed grease on the work, and let it deteriorate. If we “fast forward” through years we see Margolis continue his painting career and also develop another career as a chemist. Married, with a family, Margolis became comfortably well off but despaired over the treatment of his murals which had now all but disappeared. He had even contacted the administrator at the hospital and noted how the work had been praised by the famous mayor who would have La Guardia airport named after him. Margolis’ efforts were in vain. The work remained indistinguishable. Margolis had given up all hope of recovering the work. More years passed. The artist was 83 years old when the miracle happened.

At Bellevue a new administrator, Pam Brier, recognized what was needed. “Here is a major hospital, a historic institution that turns no one away, a great teaching hospital, and you could not imagine a less inviting doorway.” she said. Money was procured from a variety of sources. A new archway was built with an arcade that attached to the mural-coated rotunda and Margolis was called in to bring his work to life once more.

Fortunately he had saved sketches and drawings, and much of his conversation was captured as this 83 year old artist happily brushed and painted his work back into existence. “Look over here,” he quoted to the New York Times reporter, “I put my mother and father and the small dog I had in Odessa in it. Over here I put some of the doctors I knew here, some of the nurses. This man here is Grant Code, a curator who introduced me to American and English literature when I came here as a refugee from the Bolsheviks. Over there was a man named Lester. He went to Spain to fight Franco, and I said I would paint him when he came back. He came back wounded.”

Margolis was able to realize his dream twice in one lifetime and said, “It is like finding out what you thought was dead is alive. It is like tasting the wine of your youth. It’s like finding lost friends.” Margolis died in 2005, but was one of those WPA artists who benefited many times over from his participation in that program. Bellevue benefitted twice too.

Upcoming and Current Events:

• Visit the Warsaw City Hall Gallery. Free admission daily 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. weekdays. This is a great exhibit by Teresa Smith.

More info on LAA can be found at www.lakelandartassociation.org or on Facebook. Also call (574) 594-9950. Contact your author/artist Darla McCammon at [email protected].