George Mavigliano talking about the Federal Arts Program under the WPA
A membership meeting of the Williamson County Historical Society was held on January 21st, 2018 at the Williamson County Museum located at 105 S. Van Buren St in Marion. President, Sam Lattuca, spoke to the membership about projects that are in progress and recently completed. The society is in the process of publishing the funeral home records of the Ozment Funeral Home in Marion that cover the years 1914-1945, the Storme Funeral Home from Herrin covering the 1920’s and a transcription of the Lakeview Cemetery Interment records from Johnston City covering the years 1917-1963.
In addition, Lattuca, announced that two room renovation projects are in progress at the museum. One is the county jail display cellblock that housed local criminals and gangsters from 1913 to 1971 and the other is the Native American room. When completed, the museum will be displaying Native American points, projectiles and primitive tools all found in the county with some dating back 10,000 years.
A program was conducted by George Mavigliano, retired emeritus professor of Art History at SIUC. His books and articles follow his life-long research into the workings of FDR’s New Deal programs, the WPA, and specifically, the Federal Art Project conducted through the 1930’s and into the early 1940’s.
The museum is under its winter hours of operation and is currently open on Saturday only from 9:30 till 3 Pm until March 1st when it will resume its Monday through Saturday schedule.