The Tamesis
The latest attempt to save New Deal-era artwork at the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Washington, D.C. includes a letter written by a group of artists urging the Jewish Museum in New York to save murals and reliefs by Jewish artists such as Ben Shahn, Philip Guston and Seymour Fogel.
The letter, addressed to Jewish Museum Board Chair Sally Aronson, was written by artists Elise Engler, Joyce Kozloff and Martha Roessler and signed by hundreds of artists and art-world figures. allergic Start by posting information about the letter. Some notable signers include Joan Semel, Rochelle Feinstein, Joan Snyder, Lucy Lippard, and Kay Wakstick.
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Opened in 1940, the Cohen Building originally housed the Social Security Administration (then known as the Board of Social Security), and its interior artwork (murals, sculptures, reliefs) reflects its mission. In 1954, the Voice of America, a government-funded news organization, moved into the building, but the Trump administration suspended its broadcasts in October.
The building has been called the “Sistine Chapel of New Deal art.” In November 2025, the U.S. government placed the building (along with 44 others) on an “expedited disposition” list, which allows for a quick sale with limited public input. A month later, it was discovered that the White House was soliciting bids to demolish the building.
Letter to the Jewish Museum specifically mentions Shahn’s mural suite The meaning of social securityGuston’s Family reconstruction and well-beingand Fogel’s national wealth and people’s safety. Both Shahn and Guston recently had exhibitions at the Jewish Museum. “The United States has a poor record of respecting, protecting, and restoring its public art, especially when compared to less affluent countries with richer histories,” the letter states.
