Southwestern History
Browse the collection’s monumental historical works and consider the stories they tell.
Browse the collection’s monumental historical works and consider the stories they tell.
Gallup’s New Deal art collection includes two monumental historical works: a 2,000–square–foot–mural by Lloyd Moylan painted for the historic McKinley County Courthouse and a series of seven large paintings created by Joseph Roy (J. R.) Willis for the Gallup public schools. Both take the history of the Northwest New Mexico region as their subject. As you view them, focus not only on what story is being told, but also how it is being told.
Whose perspective is upheld and validated?
Which events are emphasized?
How are people and figures characterized?
To learn more about the J. R. Willis murals, visit the “Views on the Southwest” special exhibit.
View a 360-degree photo of the Lloyd Moylan mural.
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Gallup and McKinley County are situated on the ancestral and current homelands of the Diné and Ashiwi peoples.
Gallup’s New Deal art collection consists of over 120 objects created, purchased, or donated from 1933 to 1942 through New Deal federal art programs administered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to support artists during the Great Depression.
The Gallup New Deal Art Virtual Museum features three types of exhibits, combining traditional and non-traditional approaches to illuminate academic, creative, and individual understandings.
Gallup’s New Deal art collection includes works by a demographically, professionally, and stylistically diverse group of named and unnamed artists.
Image Use Notice: Images of Gallup’s New Deal artworks are available to be used for educational purposes only. Non-collection images are subject to specific restrictions and identified by a © icon. Hover over the icon for copyright info. Read more
