Former Benton Arkansas Post Office

ADDRESS: 129 North Main, Benton, Arkansas, 72015
ARTIST: Julis Woeltz
TITLE: Bauxite Mining
MEDIUM: Oil on canvas (mural)
STATUS: The mural no longer resides in this building. It was moved to the local courthouse.
YEAR: 1942

FOR SALE? What??

That was my response when I learned the status of this historic building. Luckily, they moved the mural to the court-house. The plaque next to the mural reads:

Julis Woeltz was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1911, and studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. He later traveled to France and Mexico to continue his artistic training. Woeltz became a teacher at the New Orleans Art School, won prizes in Mississippi at the Jackson Art Association in 1935, the Artists Club in New Orleans in 1936 and exhibited his work at the 1939 New York Worlds Fair.

This work was commissioned by the Federal Government under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration, and was designed for, and originally installed in, the United States Post Office of Benton, Arkansas in 1942.

Woeltz chose to depict the importance of the mining of bauxite and its relation to the social indemnity of the surrounding community. Central Arkansas is the only place in the continental United States where it has been economically feasible to commercially mine bauxite ore, which is used in the making of Aluminum. Mining of Bauxite began in 1899 and increased each year, reaching its peak during World War II. It was during this time that Woeltz painted this tribute to the Bauxite miners.

Collection of Fine Arts
General Services Administration

After I learned the mural moved it was time to head over to the court-house. I’m torn when this happens. I’m delighted the mural was saved and accessible to the public. But it is such a large mural that is seems awkward in the space in the court-house.

We had a nice chat with the guard. What a great perk to your job watching over historic murals. Very cool.

David W. Gates Jr.