Ethel Magafan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ethel Magafan
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Ethel Magafan at Palisades Reservoir, Minidoka Project, Idaho
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| Born | August 10, 1916 |
| Died | April 24, 1993 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center |
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Notable work
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| Style | mural |
Ethel Magafan (born August 10, 1916 – died April 24, 1993) was an American artist. She was famous for painting large pictures directly onto walls, known as murals.
A Young Artist's Start
Ethel Magafan was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents had recently moved to the U.S. from Greece. Her family soon moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Ethel began her art training there at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center. She learned from famous artists like Peppino Mangravite and Boardman Robinson. Her teacher, Frank Mechau, even hired Ethel and her twin sister, Jenne, to help him paint murals.
In 1937, Ethel won a special contest. She was chosen to paint a mural for a U.S. post office in Auburn, Nebraska. This was a big deal because she was the youngest artist ever to get such a job! This first mural led to six more government painting projects for her.
Painting During Tough Times
During the 1930s, America faced a very hard time called the Great Depression. Many people lost their jobs. To help, President Franklin Roosevelt started programs called the "New Deal." One of these programs was the Section of Painting and Sculpture. It hired thousands of artists to create murals in public buildings, especially post offices.
Ethel and her twin sister, Jenne Magafan, became well-known for their murals from this time. Ethel's first government mural, called Threshing, was in the post office in Auburn, Nebraska.
She also painted murals in other places:
- The United States Senate Chamber in Washington D.C.
- The Social Security Building in Washington D.C.
- The Recorder Deeds Building in Washington D.C., where her mural Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans, January 8, 1814 can be seen.
- Post offices in Wynne, Arkansas (Cotton Pickers, 1940).
- Madill, Oklahoma (Prairie Fire, 1941).
- Englewood, Colorado (The Horse Corral, 1942).
Her last mural, Grant in the Wilderness, was finished in 1979. It is located at the Chancellorsville Visitor Center in Virginia, at the Fredericksburg National Memorial Military Park.
Ethel Magafan was also a member of the National Academy of Design, a group that honors important American artists.
Later Life and Legacy
Ethel Magafan passed away on April 24, 1993, in Woodstock, New York. She was 76 years old. Her murals continue to be seen and enjoyed by many people today.
