Name/Title
Coffey, Neva (NA) "First Snow"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18133Tags
Oil PaintingDescription
Coffey's painting is very busy and has a lot of movement going on within it: sweeping, shoveling, sledding, throwing snowballs, and simply talking. Thirty-one distinct individuals, each in motion, give the scene great vitality despite a “Store to Let” sign acknowledging the Great Depression. Another sign advertises “Sobol Bros” and their SOCONY gas station. The painting features many bright colors, particularly reds and greens, which can be seen both on the buildings and on the clothing that people are wearing.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionDimensions
Height
19-1/2 inWidth
29-1/2 inCondition
Overall Condition
Very PoorDate Examined
Jul 21, 2025Notes
6+ cracks upper left corner/lower left corner/bottom middle, 3+ chips throughout, 3+ light indents throughout, 4 holes upper left corner/lower left corner/not in the canvasRecommendations
requires repairs for significant paint chipped/missingProvenance
Provenance Detail
Created under the Works Progress Administration’s Federal Art Project (1930s–1940s), this collection of easel paintings was originally installed at the Mount Morris Tuberculosis Sanitorium in Livingston County, New York. Following the sanitorium’s closure in 1970, the artworks were abandoned and remained in storage until their rediscovery decades later. Now preserved and exhibited by the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts (GVCA), the collection is housed at the New Deal Museum in Mount Morris. Current efforts include digitization, high-resolution photography, and the creation of an online archive to ensure long-term public access and research availability.General Notes
Note Type
Cataloging NoteNote
See the entry titled 'New Deal Collection Documents' for supporting documents, and general historic and research information.
