Name/Title
Spurbeck, John S. (1911-1993) "Central Park"Entry/Object ID
2025.900.FA18274Description
This somewhat abstracted painting captures New York’s Central Park on a shadowy afternoon. Cool purples, blues, and greens make up the majority of the image. Trees, bushes, and greenery blend into buildings and cares that make up the city skyline in the background, producing a sense of fluidity. In the foreground, a bridge with coursing river underneath divides the painting. Behind the bridge, the perspective appears to be flattened, almost as if to create dissonance.Collection
Mt. Morris TB Hospital FAP CollectionCondition
Overall Condition
GoodDate Examined
Aug 1, 2025Notes
2+ chips bottom left right of center, small chips in water on bridge, 2 scratches on bridge right center/on grass center, holes repairedRecommendations
could use cleaningProvenance
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' for supporting documents, and general historic and research information.
