Fascinating – in 1988, a group of abstract murals were discovered in the basement of the Williamsburg Houses. The murals, which “are thought to be the first and among the most important abstract wall paintings in the United States”) according to this Times article), had been painted over numerous times and were being used as bulletin boards. In 1990, the murals were rescued and restored and put on display at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. BMA has just moved the murals to a new location on the first floor of the museum.

The murals themselves were painted as part of a WPA project by Ilya Bolotowsky, Paul Kelpe, Albert Swinden and Balcomb Greene – all of whom were founding members of American Abstract Artists. Williamsburg Houses is (are?) a New York City Landmark.

Bulletin boards!