Located in the Towson Post Office is a little known piece of America’s art history. The mural, The History of Transportation”, was created in 1939 and is a prized example of public art from the New Deal era. Towson’s historic and beloved mural was one of two Post Office projects commissioned to artist Nicolai Cikovsky.
Cikovsky was a Russian born painter whose work can be seen at the Whitney, MoMA, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. He received three Treasury Section Of Fine Arts commissions for public buildings. The commissions included two Maryland Post Offices (Towson and Silver Spring) and a final project at the Department of the Interior in Washington DC. During the Depression, the Treasury Section of Fine Arts awarded mural commissions to fourteen Maryland Post Offices.
One of Two Murals in The Towson Post Office by Nicolai Cikovsky
The Treasury Section of Fine Arts was established in 1934 as part of the Roosevelt Administration’s dual objective of providing employment opportunities for Americans and allowing the population to enjoy and experience varied works of art. Over its lifetime, The Section commissioned over 1500 murals and sculptures throughout the United States. The overwhelming majority of these commissions were awarded to Post Office sites. The Section ceased operations in 1942.
Towson Post Office Mural by Nicolai Cikovsky
The Towson Chamber of Commerce’s acclaimed public art initiative has continued this tradition by providing both economic and creative opportunities for the arts community while establishing creative landscapes through the downtown district that provides esoteric benefits to residents and visitors
Mural on Pennsylvania Avenue
Towson Public Library
