Official Website of Michael Lenson - WPA Muralist and Realist Painter

Help Us Restore Lenson's 1939 Murals, "History of the Enligtenment of Man"

Michael Lenson's murals in the lobby of Newark's Weequahic High School are widely recognized as one of the most important installations of public art in America.

To see more images of these extraordinary murals, which depict the progress of knowledge from the stone age until our modern times, click on the Murals tab to your left.

Lenson painted them in 1939 and in the years since then, generations of Weequhic students have passed beneath them. Even though students have accorded the murals a great deal of respect over the years, they are now in serious need of cleaning. And in the last few years, some serioius tears have appeared.

We have assembled a committee made up of art historians, politicians, Weequahic Alumni, and other interested parties who will be overseeing restoration efforts. Additonally, the Weequahic High School Alumni Association has already raised a good amount of money - about enough to cover one-third of projected restoration costs.

There are two ways that you can help . . .

You can express your interest by filling in your email address and other information on the form just below. We will keep you apprised of restoration efforts.

You can make a contribution to restore the murals. Make your check payable to the Weequahic High School Alumni Assocation and mail it to the assocation at P.O. Box 494, Newark, NJ 07101. Please indicate on your check, or on an accompanying note, that you would like your contribution to be used to restore the murals. Contributions are tax-deductible.

If you would like to discuss this worthy project with Barry Lenson, son of the artist, please feel free to give him a call at (973) 378-7915.

Together, we can make sure that future generations of Weequahic students will also walk beneath these wonderful murals, and take inspiration from them. Let's get going!