Cranberry Gem

Cranberry Gem

Posted May 25, 2022

As we all know, Wareham is a town rich in natural beauty. But not all those riches are in the great outdoors! We are blessed with an artistic gem right in downtown Wareham, at the Main Street Post Office. Painted on the wall to the right as you enter is a mural entitled “Cranberry Pickers.” It was painted by Lewis Rubenstein in 1940 and was funded by the Treasury Section of Fine Arts, as part of the Living New Deal’s program to document American culture and industry through art. This being Southcoast Massachusetts, where cranberry bogs have historically been an important aspect of our open space, Mr. Rubenstein chose to depict cranberry pickers at work. He did so true to the muralist fashion of the time: the workers are shown to be strong and hard-working, a wide variety of techniques and tools are included, and overall, the piece has great merit for its strength and simplicity of line, color, action, and composition. It’s a beautiful piece and I always pause to admire it whenever I go to the Post Office. You should stop by to take a look at it, too!

Written by Tom Kinsky, WLT Board Advisor

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