The Welder

The painting was completed in 1934 under the Public Works of Art Program (1933-1934) and was originally on loan to Milwaukee Vocational School (MATC). It was later reclaimed by the Office of Inspector General and returned to Washington D.C. with the ultimate goal of placing the work back on loan to a qualifying institution.

The painting was first offered as a long-term loan to the Grohmann Museum in 2014. Following conservation treatment and photography, it returned to Milwaukee in January 2016. In correspondence related to the painting and its transfer, Julie Redwine of the Fine Arts Program noted that “we think it would be a great fit at the Grohmann Museum given its subject matter and we’d love to see it go back to Milwaukee.”

The Welder is indeed a fine complement to the Museum’s collection and exhibition program.
Lee Frederickson lived and worked in Clinton, Wisconsin. He submitted this painting to the 10th Region Public Works of Art Project in March 1934 and, following review by the Project’s Technical Committee, it was approved for public display in as part of the project. The painting was then placed on display at what was noted in the records as Milwaukee Vocational School, which later merged with the Milwaukee Institute of Technology to become Milwaukee Area Technical College in 1969.