Senators Whitehouse and Schumer Call for ‘Proactive Measures’ to Protect Philip Guston and Ben Shahn Murals

Senators Whitehouse and Schumer Call for ‘Proactive Measures’ to Protect Philip Guston and Ben Shahn Murals

Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Chuck Schumer have publicly called on the General Services Administration (GSA) to take immediate steps to protect significant New Deal-era murals by artists Philip Guston and Ben Shahn. Their letter expresses urgent concern over the potential sale or demolition of the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building in Washington, D.C., which houses these artworks, and questions the GSA's ability to safeguard the pieces once the building transfers to private ownership.

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A retired General Services Administration official, Mydelle Wright, has accused the Trump administration of attempting to demolish four historic federal buildings in Washington, D.C., including the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building. The allegation was made in a supplemental declaration filed in a lawsuit brought by preservation groups. Wright claims the White House is soliciting demolition bids without GSA involvement, which she says has sole authority over such processes. The Cohen building houses significant New Deal-era murals by Ben Shahn, Philip Guston, and Seymour Fogel, and has been described as "the Sistine Chapel of the New Deal." The Trump administration has halted a planned green renovation and listed the building for accelerated disposition, raising fears of demolition and loss of the artworks.