Centennial Publicity Poster, 1936
1936 Texas Centennial Exposition
As journalist Bob Pittman remarks, “in 1936, in the depths of the Great Depression, it took guts to throw a party.”1
Bob Pittman, “Party Favors: Seven Decades On, These ‘Temporary’ Monuments Adorn Fair Park with Grace and Whimsy.” The Dallas Morning News, October 3, 2004.
Texas, along with the rest of the United States, was in the midst of the Great Depression. In 1935, 
leaders in Texas, including congressmen and business owners, decided that the Centennial would provide the perfect opportunity to lift the spirit of the people, and help the state out of the financial crisis. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Texas independence, plans were made to celebrate throughout the state with monuments and festivals. The focal point of the celebrations was the 1936 Centennial Exposition, held in what is now Fair Park, in Dallas, TX. The Exposition
was of major importance not only because it was seen as a means to bring money to Texas, but this was also when the branding of modern Texas began. There was a conscious effort on the part of the Centennial Commission to create and define Texas Identity, which would be presented to the world.
Art of the Centennial
The home of the Centennial was the Centennial Exposition Grounds, an amazing feat of art and architecture completed in a matter of months. Fair Park has remained a landmark in Texas, and for the past seven decades has been home to the State Fair, the Cotton Bowl, the Women's Museum, The Aquarium, and large number of other cultural institutions and events. The art of the Fair took form in two media: painted murals and sculpture. This site will focus on the Murals, looking at their themes, composition, formal and iconographic qualities, and how they fit into the emerging Texas identity presented at the Centennial.
1Bob Pittman, “Party Favors: Seven Decades On, These ‘Temporary’ Monuments Adorn Fair Park with Grace and Whimsy.” The Dallas Morning News, October 3, 2004.
