| Artist | Louis Grebenak |
| Media | Oil & Resin on Canvas |
| Date | 1940 |
| Dimensions | 7' 2" x 37' 7" |
| Location | Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority |
This monumental mural was originally painted under the auspices of the WPA for the management office of Valley View Estates. It was described in a WPA press release as "showing the constructive forces of man …personified by large figures re-building from the chaos of bad social conditions." The mural has many shifts in scale and perspective and incorporated a real doorway with workers depicted laying bricks around it. It is currently on view at the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority's headquarters.
When the old Valley View complex was torn down, the ICA was called in to remove and conserve the art works. Removing the murals was challenging as they had been adhered to the wall with a tenacious lead adhesive. The large scale of this mural (over 37' long) required reconfiguring the ICA conservation studios and marshalling significant staff for each treatment step. The treatment involved setting down lifting paint, repairing cuts made in the canvas during the original installation, and removing years of accumulated surface grime, revealing a brighter, more sophisticated palette. The mural was attached to a stable synthetic fabric and grommets were added along the edges so that the painting could be easily attached to (and if necessary) removed from the wall.
