Joe Jones (1909-1963) Wheat, ca. 1939, oil on panel
Joe Jones (1909-1963)
Wheat, ca. 1939, oil on panel
Collection of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri - St. Louis
St. Louis native Joe Jones quit school at the age of fifteen to work as a house painter. Winning his first award as an artist in 1931, Jones gained the attention of St. Louis patrons who financed his travel to the artists' colony in Provincetown, Massachusetts. After his return to St. Louis, Jones’ political interests alienated many of his former patrons. Like many artists in the 1930s, Jones worked for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) creating murals for public buildings.
Expand Your Horizons
Wheat is a study for Jones’ WPA mural Harvest located in the post office in Charleston, Missouri. Click here to see an image of the mural.

Jones is one of many St. Louis artists who worked on WPA projects. Click here to learn more about the WPA.