The Tampa Tribune from Tampa, Florida • 66

7 "5 4 THE TAMPA TRIBUNE SECTION TAMPA, FLORIDA, THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1972 Astrology Page 10 Erma Bombeck Page 4 Bridge Page 2 Crossword Page 5 Billy Graham Page 2 Ann Landers Page 4 Television Page 8 Theaters Page 1 Van Dellen Page 5 Wishing Well Page 2 Swiftly Flow The Limbs Of Age By CHRIS WRIGHT Tribune Staff Writer PA1RT TV lo ll jN, V- if Xj jvicTv chronized swimming for years to high school girls in Grosse Pointe, Mich." "But we don't put on any formal exhibitions, yet," chimed in another member of the group. "We just invite anyone in the pool to join us. Even some of the men have tried it." "But the word spread that the Varicose Veiners were going to be in the pool, and many of the pool-side faithful were on hand for the fun. So with cries of "You almost drowned me last time!" and admonitions to "Hold my foot more gently!" the ladies proceeded to swim most admirably for what they call themselves: "just beginners." Out at Sun City Center, Hillsborough County's self-proclaimed geriatric center, seven ladies with sun-tans that would put any beach baby to shame are learning synchronized swimming. On sunny days in the pool, geriatrics becomes gymnastics as, among splashes and girlish giggles, the seven swimmers practice the float patterns, strokes and stunts that make up this combination of sport and grace.

"We call ourselves the Varicose Veins Ballet," laughs teacher Mrs. Jere Burke, who "taught syn i iinnnii mi ii an hi i hhiiumm i unr i immi imnaiM- 'utTfrinr ill rn I 1 Mi nil I 111 III rf I bill I 111 1MIBllHllfWP11l fljCWWlMK mmMtmsm 5, I 4 i 1 'fm IfMk Jf St v-'-sJr saps' mmMMsmmmmmi i- 'S 1 I A 4, With careful instructions to keep together, the "Varicose Veins Ballet performs a variation on the back stroke. From front to back, they are Rita Jasper, Bobbee Vander Byl, Lola Blish, Marge Temple, Jere. Burke, Mildred Hanson and Kelly Van Ornum. IVC11J an vsiliuill.

Sa Tribune Photos By' Mike Moats vA.iA, Here they are in a double tandem above, and showing good synchronized form every splash of the way, not to mention some real splashing in a star pattern at left. here Is It? Ari-Wl New Deal Play-A-Long Championship By DONALD SANDERS WASHINGTON The federal government is injthe midst of trying to locate and catalogue thousands of pieces of so-called WPA art produced under federal patronage during the New Deal era of the 1930s and early 1940s. And, despite decades of neglect, most of the major works produced under the government work relief projects appear to have survived relatively intact. "It is a' pleasant surprise," said Karel Yasko, who is directing the effort to locate and document art works created under federal patronage in the years 1933-43. THE INVENTORY which Yasko is directing for the General Services Administration is far from complete, but he estimated in an interview that no more than one per cent of the several thousand murals created during those years have disappeared.

Another five per cent are in bad shape, he estimated. The object of the program is to document, save, restore and preserve the paintings not retrieve them. However, they all are technically the property of the federal government. Department's Section of Fine Arts, awarded 1,124 mural contracts in the years 1934-41 at an average price of $1,356. An ordinary easel painting by many of these same artists now would bring many times that figure.

Yasko describes a set of murals painted in the New York Custom House by Reginald Marsh working at a salary of $30 a week, as probably the greatest frescoes in America. Under the rules at the time, Marsh was not on relief but his assistants were. Yasko, a graduate of Yale University schools of painting and architecture, came to Washington nine years ago after serving as assistant director of the Baltimore Museum of Art, in his own architectural firm, and as state architect for Wisconsin. He has been zealously seeking out and preserving threatened murals for years, and says his hand has been greatly strengthened since Arthur F. Simpson became commissioner of public buildings in the Nixon administration.

"I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH for the support I have had from him," Yasko said. For five years Yasko struggled along with what Please See Page 2, Col. 3 Hundreds are in post offices and other federal buildings across the country, but others are in libraries, schools and other public buildings. Where the present custodian has no further interest in the work or it can no longer be displayed, GSA will accept it for deposit with the Smithsonian's National Collection of Fine Arts. THE WORKS ARE popularly lumped together as "WPA art," but in reality there were four separate programs administered by the Works Project Administration and the Treasury Department.

Besides alleviating a lot of human misery, they resulted in a tremendous bargain for Uncle Sam-producing works now worth millions of dollars. Yasko said, however, that it's impossible to put a firm dollar value on the works. He notes there is no art market for murals, which make up a major portion of the work involved. Virtually every American artist who became important in the 1950-60 period worked on one of the government programs. Yasko cites only one exception, Thomas Hart Benton, who feared red tape and interference.

JUST ONE OF THE programs, the Treasury -Page 7-D.