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Pageant of Arizona Progress
The Pageant of Arizona Progress is a series of murals by Jay
Datus (1914-1974) portraying the major phases of Arizona's history.
The murals were painted in 1937-38 while the 1938 Arizona Capitol addition
was being built. Jay Datus was 23 years old when he received
a Works Progress Administration (WPA) commission to paint four large murals
for the Capitol addition. The artist spent two years researching
his topic and completing the murals which depict natives, explorers, missionaries,
pioneers, miners, and contemporary figures. They can be seen on the third
floor of the Law and Research Library. There are four main
panels plus two side panels each on the north and south walls.
For more information about the murals, select one of the following:
Apache Smoke Signals
There are four side panels titled "Apache Smoke Signal" and each
shows an Apache in the foreground responding to a smoke signal in the
background. The middle ground shows figures representing the cause of the
signal. The signals are sent from mountains around the state that were actually
used for that purpose. The messages in the smoke signals and the dress of the
Apaches were researched by Jay Datus and Mulford Winsor, the State
Librarian from 1932 to 1956.
Arizona History and Archives’ Historical Photograph Collection photo ID 99-9999
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Arizona History and Archives’ Historical Photograph Collection photo ID 99-9993
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Ancient Civilizations
The mural on the west wall gives a composite view of life centuries before
Europeans began exploring the North American continent. It
pictures a people having an advanced culture with engineering and artistic
skills.
Spanish Era
The panel on the north wall, the missionary era, depicts the second important
era in Arizona's history, the coming of the Spaniards. The
Conquistadores exploited the land and the natives. The padres
imparted their faith and learning. The Jesuit and Franciscan
fathers who came to the territory laid the groundwork for the present
day civilization. The only two figures which represent historical
figures are standing at the right of the mural. At the far
right is Estevan
the Moor, the first African to enter Arizona. The Franciscan
father to his immediate left is Fray Marcos
de Niza, the first white man to enter Arizona.
Arizona History and Archives’ Historical Photograph Collection
Photo ID 98-6012
Pioneer Era
The coming of men with their wives and children made the greatest change in
the character of this period. With families finding their way into the territory
real homes could be built and there was an incentive to establish law and order
and more determined development. The mural on the south wall portrays the
pioneer types who began to settle the territory.
Modern Era
The panel on the east wall represents the modern era. The
men and women depict the important phases in the development of Arizona
and the march into the future.
About the Artist
Jay Datus was born in Jackson, Michigan in 1914. He studied
at the Worcester (Mass.) Museum of Fine Arts and at the Yale School of
Fine Arts. He also studied portraiture with Wyman Adams in
New York and London. His career was interrupted by World War
II when he served in the U.S. Army. In 1955-56, he painted
"Foundations of Confidence" for the home office of the First
National Bank in Phoenix which later became the main office of Arizona
Public Service (APS). Jay Datus was the founder and director
of the Kachina School of Art in Phoenix and he wrote an art column for
the Arizona Republic. He was a Fellow of the Royal
Society of Arts of London. Jay Datus died in Phoenix, AZ,
October 27, 1974. For additional information about the First
National Bank/APS murals, see:
Sources:
Jackson, Guy L. "Arizona Pageant of Progress."
Arizona Highways Magazine, vol. XX, no. 9 (September 1944).
"Muralist Jay Datus dies; founder of Kachina school."
Arizona Republic,
October 29, 1974, p. C-3.
Reporter, vol. 14, No. 18 (September 1961).
See also: Arizona's Chronology
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Updated: 12/21/2009
