Belle Baranceanu was born in Chicago, Illinois, July 17, 1902. She attended the Minneapolis School of Art, and in 1926 moved back to Chicago to study under influential painter Anthony Angarola at the Art Institute of Chicago. Baranceanu is best known for her large murals, which graced San Diego buildings such as the La Jolla Post Office, Roosevelt Junior High School, La Jolla High School, and the Balboa Park Club. These murals were commissioned by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. In this interview, Baranceanu discusses her family background, recollections of the San Diego art community in the 1940s-1960s, and her murals and teaching experience. Her interview was eight years before Baranceanu's death.
