Painter and photographer, Oscar Anderson was born in Gotland, in the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Sweden. Anderson emigrated to the United States where he settled in Connecticut. He studied art in Hartford, and was a founding member of the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, established in Hartford in 1910.

By 1908, Anderson had moved to Gloucester, Massachusetts and became a leader in the Cape Ann Art Colony, maintaining a studio in his home at Highlands Court and running a gallery on Rocky Neck Avenue. He was the first vice president of the Gloucester Society of Artists in 1922 when it formed, and then served for many years as president. He was also a founding member of the North Shore Artists Association in Gloucester and a member of the Boston Art Club. During the 1930s he did numerous Federal Art Project murals for the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Anderson's work was exhibited at the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts, where it won prizes in 1917 and 1921; and at the Sweden Club, Chicago, in 1929, where it also took a prize. Anderson's paintings and murals can be seen in various WPA sites, such as Manchester-by-the-Sea Town Hall and Gloucester City Hall in Massachusetts.

The WA was the largest New Deal federal agency, employing millions to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects. Created by order of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the WA was funded by Congress with passage of the Emergency Relief Appropriation Act of 1935 on April 8, 1935. Between 1935 and 1943, the WA provided almost eight million jobs throughout the country.

The Federal Art Project (FAP) was one of the divisions of the WA. The FAP's primary goals were to employ out-of-work artists and to provide art for non-federal government buildings: schools, hospitals, libraries, etc. Over 5,000 jobs for artists were created, which produced over 225,000 works of art for the American people.

NOAA Fisheries Service, in partnership with the City of Gloucester and the Gloucester Committee for the Arts, worked collaboratively to restore this historically important mural and increase its public visibility. This partnership reflects recognition of a common heritage and a forward looking commitment to working jointly for the benefit of our shared community.