Maxo Vanka completed 25 individual murals in two brief but intense periods in 1937 and 1941 in St. Nicholas Croatian Catholic Church. The commissioning priest, Father Albert Zagar, lightly prescribed the artist’s subject matter and Vanka maximized his opportunity to pay tribute to faith while expressing his passionate beliefs about social justice, injustice, the horrors of war and helping to preserve and celebrate cultural identity among an immigrant population. The more than 80-year presence of the 25 main murals has been largely unaltered with approximately 4,500 sf of the original paintings on constant display. Although not a WPA artist, Vanka’s work is reminiscent of those visual storytellers at work during the same time period. Vanka referred to the murals as his “Gift to America” and they have been compared to the works of the great Mexican muralist Diego Rivera.

The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka presents public and private tours led by trained docents. The 60-minute tour is a full introduction to Maxo Vanka and the Vanka Murals. Advance reservations and masks are required.