Centering on the example of the deteriorating Ben Shahn Depression era murals in the Bronx Central Post Office in New York, the article briefly describes and evaluates present procedures and programs for the conservation care of art in the United States created with public funds, and finds them severely lacking. The author suggests extending to artists the right to be involved in the care and maintenance of their publicly commissioned works, allowing the public redress in decisions of destruction of such works, and the establishment of centralized governmental preservation programs for publicly owned art. -- AATA