Painting for the Public: WPA Federal Art Project Murals

In 1935, under President Frank D. Roosevelt's New Deal, the Federal Art Project, a federal economic relief effort organized under the Works Progress Administration, put unemployed artists on the government payroll to paint public murals in post offices, hospitals, and schools. The murals explored the intersection of politics, economics, and community identity, creating an unprecedented explosion of public art that transformed public spaces into lasting monuments of American history.  In this course, we explore meaning and symbolism behind the various murals across the United States, including Aspects of Negro Life in New York, Exploration and Settling of California Life in Alameda, the Social Security Building Murals in Washington DC, and many more. We also discuss the intentions of the artists and the various artistic styles they employed in their murals. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.