In early 1934 the United States was in the depth of the Great Depression and around 25% of people were unemployed. Because of the Great Depression and the horrors of unemployment the government birthed the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), which for the first four months of 1934 hired 3749 artists and produced 15663 paintings, mural, prints, crafts and sculptures for government buildings. (Smithsonian). The average artist was payed roughly $75.59 per artwork, which was very good money for back then, especially in the time of the Great Depression.
The purpose and premise of PWAP was to help artists thrive in the Great Depression and show the world that art is just as important as all the other industries struggling in the United States. Artists were recruited through newspaper advertisements, and the program itself was funded and running within weeks of the idea of it. Because of the Depression and the extreme unemployment rate, people stood in the cold and waited outside of government buildings to just apply to get the jobs.
PWAP was just the beginning of art recognition, it was not the most successful organization but its successor, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) helped bring up and support young artists who would eventually become luminaries. WPA was the most ambitious American New Deal agency, and employed anyone in the arts from painters to architects. WPA created new parks, bridges, and schools around the country and when it peaked provided jobs for 3 million unemployed because of the Great Depression.
Though WPA was liquidated in June 1943 because of low unemployment rates because of WWII, it provided millions of jobs for unemployed Americans because of the Great Depression for 8 years. Most everyone out of a job was applicable for WPA and earned wage during the horrid times of the Great Depression.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletet was very interesting to read about how the PWAP was used as a solution that could eventually relieve unemployment. However, I would also like to know what was art itself like during the Great Depression. What were some of the most prominent painters? What would the works of art be about? What about photography? How did these different forms of art portray the life of an American during the Great Depression?
ReplyDeleteLink: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/1934-the-art-of-the-new-deal-132242698/?no-ist