The Depression and the New Deal
If you live near a major city with public buildings constructed during the 1930s, you will probably be able to quickly find sculptures, murals and other paintings, and a host of other artistic artifacts. These works represent an amazing effort by the government to provide employment opportunities to the nation''s artists through what has become known as The People''s Art Movement.
Introduction
The movement "encompassed the massive collection of socially conscious art created during [the 1930s] for government commissions for professional as well as for other purposes" (Tice & Perkins, 2002, p. 142). For the first time, social, economic, and political issues directly influenced an entire artistic movement and gave definition to those elements that continue to exist in our time.
Although artists were already engaged in the earliest stages of the movement since World War I, the government''s Federal Arts Program (FAP) became officially part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA).
The program became an artistic locomotive drawing hundreds of artists, writers, musicians, and others to create important works that mirrored the major issues of the times. Thousands of artists were hired to produce thousands of murals, posters, prints, and photography for public buildings. Government-sponsored exhibitions and community art schools were regularly scheduled or established across the nation (Braufman, 1997).
When the program ended at the start of World War II, the tally of artworks produced included 2,566 murals, 17,744 sculptures, 108,099 easel paintings and 240,000 prints. These were produced through three main sections of the program:
1. Production of works of art. Emphasizing nationalism and the rediscovery of America in artwork subjects, production was divided into:
- murals, where the focus was on works for public places with regional differences, such as Chicago for realistic American scenes, New York City for abstract murals, and California for an Oriental theme.
- sculpture, where artists were encouraged to work in less expensive materials.
- graphic arts, which produced posters for the government.
2. Art education. This included the establishment of community art centers. Art centers as institutions devoted to community education rather than practical training were rare before FAP. By the end of the program, every state contained at least one institute.
3. Art research through the Index of American Design. The goal was to make an historical and pictorial record of the daily life of American people. They produced 20,000 index plates in six years of operation. Specific kind of designs studied included textiles, glass, ceramics, copper, brass, to name a few, as well as regional varieties such as the Shaker materials in New England (Wilkinson, 2004).
The products of these efforts were usually displayed in public buildings, hospitals, post offices, and other places where large numbers of people were likely to be exposed to them. Many of them can still be seen today.
References
Braufman, S.B. (1997). When artists became workers: The people''s art movement of the ''30 & ''40s. American Art Review, 10, 96-103.
Stern, A.M. (2002). Making better babies: Public health and race betterment in Indiana : 1920-1935. Journal of Public Health . 92 (5), 742-752.
Tice, C.J. & Perkins, K. (2002). The faces of social policy: A strengths perspective. Pacific Grove CA: Brooks/Cole.
Wilkinson, J. (2004). The WPA federal art project. Retrieved October 7, 2004, from https://www.keyshistory.org/artwpa.html
Objectives
To successfully complete this learning unit, you will be expected to:
4. Contrast previous-era responses to public need with the major reforms of the New Deal, in order to better understand present-day policies and political reactions to them.
5. Outline New Deal policy goals and compare these with the arguments being made against these programs today.
6. Examine the ethical ideals behind the Social Security Act and determine what has changed in society that would require its reform.
Learning Activities
Study 1
Axinn & Stern Text
Read Chapter 6, pages 164-216, in the Axinn & Stern text, describing how the Depression and the New Deal allowed the federal government to institute major overhauls of the social welfare system including some programs which are still in place today.
Study 2
Project Checkpoint
Continue to work on your project draft, Social Policy with Target Populations, which is due at the end of Unit 8. Refer to the Social Policy with Target Populations Scoring Guide for grading criteria.
Discussion 1
New Deal Survivors
In your readings and through a search of existing literature, draw up a list of New Deal programs that have survived into the 21st century. Include the program, its focus, and provide evidence to help explain why it still exists.
You may work alone, with one or more learners, or the instructor may assign you to a team to accomplish the assignment.
Resources
o Discussion Participation Scoring Guide.
Discussion 2
Social Security
The Social Security program was a major element that emerged from and survived the passing of the New Deal era. Why has it survived so long, and what has changed in the U.S. social structure that could cause it to be abolished or reformed now?
Given the calls for change, is the government ethically required to maintain the program to prevent problems of the Depression era from recurring? Explain your position.
Resources
o Discussion Participation Scoring Guide.