American Gothic by Grant Wood
Mrs. Ruland's U.S. History Class Project
Fine Arts' Portrayal of the Government During the New Deal
This site contains many reliable links that describe the fine arts' portrayal of the New Deal. This website is designed to provide links to different resources about art programs during the era. The useful and informative sites will further your knowledge of the New Deal focused on the fine arts. New Deal programs such as the Federal Arts Project, part of the Worker's Project Administration, had a great effect on artist' portrayal of the fine arts. Many of these programs, like the Federal Theatre Project and the Federal Music Project, funded artists to create masterpieces to represent the era of new beginnings.
The Lobby Mural at the Beaver Falls Post Office
Written by Cynthia A. Kundar, director of Merrick Art Gallery, this article provides you with reliable information on the Federal Arts Project. It contains themes found in paintings and murals by artists during the New Deal. You can also view a portion of the mural found at the Beaver Halls Post Office.
ArtLex accurately describes the policies and organizations created during the New Deal. This site focuses on the fine arts and how it affected American culture. This site refers to organizations including the Section of Painting and Sculpture and explains their goals and how they accomplished those goals. There are also many links to other sources of information useful to the subject.
The Public Art Paradox is an informative site that describes the relationship between the public and the arts. This site discusses the affect of the Public Works of Art Project, the Worker's Project Administration, and the Fine Arts Program on art. This is a useful site because it is reliable and includes related articles and resource references at the end of the page. (This is part of a password database that most schools have access to. Ask your media specialist for assistance.)
This website contains information about the WPA and all the culture-enriching programs created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the New Deal, as well as discussing the problem of censorship in the arts. This site includes detailed descriptions about several New Deal Arts projects like the Federal Art Project, the Federal Theatre Project, and the Federal Music Project.
On this interactive site, you can roll you mouse over eight different New Deal Art programs. After clicking on a single program, you will be given a page of information concerning the art that was produced under that program, and the effect it had on the American people. This site also has a section where you can search for artists, artworks, or the city in which the artist lived during the New Deal.
Roosevelt Administration Creates WPA/FAP
This is a very good site because it is provided by a very safe and reliable database. It provides you with an in depth description of President Roosevelt's attempts to fund artists, as well as information on motives behind many artists work. (This is part of a password protected database that most schools have access to. Ask your media specialist for assistance. Once you are able to log in, click on your first option called “Student Resource Center Gold” and then in the quick search box search for “New Deal.” You can then scroll down until you find the site titled “ Roosevelt Administration Creates WPA/FAP, 1935-1943 .”)
Paul Pianfetti, New Deal Artist
Paul Pianfetti was an artist during the New Deal. One of his works of art, which was done for the Fitzsimon General Hospital can be found at this site. This mural was done to show hard working African Americans in the field during this time.
Their Lives, Her Camera, Full of Passion
This site contains information about the well-known New Deal photographer, Dorothea Lange. Dorothea Lange took hundreds of pictures of migrant workers, unhappy farmers, and discouraged Americans. Her photographs captured the hearts of many Americans, and this site takes the emotion from her pictures and puts them in an informative form, and includes examples of her work. (This is part of a password database that most schools have access to. Ask your media specialist for assistance.)
Rob Witwer wrote this article about famous painter Kenneth Evett, who was an artist during the New Deal. In this article you will read about Evett's “Golden Mural” and its similarity with many murals painted during the New Deal Era. It provides you with an explanation of the story happening in the mural, as well as new techniques that influenced the artist.
The Treasury Department's Section of Fine Art
This site has information on the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture. It explains the competition between artists to receive funding for their art and the critiquing of each submission of art on its content.
Art And Activism: A Brief History
This is a reliable site, written by Susan Platt, the editor of Arts Papers. It describes many artist's purpose and themes for their artwork, which was to expose bad working conditions, as well as the lives of the average farmer or laborer. (This is part of a password protected database that most schools have access to. Ask your media specialist for assistance.)
Shea N., Molly K., Tory T.
Last updated March 28, 2007
© Marcella Ruland 1998-2008, All rights reserved
