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The New Deal: Art Relief

December 3, 2020–September 5, 2021
The Wolfsonian–FIU @ 1001 Washington Avenue

The catastrophe of the Great Depression—much like our current economic crisis—devastated the arts. In the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash, the U.S. government mobilized its resources to create jobs for artists, writers, musicians, and theater professionals through the major work relief program of that time, the Works Progress Administration. Drawn from The Wolfsonian's holdings, The New Deal: Art Relief showcased the huge variety of artwork produced under that program, ranging from murals created for prison walls to posters that advertised our national parks.