The
Works Projects Administration (WPA) was
established by Franklin D. Roosevelt
in 1935 as part of the New Deal attempt
to combat the Depression. This included
the Federal
Art Project (FAP) that provided finance for the employment of artists.
Headed by Holger Cahill, it employed artists on relief while maintaining
a small number of non-relief artists for supervisory positions. Artists
received $23.50 per week and were expected to produce one major piece
within a specified number of weeks or to work a certain number of
days on a mural or architectural sculpture project.
In 1936 the Federal Art Project was employing more than 5,000 artists.
In eight years (1935-43) the FAP produced 2,566 murals, more than
100,000 easel paintings, 17,700 sculptures and 350,000 fine prints.
The cost of the FAP was over $35,000,000.
William Gropper, F.
D. Roosevelt (1934)
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