Westfield Athenaeum Federal Art Project Poster (1937)

This poster from 1937 advertises an art exhibit hosted at the Westfield Athenaeum and sponsored by the Federal Art Project. The Federal Art Project was a jobs program administered by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), an agency created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May of 1935 as part of his New Deal for America. Interestingly enough, the WPA controlled a major building and highway construction effort along with the art project. At one time, before the WPA's abolishment by Congress in 1943, the program was the biggest employer in the country. Hmm. Art and highways. That explains the abstract designs of some of our New England roads.


Photo source: Work Projects Administration Poster Collection, Library of Congress, Digital ID: cph 3f05280 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3f05280