When Art Worked: The New Deal Art and Democracy

About this book

What artists and their work did for the United States during the Depression thanks to New Deal initiatives is the subject of this masterfully produced book. When Art Worked focuses on the consequences of the art and architecture created and its efficacy in enhancing the nations sense of itself during this debilitating time. With an astoundingly high unemployment rate in the countryat 25 percentNew Deal policies provided food work and with the aid of art hope grounded in common purposes. Art became a vital tool in rallying pride illuminating common necessities arousing an awareness of the suffering of people and drawing attention to the need for natural resource conservation. This had an indelible impact on public policy. New construction and renovations of post offices schools and government buildings reinspirited communities. When Art Worked also focuses on the objectives of the leaders who shaped the New Deal programs and features some of the eras most remarkable achievements. The text is accompanied by approximately 450 rarely seen or published color and black-and-white illustrations and newly commissioned photographs of some of the incredible works produced.