New Deal

The New Deal art programs of the 1930s not only provided employment for artists, but allowed everyday Americans to enjoy artwork in their communities, whether at the local library, post office, school or courthouse.

The four programs were:

• Public Works of Art Project (PWAP), 1933-1934. The PWAP was a work-relief program. Artists were on government payrolls and received weekly salaries.
• The Section of Fine Arts (The Section), 1934-1943. Originally called the Section of Painting and Sculpture, the Section of Fine Arts awarded commissions to artists through competitions. This program's primary objective was to obtain the highest quality artwork for installation into public buildings.
• Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP), 1935-1938. TRAP employed artists to create paintings and sculptures for existing federal buildings.
• Works Progress Administration, Federal Art Project (WPA/FAP), 1935-1943. The Federal Art Project, later named the Work Projects Administration Art Program, was the largest of the New Deal art programs in both its scope and the number of artists employed.

The artists who worked for these programs created thousands of paintings, sculptures, and works on paper.

In 1934, the federal government began loaning or allocating artworks created under the New Deal art programs to public agencies and nonprofit institutions throughout the nation. GSA assumed stewardship responsibility for these artworks when it was established in 1949. Today, GSA remains the federal agency responsible for inventorying these loaned artworks.