|
In
the
1930s,
the
Great
Depression
had
every
U.S.
family
in
its
grasp.
Some
of
these
were
artists
and
Harry
Hopkins
under
President
Franklin
Roosevelt
started
an
experimental
program
known
as
the
Public
Works
Art
Program.
This
program
was
short
lived,
however,
Harry
Hopkins
transitioning
from
the
Federal
Emergency
Relief
Administration
to
the
Works
Progress
Administration
(WPA),
created
the
Federal
Arts
Project
(FAP)
in
1935
and
directed
by
Holger
Cahill.
The
FAP
was
a
sub
unit
of
the
WPA.
United
States
wide,
the
Federal
Art
Project
existed
in
the
forty-eight
states.
Its
strongest
outreach
program
was
in
art
education
for
children.
FAP
maintained
more
than
100
community
art
centers
across
the
nation,
managed
art
programs,
and
held
art
exhibitions
of
works
produced
by
children
and
adults.
Under
this
program
thousands
of
posters,
prints,
sculptures,
paintings,
drawings,
and
murals
were
produced,
which
were
then,
in
turn,
loaned
to
schools,
libraries,
galleries,
and
other
institutions.
These
programs
spawned
a
new
awareness
of
and
appreciation
for
American
art
and
provided
jobs
for
needy
artists.
World
War
II
brought
its
demise
as
efforts
were
concentrated
on
the
war
effort;
however,
during
its
life
an
estimated
number
of
artworks
produced
were:
2,566
murals,
17,744
sculptures,
108,099
easel
paintings
and
240,000
prints.
The
FAP
had
two
goals:
1)
To
provide
artworks
for
non-federal
public
buildings
and
2)
To
provide
jobs
for
unemployed
artists
on
relief
rolls.
There
were
three
types
of
FAP
activities:
1)
Production
of
works
of
art--easel
division.
This
emphasized
nationalism
and
the
rediscovery
of
America
in
artwork
subjects;
mural
division,
where
the
focus
was
on
works
for
public
places
with
regional
differences
occurring
e.g.
Chicago
for
realistic
American
scenes,
New
York
City
for
abstract
murals,
and
California
for
an
Oriental
theme;
sculpture,
where
artists
were
encouraged
to
work
in
less
expensive
materials;
and
graphic
arts,
which
produced
posters
for
the
government.
2)
Art
education
--
including
the
establishment
of
community
art
centers.
Art
centers
as
institutions
devoted
to
community
education
rather
than
practical
training
were
rare
before
FAP.
By
December
1936,
there
were
25
art
centers
in
the
south
and
west.
The
heart
of
the
community
art
center
was
its
educational
program
through
classes
for
adults
and
children.
Miami
and
Key
West
had
active
WPA
community
art
centers.
3)
Art
research
through
the
Index
of
American
Design.
The
goal
was
to
make
an
historical
and
pictorial
record
of
the
daily
life
of
American
people.
They
produced
20,000
index
plates
in
six
years
of
operation.
Specific
kind
of
designs
studied
included:
textiles,
glass,
ceramics,
copper,
brass,
to
name
a
few
and
regional
varieties
such
as
the
Shaker
materials
in
New
England.
To
qualify
for
work
in
FAP,
artists
had
to
meet
the
professional
standards
as
artists,
and
also
the
relief
requirements
of
their
state
WPA
relief
board.
After
being
selected
to
be
on
the
project,
artists
were
reviewed
periodically
and
could
be
removed
from
a
project
if
their
financial
status
changed
or
if
their
work
was
unsatisfactory.
The
art
projects
ended
in
mid-1943,
when
the
government
turned
its
attention
towards
(The
WPA
also
administered
the
Federal
Writers
Project
which
accomplished
much
the
same
for
needy
writers.
It
was
directed
by
Henry
Alsberg
and
administered
by
Ellen
Woodward.
U.S.
One
-
Maine
to
Florida
(1938,
Modern
Age
Books,
Inc.
New
York)
was
one
of
its
works.)
-
THE
FLORIDA
KEYS
-
Joan
van
Breemen
and
Lambert
Bemelman
were
two
FAP
sculptors
whose
art
was
done
in
or
for
the
Florida
Keys.
Bemelman's
work
can
be
seen
at
Hurricane
Memorial
at
Mile
Marker
81.5.
Not
depicted
are
additional
FAP
work
on
the
Hurricane
Memorial
by
other
FAP
artists.
John
Klinkenberg
did
the
bronze
plaque
installed
just
below
the
bas
relief.
Ceramist
Adela
Gisbet
did
the
ceramic
tiles
for
the
cover
of
the
crypt.
General
designers
were
Allie
Mae
Kitchens
and
Emigdio
Reyes.
To
read
about
the
Hurricane
Memorial
click
HERE.
|
