Robert Muchley was one of thousands of artists who participated in the Federal Art Project (FAP) and created captivating and highly original work that is still in great demand. The project, which provided funds specifically for the visual arts, was part of the Work Projects Administration (WPA). The ambitious project started in 1935 and survived until 1943.

The artists of this project produced a wide variety of subject matter, labor, education, travel, the war effort, and reading and books are just several of the themes that appealed to artists who participated in the FAP.

George Biddle, the founder of the Federal Art Project, said that because of the FAP, the Depression exerted, "a more invigorating effect on American art than any past event in the country's history." While times were hard, the mood of the posters was typically upbeat and the designs were bold and original and many of the artists felt free to experiment with a wide range of concepts. For American art, it was a vital period that invigorated the entire country's perception of what art could be and brought American art into the international forefront.

In addition to posters, the FAP created thousands of murals in public buildings all across the country. Artist such as Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning, and Louise Nevelson, all left a moment of their creativity to posterity because of this program. As art historian Francis O'Connor said, "Something very vital indeed, something revolutionary happened to American culture during the 1930's"

One of the FAP's other major activities was the index of American Design. The project helped popularize American folk art by documenting the countries "usable past" of over 20,000 photographic records of American art, painting, sculpture, handicraft and folk art. The project was dissolved in 1943.

The Library of Congress is the largest single holder of WPA posters, having over 900 in its collection.

Created/Published : Federal Art Project, Pennsylvania, 1936 or 1937

Creator : Robert Muchley, artist

Part of the Work Projects Administration Poster Collection housed in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress

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Product #: cph3g05044