Last week I went to see an exhibit of posters from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), at Forest Lawn Cemetery (only in L.A.). The posters dated from 1935 to 1943, and covered a wide range of topics. There were ads for art exhibits and theater events of the day; promotions of American regional cultures, histories and economies; exhortations to work together for the common good; and World War II-era images encouraging people to help out in the war effort.
The WPA is one of those visionary government programs that almost seems unimaginable today. During the Depression of the 1930s, when some 30% of Americans were unemployed, President Franklin 
Roosevelt put them back to work as part of the New Deal. Highways and bridges were built, libraries were created and staffed, rural regions were developed. The WPA also included a Federal Art Project that was designed to employ out-of-work artists. They both created art and taught their skills to others. They designed covers for books by writers in the Federal Writers Project, also part of the New Deal.
Roosevelt knew that artists could play a valuable role in bringing the country together to rebuild after the economic and social devastation of the Depression.
I've said on this blog before, that it's time today for a new New Deal. Where Roosevelt's New Deal focused on physical infrastructure - which certainly needs serious investment today - a 21st century New Deal would also focus on rebuilding the crumbling service sector of our economy, especially in education and health care. The ripple effects of the mortgage meltdown only make this New Deal even more urgent than before.
After seeing this exhibit, I'll add the arts to my New Deal proposal. These posters show how writers, painters, sculptors and actors can help bring our divided country together around putting people to work and strengthening our economy.
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