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Catalog Data

Creator:
Federal Art Project. Photographic Division  Search this
Names:
Federal Art Project (N.Y.)  Search this
Federal Art Project (Wash.)  Search this
Federal Art Project -- Photographs  Search this
Federal Art Project. Easel Division  Search this
Federal Art Project. Graphic Arts Division  Search this
Federal Art Project. Poster Division  Search this
Federal Music Project (U.S.) -- Photographs  Search this
Federal Theatre Project (U.S.) -- Photographs  Search this
Federal Writers' Project (U.S.) -- Photographs  Search this
Harlem Art Center  Search this
United States. Work Projects Administration  Search this
United States. Works Progress Administration  Search this
Abbott, Berenice, 1898-1991  Search this
Alston, Charles Henry, 1907-1977  Search this
Arenal, Luis  Search this
Barthé, Richmond, 1901-1989  Search this
Benson, John Howard, 1901-1956  Search this
Berger, Andrew  Search this
Blanch, Lucile, 1895-1981  Search this
Bloch, Lucienne, 1909-1999  Search this
Bolotowsky, Ilya, 1907-1981  Search this
Brann, Louise, 1906-  Search this
Burke, Selma, 1900-  Search this
Cahill, Holger, 1887-1960  Search this
Calapai, Letterio, 1902-1993  Search this
Chodorow, Eugene (1910-2000)  Search this
Criss, Francis, 1901-1973  Search this
Davis, Stuart, 1892-1964  Search this
De Rivera, José Ruiz, 1904-1985  Search this
Dehn, Adolf, 1895-1968  Search this
Dehn, Virginia E. (Virginia Engleman), 1922-2005  Search this
Ennis, George Pearse, d. 1936  Search this
Evergood, Philip, 1901-1973  Search this
Gershoy, Eugenie, 1901?-1983 or 6  Search this
Goodman, Bertram, 1904-1988  Search this
Gorky, Arshile, 1904-1948  Search this
Greenwood, Marion, 1909-1970  Search this
Guston, Philip, 1913-1980  Search this
Herman, Andrew  Search this
Hord, Donal, 1902-1966  Search this
Horn, Sol  Search this
Hovell, Joseph, 1897-  Search this
Karp, William, 1905-  Search this
Kuniyoshi, Yasuo, 1889-1953  Search this
Laning, Edward, 1906-1981  Search this
Levi, Julian E. (Julian Edwin), 1900-1982  Search this
McMahon, Audrey, 1900?-1981  Search this
Olds, Elizabeth, 1896-1991  Search this
Refregier, Anton, 1905-  Search this
Robbins, David  Search this
Seltzer, Leo, 1916-  Search this
Shuster, Will  Search this
Zorach, William, 1887-1966  Search this
Extent:
12.4 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
circa 1920-1965
bulk 1935-1942
Summary:
The Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection dates from circa 1920-1965, with the bulk of the records spanning the active years of the Federal Art Project (FAP), 1935-1942. The collection comprises 12.4 linear feet of mostly photographic prints and negatives that document primarily artwork produced by artists employed by the FAP. A smaller number of photographs also document other programs of the FAP, such as art classes and community centers, exhibitions by children and adults, artwork installed in public buildings, project divisions, and demonstrations of art processes by FAP artists.
Scope and Content Note:
The Federal Art Project (FAP), Photographic Division collection dates from circa 1920-1965, with the bulk of the records spanning the active years of the FAP: 1935-1942. The collection comprises 12.4 linear feet of photographic prints and negatives, including photos of FAP artists and the artwork created by them, and other activities of the FAP in communities throughout New York City and other states. Photographers include Andrew Herman, Sol Horn, David Robbins, Leo Seltzer, and others. Artist files comprise three-quarters of the collection and consist primarily of photographs of artwork, as well as scattered photos of artists at work, including: Charles Alston, Luis Arenal, Richmond Barthe, John Benson, Andrew Berger, Lucille Blanch, Lucienne Bloch, Ilya Bolotowsky, Luise Brann, Selma Burke, Letterio Calapai, Eugene Chodorow, Francis Criss, Stuart Davis, Adolf Dehn, Virginia Dehn, Jose de Rivera, George Pearse Ennis, Philip Evergood, Eugenie Gershoy, Bertram Goodman, Arshile Gorky, Marion Greenwood, Philip Guston, Donal Hord, Joseph Hovell, William Karp, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Edward Laning, Julian Levi, Audrey McMahon, Elizabeth Olds, Anton Refregier, Will Shuster, William Zorach, and others. The remainder of the collection consists of files documenting related activities and programs of the FAP, arranged by subject. The bulk of these files document the activities of the New York City FAP, including free art classes and art exhibitions for adults and children, exhibitions at the Harlem Art Center, and the work of FAP branches including the Easel Division, the Graphic Arts Division, and the Poster Division. Other subjects documented include federal and community art centers in eleven states, most extensively Washington State; other WPA projects such as the Federal Theater Project, the Federal Music Project, and the Federal Writers' Project; buildings decorated with FAP artwork; art processes as demonstrated by FAP artists; special events; and people involved with the FAP, including director Holger Cahill. One folder contains images that appear to have been taken by Berenice Abbott for the exhibition Changing New York (1935), for the Museum of the City of New York in collaboration with the WPA.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 2 series: Missing Title Series 1: Artist Files, circa 1920-1965 (Boxes 1-24; 9.6 linear feet) Series 2: Subject Files, 1934-1956 (Boxes 25-32; 2.8 linear feet)
Historical Note:
The Federal Art Project (FAP) was one of the Depression-era work-relief programs of the Federal Works Progress Administration (WPA). The program was founded in August 1935 to provide employment for artists and to implement visual arts programs in local communities across the country. Together with the Federal Music Project, the Federal Theater Project, and the Federal Writers' Project, the FAP formed part of the WPA's Federal Project No. 1. The WPA became the Work Projects Administration in 1939 when it fell under the administrative hand of the newly created Federal Works Agency; concurrently the Federal Art Project was officially re-named the Federal Art Program. Under the direction of Holger Cahill, the goals of the FAP fell into three main areas: production of artwork, art education through art classes and community centers, and art research through the Index of American Design. During the course of the program, artists created murals and other works of art for many non-Federal government buildings such as schools, hospitals, and libraries. Separate photographic divisions were set up in several states, most notably in New York City, to document the work of artists employed by the program, activities in art education such as classes for children and adults, community center outreach programs, and other "Federal 1" projects, including the Federal Theater and Music Projects. Employees of the photographic division were also involved in other assignments, such as creating exhibitions and photo murals. The Federal Art Project ended in 1943.
Related Material:
Among the holdings of the Archives of American Art are related collections, including the Federal Art Project of the Work Projects Administration records, 1935-1948. Additional FAP records are held by the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington D.C.
Provenance:
The collection was anonymously donated to the Archives of American Art in the late 1950s.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Topic:
Children's art  Search this
Photography  Search this
Art -- United States -- Exhibitions -- Photographs  Search this
Art -- United States -- Study and teaching -- Photographs  Search this
Art centers  Search this
Federal aid to the public welfare -- Photographs  Search this
Theater and state -- United States -- Photographs  Search this
Music and state -- United States -- Photographs  Search this
Federal aid to the arts -- Photographs  Search this
Art -- Technique  Search this
Artists -- United States -- Photographs  Search this
Art -- Exhibitions  Search this
Latino and Latin American artists  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
African American artists  Search this
Function:
Programs (organizations)
Agencies
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Citation:
Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection, circa 1920-1965, bulk 1935-1942. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
AAA.fedeartp14
See more items in:
Federal Art Project, Photographic Division collection
Archival Repository:
Archives of American Art
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw91f0216d7-ed8e-4482-8128-6def41dbe367
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-aaa-fedeartp14