Weisman exhibit features New Deal art

by Cathy Wurzer, Minnesota Public Radio

Seventy-five years ago, President Franklin Roosevelt launched the New Deal. It was a massive federal relief effort intended to improve the economy and provide employment during the Great Depression.

Thousands of those employed were artists. They were paid by the government, often the Works Progress Administration (WPA), to create a wide variety of art.

Much of it was used in public buildings like schools or libraries. Some of it stands among the most significant pieces of public art in the country.

New Deal work is showcased in an exhibit running at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, which holds more than 1,000 pieces. "By the People, For the People" will be open through July 27.

Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer talked with curator Diane Mullin at the museum.

Broadcast Dates

• Morning Edition, 06/27/2008, 6:50 a.m.