Viewing page 17 of 60

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

-2-

By 1933 everyone interested in American art realized that, if some form of organized public support for the American artists were not discovered, the American tradition in the fine arts would enter a "dark age" from which it might not recover for generations.
To tide needy artists over the dark age of depression, the organized community, represented by federal, state and municipal governments, set up a number of projects.  One of the earliest of these was set up by Harry L. Hopkins as state administrator in New York.  Later, in 1934, in cooperation with the United States Treasury Department, he set up the Public Works of Art Project, which was administered by Edward Bruce. When this project came to an end various state projects were continued under the ERA. Last fall Mr. Hopkins set up the Art Project of the Works Progress Administration.
Fear has sometime been expressed regarding the quality of the work since many of the artists taken from the relief rolls had not yet achieved public recognition.  These fears are largely unfounded because there are ample safeguards against the display of bad work.
The Art Project of the Works Progress Administration is directed from Washington by Holger Cahill, an outstanding authority on modern art.  He is assisted by a staff of field advisers and state and district art directors.  These directors are museum directors, art educators and artists.  They are aided by advisory committees, national and local.  These committees consist of artists, museum directors, heads of art schools and of art department in the public