To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Public Works of Art Program, 1934: A New Deal for Artists was organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum from their unparalleled collection of paintings created as part of the program.

From mid-December 1933 to June 1934, artists participating in the short-lived federal program were encouraged to depict the American scene, but were free to portray any subject. The 54 paintings in the exhibition were created by artists whose birthplaces spanned the country (and in some cases the globe), and who represent a distinctly diverse vision of America.

Pittsburgh artist Harry W. Scheuch (1906–1978) is represented by two canvases depicting the construction of the Cathedral of Learning on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh. Portraits, cityscapes, city life, landscapes and rural life are all captured in this exhibition which provides a unique and lasting visual record of America at a specific moment in time.

In 1934, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration, understanding that art was essential to sustaining America’s spirit during difficult economic times, created the Public Works of Art Program—the first federal government program to support the arts nationally. In addition to paying artists to embellish public buildings, the program provided them with a sense of pride in serving their country.

Organization and Funding
1934: A New Deal for Artists is organized and circulated by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with support from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Endowment Fund and the Smithsonian Council for American Art. The C. F. Foundation in Atlanta supports the museum’s traveling exhibition program, Treasures to Go.

Support for the Pittsburgh presentation of 1934: A New Deal for Artists is provided, in part, by United States Steel Corporation and Millstein Charitable Foundation.

Opening Celebration
This Friday, January 29, 2010
6:00–8:00 p.m.
The Frick Art Museum

Join us for beer and light bites as we celebrate the opening of this exhibition. Call 412-371-0600 to RSVP.

Exhibition catalogue

A fully illustrated, full-color catalogue co-published by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and D. Giles Ltd. in London, features an essay by Roger Kennedy, historian and

director emeritus of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History; and an introduction by the museum’s director, Elizabeth Broun. Individual entries for each artwork were prepared by Ann Prentice Wagner. The catalogue is available for purchase in the Frick’s Museum Shop.
Hardcover edition: $37.80 (members); $42 (non-members)
Softcover edition $30.60 (members); $34 (non-members)

Media (Frick exhibition)
Read an article on artdaily.org

Read a preview in Pittsburgh magazine

Media (Smithsonian exhibition)

Read a USA Today article Read an artdaily.org article Listen to an NPR segment Read a Washington Post article Read a Washington Times article Read an Education Week article

View a slideshow
View a slideshow of works in the exhibition.

Docent-led tours
Get details here.

Exhibition programs

Topics and dates

Family Programs
Programs just for families

Image credit

At the Westmoreland Museum of American Art:

Driving Through the Depression:

On the Road in ’34

January 30–April 25
Car and Carriage Museum

The exhibition 1934: A New Deal for Artists will be complemented by a special exhibition at the Car and Carriage Museum that examines some of the tremendous changes and challenges faced by the American auto industry in the early 1930s.

Driving Through the Depression: On the Road in ‘34 showcases three vehicles produced in 1934—a Dodge Brothers truck, a Ford Roadster Pickup and a Hudson Sedan (shown at left).

Viewed together, alongside other vehicles of the era from the Frick’s permanent collection, these models illustrate the story of automobile production and usage during one of the most difficult time periods in American history.