Marion Greenwood with a mural she created for the WPA. Image via Federal Art Project, Photographic Division, Smithsonian National Archives of American Art.
The Federal Art Project (FAP) was created in 1935 to provide work relief for artists in various media--painters, sculptors, muralists and graphic artists, with various levels of experience. Holger Cahill, a curator and fine and folk art expert, was appointed director of the program. As with the other Federal cultural projects of the time, the program sought to bring art and artists into the everyday life of communities throughout the United States, through community art centers, exhibitions and classes.