Women and the WPA (part 2 of 10): Artists

The WPA offered many job opportunities for artistically-minded women: Painting, writing, sculpting, art instruction, performing arts, and more.   

Above: This WPA poster promotes an exhibition of art created by women. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division.

  

Above: In the late 1930s, WPA artist Lenore Thomas created this "Mother and Child" sculpture in Greenbelt, Maryland. Photo by Brent McKee.  

Above: Women performing in a WPA Theatre dance production. Photo courtesy of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum. 

Above: A WPA music instructor giving violin lessons to girls and boys. Photo courtesy of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.

Above: The caption for this photo reads, "The first lesson in clay modeling for a little boy at a Community Center operated by the WPA Recreation program in California." Image courtesy of the National Archives and the New Deal Network.

Above: Artist Lucienne Bloch working on a WPA mural project. Image courtesy of the National Archives and the New Deal Network.