ABOUT THE WPA

As part of his New Deal program to put millions of unemployed Americans back to work, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration ("WPA") in 1935. In September of 1939 the name was changed to "Work Projects Administration".

In July of 1935, Federal Project Number One (Federal One) was established within the WPA as a central administration for the arts-related projects . Federal One provided funds specifically for artists, musicians, actors, and writers.

One such project was The Federal Art Project (FAP). The Federal Arts Project employed more than five thousand artists in various art projects including the many poster divisions that were created throughout the United States.

Other notable projects within Federal One where The Federal Music Project, The Federal Theatre Project, and the Federal Writer's Project.