Art of the New Deal Group 1 by Course Materials

INSTRUCTIONS

coursematerialbackup — 2017-05-20 19:24:43 UTC

Make TWO posts:

ONE:

- Choose one of the pieces of art - a painting or drawing, NOT a photo or poster -

(https://content.scu.edu/digital/collection/p17268coll6/search) that you think represents some facet of American life during the Great Depression or the New Deal well.

Post:

- A screen shot of the image

- The name of the piece and the artist

- A description of why you chose it, including how you think it connects with the experience of American life during this time (tied to some kind of evidence)

- Include the topic and your name in the heading of your post (example: The 3 Rs - Wade Merrill)

TWO:
- Make a new post responding to the following:

The Great Depression was the ultimate American crisis. If government funds had to be spent on New Deal relief efforts, all of that money should have gone towards things that solved immediate emergencies or made a lasting difference: food relief, infrastructure, economic stimulus, etc. There is no reason tax payer money should have been spent on things like art and music. Tie your opnion to evidence from course materials.

- Place your post near the bottom prompt and include whether you agree or disagree in the title (example: Agree - Wade Merrill)

POST ONE

coursematerialbackup — 2017-05-20 19:24:43 UTC

Place your artwork post below

POST TWO

coursematerialbackup — 2017-05-20 19:24:43 UTC

Place your post about New Deal spending on arts projects here.

End

coursematerialbackup — 2017-05-20 19:24:43 UTC

Zack, Topic: costal industrialization

2026-02-21 16:57:47 UTC

Detail from "Bay Scene" by Moya del Pino

I chose Detail from “Bay Scene” by Moya del Pino because it highlights the strong presence of industry factories, smokestacks, and ships alongside the natural landscape, symbolizing the industrial economy that shaped American life in the early twentieth century. This connects directly to the Great Depression described in The American Yawp, which explains how overproduction, declining demand, and factory layoffs created a downward economic cycle after 1929.

Zack Disagree

2026-02-21 17:00:20 UTC

I disagree because while immediate relief like food aid and job creation were essential during the Great Depression, programs supporting art and music also addressed real economic and social needs. As described in The American Yawp, New Deal programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) did more than build roads and bridges they provided jobs to millions of unemployed Americans, including artists, writers, and musicians who otherwise had no income. The Federal Art Project and other cultural programs put people to work just like infrastructure projects did, while also boosting morale and preserving American culture during a time of widespread despair.

Fighting the Great Depression - Elizabeth Ziola

2026-02-21 20:02:58 UTC

I chose this picture by John L. Howard because it helps to show parts of the New Deal, which was an idea of a way to combat the Great Depression. There were agencies put in place that helped young men get jobs working on environmental projects in order to boost the economy.

Disagree - Elizabeth Ziola

2026-02-21 20:12:27 UTC

I disagree, because, while immediate relief was important at the time, it was more important to both boost people's spirits and to make sure that the economy would stay stable aside from immediate relief. If all of the government's effort were focused on immediate relief, it would give people the impression that the Great Depression was a horrible tragedy, and while it was, it was important to make sure that people were able to stay calm at the time. Plus, the projects begun by the New Deal were things that would have a lasting effect on the economy rather than immediately and shortly fixing the problem that would soon reappear.

"Black Canyon" - Anna Dodak

2026-02-22 02:29:59 UTC

This painting is called “Black Canyon” created by Conrad Buff. I chose this piece because it represents the time period well. This painting focuses on the landscape and projects that took place during the Great Depression. The American Yawp says, “Roosevelt proposed jobs programs, public work projects.” This quote shows how Roosevelt responded to all the unemployment, and the projects which made Americans get back to work. Conrad Buffs' art demonstrated how the art was used to support people and create hope for these challenging periods.

Chumash Indian Figure - Aidan Roka

2026-02-22 17:05:28 UTC

I chose this picture because it represents Native American life during the great depression pretty well and connects to the Native Policy. In the American Yawp it talks about how Indians were among the poorest groups in the United States. They did not have much at all and also had limited opportunities. It all changed though when it came to Roosevelt, the Indians changed their federal policy and eventually restored lands and encouraged tribal self-government. This helped get the Indians get back to being a more stronger group than before.

The New Deal- Jack Chrisinske

chrisinj — 2026-02-22 17:08:31 UTC

I chose this picture by John L. Howard Because I believe it is very good depiction of the projects and jobs that the New Deal provided for Americans that put many men to work in a time where unemployment was at an all time high. I especially like depiction of the infrastructure project that were happening at the time, as Much of the infrastructure that was made at that time is still very much relevant today.

Disagree - Aidan Roka

2026-02-22 17:24:37 UTC

I would say that I disagree. The Great Depression was an economic emergency with programs including food relief, job creation, and infrastucture. However, in the American Yawp, it talks about how the New Deal was built around employment, not just free charity. Many programs needed workers and hired workers such as artists, musicians, and writers. These types of workers needed money/income because they were unemployed individuals. Paying them to create such things like art or music was still job creation.

Disagree-Jack Chrisinske

chrisinj — 2026-02-22 23:42:38 UTC

I disagree on the notion that The New Deal was a was of financial resources, The Great Depression was a financial collapse of the United States that had multiple causes, one of which was rampant unemployment that was depriving Americans of disposable income so nobody was buying anything. I believe that programs that helped people at the time were necessary because the point wasn't for the art or the music, It was for the jobs for the 25% of Americans that Were unemployed and couldn't put food on the table and desperately needed money. The art and musical programs also had tremendous cultural impacts across the US That reflected society at the time.

Disagree - Anna Dodak

2026-02-23 00:36:45 UTC

I disagree that during the Great Depression Government spending should not have been limited to only immediate emergencies. The government's main focus should have been to stabilize families and ensure safety, not funding non essential programs. Art was important during the Great Depression because it provided jobs, hope and positivity to those giving up. It was joyful and helped with finding jobs. According to the American Yawp, it says, "Individuals, families, and communities faced the painful, frightening, and often bewildering collapse of the economic institutions.” This quote relates in a way because, this was structural not temporary. They should have focused on rebuilding stable economic systems that would prevent future collapses.