Field Notes

OC Great Park Exhibit

FEDERAL ART PROJECT: AMERICAN DESIGN

December 2, 2018–February 10, 2019

President Franklin D. Roosevelt developed the New Deal to provide economic relief during the Great Depression. Agencies like the Works Progress Administration (WPA) were established to fund programs, including the Federal Art Project, to alleviate unemployment. These programs commissioned thousands of artists and designers to create work across mediums. Federal Art Project: American Design surveys the visual culture of graphic illustrations to celebrate this critical era of American art history.

This exhibit was curated by Benjamin Cawthra, Professor of History at California State University, Fullerton. He describes in his curator’s statement that, “these posters signaled an optimism in the face of despair…” The vibrancy in color and art deco design stir the senses. You will find an array of New Deal programs that expanded the role of the government and its commitment to the arts. State parks greatly benefited with posters that encouraged visitorship and conservation.

Read more about upcoming Great Park exhibits here: http://www.cityofirvine.org/orange-county-great-park/palm-court-arts-complex

Don’t miss the Common Walls is a shared space for community groups to curate collaborative art installations. Currently Laguna College of Art + Design art is exhibited from December 2018–February 2019 in the Artist Studios.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *