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Poster for a Federal Art Project exhibit in Pittsburgh at the Bessemer Gallery, circa 1938.
flipFlip to Harmonica Blues, by Dox Thrash, circa 1937-38
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Red, white, and blue poster advertising an exhibition of watercolors at the Bessemer Gallery. Image shows half an eagle and half a painter's palette.

Credit: Courtesy Library of Congress

Committed to the belief that art should be a part of the daily lives of all Americans, the WPA-funded Federal Art Project (FAP) employed artists across the country who painted public murals, posters, and works for the general public. Between 1935 and 1945, the FAP helped launched the careers of many artists, including Laura Slobe of Pittsburgh, Katherine Milhous and Dox Thrash of Philadelphia, Denten P. McGovern of Johnstown, and Charles H. Rudy of York,. The Art Project was founded by Philadelphia George Biddle (1885-1973), who had left a career as a lawyer to become a painter.

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