Virginia Wesleyan College

History 425 (I)
Brother Can You Spare a Paintbrush? The Arts Programs of the WPA
Winter Session 2007 -- Dr. Susannah Walker

Looking for a fun, challenging, and creative Winter Session course that fulfills the Senior Integrative Experience requirement for General Studies?

Look no further! In this course students explore the rich history of the Works Progress Administration's art programs while creating art themselves. During the Great Depression in the United States, part of President Roosevelt's efforts to relieve unemployment included 500 million dollars to employ artists, actors, writers, playwrights, photographers, ethnographers, musicians, and others in their creative professions. The result was the largest publicly funded arts program in American history. The work of these artists, contemporary assessments of these works, administrative records from the programs, and reminiscences of program participants, make up the bulk of course materials. In addition, students will work in groups and as individuals to create WPA-style art of their own. See above for a link to a tentative course syllabus as well as links to cool WPA arts web sites.

Interested? OK ... But Keep in Mind:

In order for this course to be successful, students must come to this class ready to work hard and be creative. It is essential that we all develop a solid grasp of the historical context and backdrop for the WPA arts programs, (including such topics as the Great Depression, the New Deal, American social life and cultural ideas during the 1930s, etc.) Therefore students will spend a good deal of time getting familiar with this history through readings, class lectures and discussions, and writing assignments. Just as importantly, however, students must be willing to put substantial time and energy into the art projects they participate in, be it creating paintings or posters, writing or performing in a play, or conducting ethnographic field research. Students will be expected to contribute to more than one project. In short, this course requires a substantial time commitment from everyone involved. In general, Winter Session courses require a full day of work every day, including work on the weekends. This is why I am requiring all students to get permission from me before signing up for this course. Make sure you read the syllabus and consider the requirements of this course carefully before coming to me with that registration form!