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Also by Roger G. Kennedy:

When Art Worked, November 2009
Hardcover
Wildfire and Americans, July 2006
Hardcover

WHEN ART WORKED
By: Roger G. Kennedy

The New Deal, Art, And Democracy

Rizzoli
November 2009
On Sale: November 3, 2009
368 pages
ISBN: 0847830896
EAN: 9780847830893
Hardcover
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Non-Fiction

What artists and their work did for the United States during the Depression, thanks to New Deal initiatives, is the subject of this masterfully produced book. When Art Worked focuses on the consequences of the art and architecture created and its efficacy in enhancing the nation’s sense of itself during this debilitating time. With an astoundingly high unemployment rate in the country—at 25 percent—New Deal policies provided food, work, and, with the aid of art, hope grounded in common purposes. Art became a vital tool in rallying pride, illuminating common necessities, arousing an awareness of the suffering of people, and drawing attention to the need for natural resource conservation. This had an indelible impact on public policy. New construction and renovations of post offices, schools, and government buildings reinspirited communities. When Art Worked also focuses on the objectives of the leaders who shaped the New Deal programs, and features some of the era’s most remarkable achievements. The text is accompanied by approximately 450 rarely seen or published color and black-and-white illustrations and newly commissioned photographs of some of the incredible works produced.

Media Buzz

Diane Rehm Show - NPR - December 8, 2009