WPA

WPA is the abbreviation for Works Progress Administration, a program created by executive order in 1935 to provide jobs for millions of unemployed Americans. It was instituted as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal and was changed in 1939 when it was moved to the Federal Works Agency. Artists were hired to create murals, paintings, drawings, and sculptures for public buildings. Pieces are marked WPA and may have the artist's name on them. For more information, explore our identification guides for paper, prints, and dolls.