If you are wandering around Washington D.C. and enjoying the local history and architecture, you may be interested in "Experience America" - a permanent collection of art works at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
I am always intrigued by art that reflects a specific period in history. It is so fun to delve in and see how different artists experienced a similar time and how they chose to communicate it through their art. "Experience America" is an in-depth study of the 1930s in the United States.
As you walk around, you will come across art commissioned through President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs. At that time, the federal government paid artists to paint/sculpt with the intention to portray the American way of life. Many artists studied the landscape. Others focused on the working people and local industries. Ultimately, they all depicted local communities and shared stories of people during the Great Depression.
I just recently browsed through the collection and despite having seen it several times, still found great pleasure in the stories the paintings tell. Check it out!
I am always intrigued by art that reflects a specific period in history. It is so fun to delve in and see how different artists experienced a similar time and how they chose to communicate it through their art. "Experience America" is an in-depth study of the 1930s in the United States.
As you walk around, you will come across art commissioned through President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal programs. At that time, the federal government paid artists to paint/sculpt with the intention to portray the American way of life. Many artists studied the landscape. Others focused on the working people and local industries. Ultimately, they all depicted local communities and shared stories of people during the Great Depression.
I just recently browsed through the collection and despite having seen it several times, still found great pleasure in the stories the paintings tell. Check it out!
Edward Hopper, Cape Cod Morning, 1950, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the Sara Roby Foundation
