Smithsonian Channel

At a time when our economy is struggling, the SAAM is opening its vaults to showcase works of art created under President Roosevelt’s 1934 New Deal Program.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of Roosevelt’s Public Works of Art Program which is being mentioned quite a bit in the media these days because of our current, unfortunately similar, economic environment.

Robert Brackman: Somewhere In America uploaded to Flickr by freeparking

When I saw the pieces from the exhibit, I found them surprisingly bright and cheerful. Who knows, maybe this will instill hope in Americans who visit the museum. If people could create beautiful things even when times were tough, hopefully Americans today can also enjoy culture and art during our own time of distress. (Don’t forget that admission to all the Smithsonian Museums are free!)

If you can’t visit the Smithsonian in DC, the SAAM has launched a new Flickr photo sharing web portal where you can take a look at some of the works of art, or upload your own pieces from the 1930’s depression era. The exhibit runs until January 2010.