Monday, November 12, 2007
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ART, CULTURE & GOVERNMENT: THE NEW DEAL AT 75
ART, CULTURE & GOVERNMENT: THE NEW DEAL AT 75

Library of Congress Symposium, March 13 & 14

National Archives & Records Administration Film Festival, March 15

On March 13 and 14, 2008, leading scholars from throughout the United
States will join experts from the Library of Congress in a free public
symposium produced by the Library’s American Folklife Center.  The event
will highlight new research and recent discoveries inspired by the
Library’s unparalleled collections of documentary materials generated by
the groundbreaking cultural programs of the New Deal.

March 2008 marks the 75th anniversary of the New Deal, the multifaceted
series of social, cultural, and fiscal recovery programs launched in
1933 by the newly elected president Franklin D. Roosevelt and his
administration to address the national crisis that came to be known as
the Great Depression.  Among the innovative “alphabet agencies” and
programs established to assist in the national recovery effort were many
that placed unprecedented emphasis on art, culture, and cultural
documentation, in particular the Works Progress Administration (later
Work Projects Administration or WPA), the Federal Writers Project (FWP),
the Federal Music Project (FMP), the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), and
the Farm Security Administration (FSA).  Much of the documentary wealth
produced by the New Deal is today housed at the Library of Congress.

Produced by the American Folklife Center, in collaboration with the
Center for the Book, the Prints and Photographs Division, the Manuscript
Division, and other Library of Congress divisions, the symposium will
focus attention on the lasting impact this federal initiative has had on
culture, documentation, and conservation.  Invited scholars will report
on recent research based on New Deal materials, primarily case studies
that demonstrate how innovative interpretation of the Library’s archival
holdings continues to inspire new revelations and reassessments of
twentieth-century American culture.  The symposium will also highlight
the Library's extraordinary collections of unique, primary documentation
engendered by New Deal programs, including manuscripts, photographs,
audio recordings, and graphic art materials. Library staff from many
divisions will discuss their New Deal holdings, including rare
collections, recent acquisitions, and under-utilized treasures.

The symposium will be complemented by the “75th Anniversary of the New
Deal Film Festival,” a day-long screening of rare government-produced
period films at the National Archives and Records Administration, in
Washington, D.C.  The screening will be held on March 15.

Art, Culture & Government: The New Deal at 75 will be held in the
Mumford Room of the Library’s Madison Building.  The event is free and
open to the public, but space is limited, so registration is required.
Registration information will be available shortly. For further
information contact: Nancy Groce, American Folklife Center, Library of
Congress; Phone: 202-707-1744; Email: ngro@loc.gov.

Arts
Monday, November 12, 2007 5:32:49 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)    Disclaimer  |  Comments [0]  |  Related posts:
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