New Deal art and GSA
During the New Deal era, the U.S. government administered four separate art projects that operated from 1933 to 1943. The projects produced thousands of paintings, sculpture, and works on paper.
In 1934, the federal government began loaning artworks created under the New Deal art programs to public agencies and nonprofit institutions. Our agency inventories these loaned artworks, and we work with these agencies and institutions to inventory and update loan agreements.
If your institution houses New Deal works of art, or you would like more information, please send any request to the Fine Arts Branch at wpa@gsa.gov.
We also work with the Office of the Inspector General to locate, identify and recover lost works of art produced by New Deal artists. When someone offers a New Deal artwork for sale or suspects it is federal property, anyone can notify the OIG.
If GSA determines the artwork is federal property, we work to return it to federal custody and loan the artwork to a public institution.
If you are aware of a New Deal work of art that may be federal property, please contact: