Posters for the People: Art of the WPA

Free Virtual Lecture ~ 7:00m EST 2026 will mark the 90th anniversary of the WPA Poster Division of the Federal Art Project — one of the most remarkable efforts in our country’s history that gave artists jobs that worked for the public good. These posters weren’t just eye-catching, they were public service tools that promoted everything from public health and safety to education, national parks, the arts — and even hope — during some of the hardest times in the U.S. Join curator and author Ennis Carter for a lively talk filled with images, stories, and behind-the-scenes discoveries. Learn how an incomplete government record of just 900 of the 35,000 posters designed and hand-printed between 1936 – 1943 led to a nationwide search—digging through collections, basements, and attics—to document nearly 2,300 WPA-era designs and counting. This conversation explores how design, government, and community came together to create some of the most iconic public art in American history. And how the WPA poster artists pioneered screenprinting as an art form to reach more people. Part history, part detective story, part inspiration.