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Article: WPA art exhibit shows that debate over public funding is not new.(Originated from Knight-Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- August 8, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WASHINGTON _ In 1935, as Americans struggled through the Great Depression, President Franklin D. Roosevelt tossed a lifeline to artists, actors and writers with a huge infusion of federal aid to the arts.
The result was a remarkable collection of murals, riveting black-and-white photographs, ground-breaking theatrical performances _ and an enduring controversy.
When Congress takes up the fate of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) after its August recess, lawmakers will be resuming a debate that started more than six decades ago with Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration (WPA).
The arguments then and now are strikingly ...