BACKTreasury Relief Art Project:
A Treasury Department Art Program
1935-1938
Project employment: employment was kept low with 356 being the largest number emplyed
Number of artworks produced: 85 murals, 39 sculptures, 10,215 easel works
Goal: To provide work relief for unemployed artists.
In July 1935, the Treasury Relief Art Program (TRAP) was created by a grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) awarded to the Treasury Department. TRAP was directed by Olin Dows, an artist and administrator, and then later by Cecil Jones. TRAP worked closely with the Treasury Department's Section of Painting and Sculpture (e.g., the Section).
Since the program was funded by the WPA, 90% of the artists on TRAP had to come from relief rolls. This percentage was lowered to 75% in December 1935. Like other Treasury art programs, TRAP was concerned with artistic quality. Often, the master artist for a commission would be selected from nonrelief rolls with assistants selected from the relief rolls.
When the project ended in 1938, any artists on the payroll were transferred to the Works Progress Administrations' Federal Art Program (WPA/FAP) to complete their project.