New Deal art Reimagined in Virtual Art Gallery

This month, PVCC’s Visual Arts Department published a new visual arts gallery online. Featuring local artist Barbara Shenefield, the series of posters is reminiscent of America’s history yet relevant to life today. Shenefield’s exhibition is titled World Progress Association: the New Deal. Although the collection would usually be displayed on campus, the availability of the virtual gallery means the community can still echnjoy the collection from home from now until March 31.

Based in Charlottesville, Shenefield’s work is centered on local spots and iconic scenes. For this particular collection of posters, Shenefield drew inspiration from the depression-era art created during Roosevelt’s presidency. In her artist statement, she wrote, “Rather than being protest posters, which have pointed and direct critical messages on them, my posters will be more in the spirit of the New Deal.” 

With her art featuring thought provoking text and images related to modern life, Shenefield makes it known that her work is meant to acknowledge and bring attention to these subjects, it is not meant for protest. Her posters draw on existing works, but Shenefield’s interpretation is meant to represent the future of what society is capable of, and “American possibility.” The images are in vivid color and a familiar style, drawing on both previous and new designs to fit today’s issues and crises. 

The name of the exhibition itself is a nod to Roosevelt’s New Deal. Shenefield’s WPA is meant to mirror that of the great depression. The WPA was the Works Progress Administration; providing work, pay and infrastructure as a way of boosting the economy. Shenefield’s version is a play on words as well as the old themes, with classic looking designs and values against a modern backdrop. She covers common causes, like livable wage, climate change and propaganda. 

Shenefield’s reimagined WPA posters honor the American way of life; American workers, natural resources and government. The posters are meant to repurpose those used in the ’30s, but as Shenefield herself explains, the two sets of art are not that different, as American values haven’t changed. But Shenefield’s version of these WPA posters are meant to inspire American culture, and the continued importance of these natural and human resources. 

“Take them as a call to action,” she said.