麻豆社

In the middle of the greatest national crisis since the Civil War, the American Government looked to the arts to both help lift the national spirit and spread the message of the New Deal.

In the first of two parts, writer Marybeth Hamilton begins her journey through this remarkable but short-lived experiment with the story of fine arts.

Collectively, it was hoped, Americans could renew democracy and create a better tomorrow through participation and exposure to music, art and theatre.

Across the nation, artists painted epic murals in small towns and vast cities that valorised work and workers or America's democratic past.

You could find art going on at subway stations, sewerage works and public schools. A hospital, school or public institution could loan a painting for a few dollars. All of this was to provide employment in a time of crisis and renew American democracy but it raised deep questions about the role of art and who got to own it or see it.

For its many critics, programmes like Federal One were fostered radicalism and dissent - subverting a nation.

But for the many touched by those days, it was an unforgettable experiment in art and democracy.

Producer: Mark Burman

First broadcast on 麻豆社 Radio 4 in November 2017.