The New Deal art projects were created to provide financial relief to artists in the form of employment during the Depression. Eligible artists were paid by the federal government to use their expertise, often in the public sphere. These projects represent an unprecedented moment in American cultural history.

By design, the Federal Art Project (FAP) was intended to be race-blind, so many Black artists hoped these programs would redress their chronic disadvantages and professional isolation. However, the structure and requirements of the FAP shaped choices open to them, often limiting their choices. Many were assigned to educational projects and community art centers that served racially segregated populations. These programs combined technical instruction and art appreciation with a social service mentality.

Mary Ann Calo, a professor emerita of art history, argues that although FAP administrators sought to address the needs of the Black artistic community, the impact was to an extent undermined by their unwillingness to address the consequences of institutional discrimination and systemic racism.

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