What is a WPA mural?

A WPA mural was a public work of art owing to a federal government program that came to fruition in the United States during the 1930s. WPA stands for Works Progress Administration. As part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, the government-funded Works Progress Administration hired artists, illustrators, graphic designers and more to paint murals and create sculptures in schools, municipal buildings and elsewhere all over the United States — the effort, which included teaching art classes to children and budding artists, was put in place to build morale and offer employment during the Great Depression.