Democracy a challenge WPA Poster! (#SaturdayPosters)

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Challenges, Democracy, New Deal, Phil Gennuso Arts, POSTERS, Restoration, Saturday, WPA

Adaptation by Phil Gennuso Arts

The original poster was created somewhere between 1936-1940 by the Illinois WPA project, during a very difficult time in history, The Great Depression.

I have taken the liberty to adapt and restore the original to make it more adaptable to a visual, online medium. The original poster is part of the public domain, along with a great many other beautiful, powerful works created during the Work Progress Administration era under The New Deal.

The WPA engineered under Franklin Roosevelt was a unique program to put people back to work because it also included artists of many different types. In this way we have multiple views of the era, not just politicians and biased journalists and historians. The WPA involvement of writers, visual artists, artists from different platforms gives us witness, true witness to the feelings, hopes and aspirations of this very difficult era.

The symbol used is the torch from the Statue Of Liberty, with part of the flag as a background, the stars representing the states. It shows the patriotism that existed in the era despite the difficulties. That patriotism of course was sorely tested in the coming World War. But also, it is honest – Democracy is a challenge. It is not a bed of roses, it is not like going down to MacDonalds and getting some fast food. No, it is difficult. And it requires, even demands our participation.

Protect Our Birds ! (#WPA #Birds #PhilGennusoArts #Wildlife)

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Phil Gennuso Arts, POSTERS, PRINTS, Wildlife, WPA

This is another restored poster from the iconic WPA era. The original was completed sometime in the 1930s under the New Deal WPA program which was an attempt to put Americans back to work, including artists, and artisans.

The poster features a Cardinal on a branch, with the saying “Protect Our Birds”. The sponsor was the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

It is a simple, yet powerful, conservation poster, that is still relevant today. Birds are very special to me since I see them almost every day, when I take my daily walks. They are my trusted companions.

WPA Work Promotes Progress Poster (Poster Restored PhilGennusoArts)

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#ARTS, New Deal, Phil Gennuso Arts, Restoration, Work, WPA

The iconic WPA! The New Deal program to try to put Americans back to work in the Great Depression. The dignity of work, how it builds confidence, and its connection to Progress.

What also made the WPA unique and special, is that it also included the arts. Artists, architects, writers, were also employed, to help move the nation forward.

In the weeks to come, I will be showcasing some of these works. In some cases, I have restored the works from the originals and made prints which will be available as letter sized prints.

This particular work has been restored and is available on my Etsy site, or you can contact me directly if you are interested:
philgennuso@gmail.com

Made in America Building a Nation – Stop the TPP!!!

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STAMP SHEET, TPP, USPS, WPA

A GREAT NEW USPS STAMP SHEET! PLEASE READ AND STOP THE TPP!

I know, sometimes I feel like I am talking to a wall, but I feel like I must keep speaking out. The future for so many people is at stake and it seems the media is half asleep, it is half drunk with scandal, after scandal, while the real issues that will affect potentially millions of jobs, are going unnoticed. We get the platitudes, but not the policy.

It is very frustrating to hear some talk about income inequality one day, and the TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership) the next day. The TPP will only increase income disparity, it will only put more pressure on wages, it will only ship more jobs overseas. We know this pattern, cheap goods if you have a job, or are in a protected part of the economy, low wages or no job if you are one of the unfortunate ones.

Yet this so called fast track continues. A fast track to hell for millions of workers and the US economy. Why aren’t there any labor representatives at these secret negotiations? Why aren’t there any consumer advocates at these secret negotiations? Why aren’t there any environmentalists at these secret negotiations? It begs the question.

And where is the so-called news media? There is only one program, The Ed Show, on MSNBC, that even mentions the TPP, and too shortly at that. Where is the rest of our news media? Chasing Chris Christie or the latest scandal, that’s where. Do you think anyone will really care a few years from now about Chris Christie if their job has left them broke and without a job? Can you see why the news media rates only slighter higher than a much discredited Washington?

With that said we always can turn to the artist for a better vision. Today while I was at the post office dropping off a book to be shipped out, I noticed a new stamp sheet in my Suffern, NY post office display window. The Suffern post office was built during the Depression, by the WPA and features a beautiful Art Deco wall relief by Elliot Means. I wish we had a WPA today to rebuild our country and celebrate our many great artists, but that will be for another post.

Back to the stamp sheet. It celebrates the great work of America, when our government officials supported the idea that we should actually make stuff in the US and not ship all our jobs overseas and all the money to Wall Street. Controversial point of view to some, no doubt.

But when I saw it, I felt a moment of serendipity and placed my order, even though I don’t actually need any stamps. It just ties together some of the themes I have been talking about concerning the USPS, the TPP, and the general state of American politics.

Most of the stamps are based on photographs by Lewis Hine (1874-1940).

The USPS has put together some really great stamp series celebrating America, all of America. This sheet is a fitting tribute to what we once celebrated and hopefully we will celebrate again.

I am so happy to present this to you.

And it is a forever stamp so you can keep it for as long as you like!