B8. American Art of the 1930’s

Against the backdrop of the Great Depression, we’ll explore the variety of art created over one the most productive periods in American history, the 1930s.  Following the Stock Market crash in 1929, Alfred Stieglitz opened his largest gallery to date, An American Place, and continued to exhibit the works of Georgia O’Keeffe, John Marin, Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, Arthur Dove and Paul Strand, as well as his own photographs. Edward Hopper continued to paint his stark scenes of New York City. With the New Deal and the WPA, hundreds of artists across the country created murals, easel  paintings, sculptures, and graphic arts that gave hope to Americans through the Depression.  We’ll study the Regionalist work of Grant Wood and Thomas Hart Benton, along with the work of Precisionists Charles Sheeler and Joseph Stella. Abstract art will be seen in the work of artists such as Hans Hoffman, Mark Rothko, and Arthur Davis. 

Martha Chiarchiaro has brought art history to life for more than 30 years. She received her master’s degree in the history of art from Williams College and has taught a variety of classes at the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester State University, WISE, and other cultural organizations. As noted on her Seeing History website, Martha looks forward to sharing her enjoyment of the history and highlights of art museums around the world.