Following the Great Depression, the U.S. Works Progress Administration’s “See America” campaign threw a few bucks artists’ way to craft posters encouraging people to visit the nation’s scenic public parks. Now The Creative Action Network is challenging today’s artists to put their own spin on these classic posters through the new See America Project. It has already attracted more than 50 posters, which are going for $25 to $85 depending on size and framing, according to FastCoDesign. The artists will pocket 40% of the proceeds.
As the CAN has partnered with the National Parks Conservation Association for this initiative, it comes as no surprise that America’s parks feature heavily in the artworks. That said, the pieces range from the Art Deco style of the original posters to the slightly abstract, to the tongue-in-cheek (e.g., Daisy Patton’s deer bundled up against Colorado’s snowy weather).
Though the posters remind us of the natural beauty that awaits us all in every state of this vast land, the origins of the project also highlight how little has changed when it comes to the artist’s ability to earn a living.
