The Treasury Relief Art Project (TRAP) operated between 1935 and 1938 as one of the federal government’s targeted efforts to support artists during the Great Depression. Established within the U.S. Treasury Department and funded through emergency relief appropriations, TRAP provided employment for muralists, painters, and designers whose work was installed in federal buildings across the United States.
TRAP occupied a distinct position among New Deal art programs. It followed the early momentum of the Public Works of Art Project (PWAP) and overlapped with both the Section of Fine Arts and the WPA Federal Art Project. Unlike the Section, which awarded commissions through merit-based competitions, TRAP was relief-driven: artists qualified through unemployment status rather than competitive selection. Yet TRAP’s projects often paralleled the Section’s architectural decoration program, resulting in stylistic continuity across federal buildings.
TRAP’s defining output was the creation of murals for post offices, courthouses, and administrative buildings. These works frequently depicted regional labor, agriculture, industrial production, and community life—subjects aligned with American Scene painting and the broader cultural goals of the New Deal. Many artists moved between TRAP, the Section, and the WPA, making TRAP a bridge program that sustained mural production during a period of administrative transition.
Program Characteristics
Relief-Based Employment: TRAP provided work for unemployed artists, distinguishing it from merit-based Treasury programs.
Federal Building Installations: Most TRAP works were created for post offices, courthouses, and other federal facilities.
Emphasis on Murals: While TRAP supported easel paintings, murals were its central focus, often depicting labor, landscape, and public life.
Collaboration and Overlap: Artists frequently worked across TRAP, the Section, and the WPA, contributing to a unified visual language in New Deal public art.
Selected TRAP‑Associated Artists
Muralist and fresco assistant whose TRAP-era work extended her contributions to public art and socially engaged themes.
One of the youngest New Deal muralists; her early TRAP work led to later Section of Fine Arts commissions.
Twin sister of Ethel; active in TRAP and related programs, contributing to federal building murals emphasizing regional identity.
Known for dynamic depictions of labor and landscape; TRAP commissions expanded his national visibility.
Social realist painter whose TRAP murals addressed themes of class, public life, and social tension.
American Scene painter; TRAP-related work continued his focus on crowded urban environments.
Political cartoonist and muralist; TRAP commissions reflected his bold graphic style and strong social commentary.
Chicago-based muralist; TRAP projects included federal building murals in the Midwest.
Social realist painter associated with New Deal mural projects; his TRAP-era work reflects tensions between artistic expression and federal oversight.
These artists represent a core group whose TRAP work intersects with Regionalist themes, American Scene painting, and New Deal public art. As archival materials continue to be revisited, additional artists and project details will be added to this page.